Superintendent's Blog

End-of-Year Reflections

by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Jun 7, 2019 | Updates

The month of June has arrived and we are “coming down the home-stretch” for the school year.  This is the time of year when there is a tendency to place an emphasis on end-of-year activities such as final examinations, retirement celebrations, graduation, summer planning, etc.  However, I would like to take this opportunity to refocus on the “big picture” and “not lose sight of the forest through the trees.” We – as a community – just completed an annual milestone that will have a long-term, positive impact on our ability to deliver a high-quality education for the students of South Orangetown, namely, the 2019-2020 School Budget Vote.  While most school district administrators are relieved to watch this herculean effort disappear into the rear-view mirror (until next year), I believe that this event deserves further analysis post-referendum.

The series of events leading up to the approval of the 2019-2020 School Budget were closely aligned to our strategic planning efforts.  A deliberate approach was taken to:

• Critically analyze our intended use of resources (e.g., labor, financial, capital).
• Identify opportunities to use our staff more effectively to better support our students (e.g., academically, socially, emotionally).
• Streamline operational processes to gain efficiencies.

On top of all the planning considerations listed above, school districts must have balanced budgets each year.  Unlike other governmental agencies (for example, the federal and state governments) school districts cannot spend in deficit.  More simply stated, the South Orangetown Central School District does not spend more money than it takes in. Our long-term financial planning forecasts account for a balanced budget by ensuring that our projected expenses do not exceed our anticipated revenues.  To this end, the administration and the board of education implemented several cost containment strategies to include more efficient purchasing practices, retirement incentives, and refinancing higher interest debt, to name just a few approaches.  It is important to note that these adjustments in spending allow us to avoid budget shortfalls that would otherwise add up to millions of dollars.  Again, budget shortfalls are not an option in our school district. 

Beyond this, cost-saving measures are just one side of the story.  The revenue side of this equation is much more complicated in that New York State school districts are limited in the amount of taxes they can levy due to the NYS Property-Tax Cap Law (which recently became permanent).  Because we are sensitive to the burden that increased taxes place our taxpayers, our Board of Education continues to explore and implement ways to increase non-tax (or miscellaneous) revenues such as aid and lease incomes.

We are certainly excited and proud of all the work that we have accomplished this year in the South Orangetown Central School District – especially as evidenced by the outcomes demonstrated by our students.  Beyond this, I am confident that we will continue to meet the evolving needs of our students: Our recently approved school budget (and related strategic/long-term planning) puts us in a position to deliver a high-quality education to our students for years to come.  Thanks to our community for its continued support!

Data into Action 2019

by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | May 31, 2019 | Updates

At the May 30 Board of Education meeting, the governance team (SOCSD administration and school board members) reviewed critical data as part of its continuous improvement cycle.  The governance team believes that data should be collected, analyzed, and presented in a manner that helps to improve the quality of education for students. To this end, the instructional staff is using the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as a framework to make data more meaningful and purposeful.  ESSA is a federal law that, when applied responsibly, can promote accountability, school improvement, educator development, and student supports.

Public schools have, in recent years, struggled with the concept of accountability – especially in light of poorly designed and implemented legislation such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.  ESSA is an improvement over past efforts to promote accountability since it examines new ways to identify schools for support and interventions​. South Orangetown, has been identified as a school district in “Good Standing” and this is good news.  However, SOCSD stakeholders know that this designation does not tell the whole story and the administration must “dig deeper” by disaggregating the data to ensure that all students are receiving the best education possible.

In reviewing the data, the administration made no mention of statewide high-stakes testing as a measure of accountability. Why? Because standardized-test scores are generally accepted to be a poor measure of organizational effectiveness.  The SOCSD Board of Education is committed to using data that are aligned with strategic objectives of importance to our community. These broader measures of student success (beyond test scores) are measured by indicators such as reduced levels of chronic absenteeism, improved high school readiness, and college and career readiness factors.  These are much better predictors of a high-quality education than high-stakes testing. Further, we will consider how school climate affects our students’ ability to access their educational program. Research suggests that the quality of the school climate may be the single most predictive factor in any school’s capacity to promote student achievement;  If we want achievement gains, we need to begin by improving the school climate (Schindler, et al, 2016).

To promote, measure, and improve school climate, our school district has taken the following action steps:  

• Adopted a Guidance Planning Document that emphasizes Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), restorative practices, and trauma-sensitive practices;
• Established a Family Engagement Center (FEC) and school-based Prevention Centers at TZHS and SOMS (in progress);
• Administered the USDE School Climate Surveys to students, parents, and school personnel;
• Analyze survey results (in progress) and other pertinent data (e.g. chronic absenteeism data, school violence index, suspension data) with the Pupil Personnel Support (PPS) Team (under the direction of Dr. Karen Tesik) and created an associated action plan to address areas of need.

Reference

Shindler, J., Jones, A., Williams, A.D., Taylor, C., Cardenia, H. (2016). The school climate-student achievement connection: If we want achievement gains, we need to begin by improving the climate. Journal of School Administration Research and Development 1(1), 9-16.

