Education

Education will be a big issue in 2015, with lines already drawn between teachers at public schools, and Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the charter school movement.

Before the New Year even began, the state’s largest teachers union was already making its displeasure with Governor Andrew Cuomo known, by protesting outside the governor’s mansion.

New York State United Teachers President Karen Magee says teachers are angry over what they see as Governor Cuomo’s increasingly negative view of their union, and the public education system in general.

The November 4 ballot includes an amendment to borrow $2 billion dollars to buy new technology for school children, like I-Pads and other tablets.  Fiscal watchdogs are against it, and the education community has been lukewarm. But with one week left to go before voting day, Governor Cuomo who came up with idea, has finally started to push for it.

Republican John Sharon is hoping the third time’s the charm in his bid to represent the 128th assembly district.  He’s trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Sam Roberts in a district that traditionally favors democrats.  Even though voters have elected Roberts twice, Sharon says it’s clear that Roberts isn’t known to many constituents…“As I campaigned then and now, I would do an informal poll and ask ‘Do you know who your Assemblyman is now?’ and the unofficial answer is nobody knows who it is. That tells me that there’s an opportunity. If I can get my message out there, get my name out there, I have a very good chance of winning.”

  Seven Elementary Schools were busy with surprise gifts on the first day of School, Tuesday.  Unexpected visitors dropped off backpacks with school supplies. 4,000 i-Zone students were ready to learn. The specialized schools offer an extended academic school day. The schedule is also designed to help out teachers with flexible school hours to provide extra help and the necessary planning time for professional staff development.  New Principal of the Seymour Dual-Language Academy, Ms.

  Students, parents, teachers and administrators gathered at Edward Smith School to celebrate one of the successes of Say Yes to Education.  The Young Authors program held a book signing Thursday for the students that participated this year.  

New York’s Education Commissioner took the 60th anniversary of the Brown versus Board of Education decision to defend the Common Core standards in schools.  John King went after the programs critics.  He says Common Core is not about a federal curriculum or making testing companies get rich.

A new academy will be phased in at the former Fowler High School in Syracuse starting this fall.  Poor state performance is forcing the change, which was approved Wednesday by the SCSD Board of Education.

It will be called the Public Service Leadership Academy, and will include four career-specific academies:   First Responder, Homeland Security, Military Science and Entrepreneurship. Within those academies, students can opt-in to eleven more narrow career pathways – all under one roof. 

The Onondaga Citizens League released a report calling attention to a serious lack of investment in the community’s youngest children. The report, entitled “Thrive by Five,” acknowledges the fact that New York State is making provisions to improve kindergarten and Pre-K but warns that officials have failed to place enough emphasis on the earliest developmental stages.