ECS board: news and negotiations

By SANDY LONG

ELDRED, NY — Following the successful passage of its budget, the Eldred Central School Board received more positive news and a request to resume faculty contract negotiations at its monthly meeting on June 11.

The meeting was preceded by an energetic presentation by faculty members from the elementary and high school music programs. The board learned that the ECS High School Band was recently recognized with several awards at the New York State School Music Association competition, with the junior band winning a Silver Award Level II and the high school band winning a Bronze Award Level IV.

Next was the news that the George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School was one of two New York schools selected as a Speak Up 200 school by Project Tomorrow® (PT), a national education nonprofit group focused on preparing students to become tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens. PT selects the top 200 K-12 schools empowering students’ voices in education.

PT honored the school for encouraging authentic student, parent and teacher input on education planning and decision-making. The data, which represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder input on education, technology, 21st-century skills and math and science instruction, will give education leaders important guidance on spending the education stimulus funds provided by the federal government.

Education, business and policy leaders regularly use the data to inform federal, state and local education programs. Speak Up 200 schools will use the data from the online surveys to develop strategic plans, make budgeting decisions, enhance curriculum and determine professional development needs.

Eighteen thousand schools nationwide have participated in the annual surveys since 2003. Over 330,000 students, teachers, administrators and parents, representing 4,379 schools in all 50 states, participated in fall 2008, including 669 students, educators and parents from ECS.

During public comment, ECS Faculty Association president Frank Kean read a letter to the board seeking to restart stalled negotiations. The letter describes the faculty’s willingness to switch insurance plans to address rising costs and asks the board to acknowledge the faculty’s objective of “working toward and staying at the Sullivan County median” as a reasonable goal. The faculty are seeking “a fair and equitable contract that will meet the mutual needs of the district, the community and our members,” the letter states.

The board also recognized the retirements of three individuals: ECS board member Robert Warden, school-to-work coordinator Robert Skibinski and faculty member Nancy McNeece.