Memorial Day 2019

by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | May 24, 2019 | Updates

Every Friday before the Memorial Day Weekend, I write a blog post in honor of the men and women who have lost their lives defending our Nation.  I do this for two main reasons:

1. To emphasize the importance of remembering the service and sacrifice of fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and other members of our Armed Forces who have died in the service of our Country.
2. To express our sympathy as a school district to the families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.  These are our “Gold Star Families.”

My blog posts are an expression of my views as the school superintendent, as a veteran, and as an American.  But mostly, these posts are in response to the depth of emotion that I feel when the students of our schools reach out to Gold Star Families who have struggled with the unimaginable grief of having lost a loved one.  Over the past several years, I have been impressed, and profoundly moved, by the “Vetiquette Assemblies” that our elementary students present as a salute to our fallen heroes.  These assemblies provide support to the mothers, fathers, and family members of service members who have lost their lives in support of our freedoms.  Please click on the link to learn more about our Vetiquette Partner to Salute Fallen Heroes Assemblies.

Lastly, I would encourage you to read some of my past blog posts on this subject at the links below:

• Memorial Day 2017
• Memorial Day 2018

Thank you for remembering our fallen heroes and have a safe and restful Memorial Day Weekend.

Enrollment Trends, Student Needs, and Staffing Requirements

by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | May 9, 2019 | Updates

The annual school budget vote is just around the corner and I would like to highlight several aspects of next year’s spending plan that address staffing.  The Board of Education and our administrative team have spent the past few months developing a staffing plan that supports students by:

• Enhancing our Student Support Services Model through the addition of prevention counselors and centers at the secondary level (New York State requirements);
• Enhancing academic support at the elementary level through the addition of a shared guidance counselor (New York State requirements);
• Re-shaping how our talented staff are utilized to support program & continue to provide engaging learning opportunities for students;
• Strengthening our District-wide approach to safety, security, and compliance through the re-structuring of an existing supervisory FTE; and,
• Using data and data structures to inform instruction, measure results, and comply with ESSA requirements through the addition of a data coordinator.

On the whole, we will be maintaining the existing levels of staff that we use to deliver a traditionally high-quality level of instruction to our students, by keeping class sizes at their current levels and by providing appropriate services that students need to feel safe and supported. Over the past few weeks, I have heard of rumors suggesting that we are eliminating large numbers of teachers and increasing class sizes. These rumors are not accurate. In fact, we have slightly increased instructional staff in next year’s budget and class sizes remain at current levels in accordance with our Board of Education guidelines.

If you would like to learn more about what the proposed 2019-2020 school budget supports, please visit the Budget page on our website.

Thank you and please remember to vote on Tuesday, May 21. Voting information and polling site locations can be found here.

Enhancing the Social-Emotional Health and Safety of our School Community

by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Apr 17, 2019 | Updates

Regardless of what the calendar says, it doesn’t truly feel like springtime to me until the forsythia are in bloom.  Once these hedges turn yellow, I get the overwhelming sense of renewal that comes along with nature’s reminder that winter is officially over.  It’s also the time of year when we consider new opportunities to improve and innovate in our upcoming budget cycle.  On April 16, I had the opportunity to discuss some of the features of the proposed 2019 – 2020 school budget with the SOCES/SOMS PTAs. While we addressed several topics, the conversation that excited me the most was centered on how we will enhance the social-emotional health and safety of our school community.

A big priority for our school district is to enhance the health and safety of our school community (Focus Area D).  Specifically, the South Orangetown Central School District will support a culture based on high expectations for healthy and safe behaviors while promoting respect and good citizenship.  In the 2019 – 2020 school year, our budget will include resources to support the following initiatives:

• Embed SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL learning benchmarks into an enhanced, districtwide, comprehensive Guidance/Counselor Program;
• Improved FAMILY SUPPORT through the Family Engagement Center (FEC) to promote parental engagement and provide support to all our families Pre-K through College;
• ALLOCATION of RESOURCES for students and families will be strengthened by improved support networks.  Establish lines of communication to strengthen our student and family support structures internally and by establishing a community partnership to enhance programs focused on mental health, substance abuse and access to related supports.

The work that we do, as it relates to promoting the social-emotional wellness of our students, is supported by “a broad range of evidence indicating that school-based prevention and youth development interventions are most beneficial when they simultaneously enhance students’ personal and social assets, as well as improve the quality of the environments in which students are educated (Greenberg, M.T., et al, 2003).”  The SOCSD board of education and the administrative team have considered what these interventions will look like and are putting ideas into action based upon the research.  Of particular note is the establishment of Prevention Centers at the South Orangetown Middle and Tappan Zee High Schools and a Guidance Counselor shared between Cottage Lane and William O. Schaefer Elementary Schools.  The Prevention Centers will be physical spaces established at the secondary schools dedicated to positive youth development.  Each center will be staffed by a certified school social worker who will work with students, staff and families to promote positive youth development, support learning, and positive mental health while preventing substance use, antisocial behavior, and school nonattendance.

At the May 7, 2019 SOCSD Board of Education Meeting, we will have the public hearing for the Annual School District Budget Vote.  We welcome any questions or suggestions that you may have to make our excellent school system even better and welcome any suggestions that you may have concerning the school budget and the programs that it supports (also, please remember to vote on Tuesday, May 21, 2019).  Thank you!

References

Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O’Brien, M. U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. (2003). Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. American Psychologist, 58(6-7), 466-474.