The superintendent offered the $168.1 million first draft operating budget at Tuesday’s BOE Finance Committee meeting. Another, second draft, will be presented to the board at next week’s meeting.
His budget includes making the recommendations of the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) report for Norwalk’s Special Education program a priority. He also stressed a redesign of school libraries, the transition to Common Core State Standards, keeping classroom sizes small for younger students and strengthening central services (central office?).
This is a three year budget proposal through 2016-2017. Its request is that there will be a $176 million budget request in 2015/2016 and a $182.1 million budget request in 2016-2017.
Also included in this topic are leftover questions about the Parent Portal, it's use, it's cost-effectiveness and it's cost to the taxpayers. Please feel free to comment on this here.
There is another question, as yet unanswered, about the K-5 Language Arts choice of curriculum programs. Where is the decision we were promised?
There is another question, as yet unanswered, about the K-5 Language Arts choice of curriculum programs. Where is the decision we were promised?
If other topics or questions have been omitted or are on your mind, please don't hesitate to add them.
How much was budgeted for teacher raises?
ReplyDeleteI think the 4% that was negotiated by the old BOE.
DeleteParent Portal. I wouldn't trust the PP this year, maybe next year IF NPS included PP in the Teacher Contracts under work rules.
ReplyDeleteCost ... NPS had the ability to use the Parent Portal for the last 5+ years, part of Genesis. Bruce Mellion has fought against the PP and Dadonna, Corda and Marks ignored the feature.
Do you trust the Auto Shop Teacher or the Harvard Graduate to improve NPS for all students?
If you want all the teachers to use the PP write it in the contract!
Sooooo.....what you are saying is the money was spent BEFORE having the unions agree upon its use? No one thought to find out if staff would really use this gadget? What kind of planning was that?
DeleteFrom what I understand in speaking to parents in other districts, parent portals are standard operating practice. Why is everything so difficult in NPS? Oh yeah...the Norwalk Way!
DeleteYes, Parent Portals are in every school district. But why be so negative in your comment? Why continue the overused, misunderstood phrase ""the Norwalk Way?" People have the right to question the installation of the portal and its usefulness. Please try to be less judgmental.
DeleteThe Parent Portal is actually a benefit to Norwalk taxpayers as it will help raise student achievement which, in turn, will improve the reputation of Norwalk Public Schools which, in turn, will raise property values. As a parent with a child in one of the high schools (who also had children in the schools BEFORE the parent portal), I am very thankful that we now have access to current progress. My child has demonstrated a stronger interest in his grades and after checking the portal, is able to take action to improve them with plenty of time before the end of the quarter. Prior to this access, students had to wait until interims were distributed more than half through the quarter, leaving very little time to do anything to improve them. Most prominent schools and schools districts have such portals for students to track their progress and maintain or improve grades. Likewise, students in college even have access to grades before mid-terms/finals through the Blackboard or other grading software. So, rather than complain about cost to taxpayers or the extra work for teachers, Norwalkers should be grateful that the Superintendent and his staff were forward thinking enough to attempt to bring about real change in Norwalk that can positively affect student achievement. Isn't that what we hired him for? Real change takes someone willing to take risks and make it happen.
Delete(1) this one we can't give credit to Rivera for. The Parent Portal was 3/4 of the way done before he got here. (2) will the parent portal be accessed by the parents whose students really need to improve academically or will it be used by the parents who already have students who achieve at the highest levels? Real change will take much much more than a parent portal.
DeleteWish I could be as optimistic as you are. I hope your dreams come true.
Obviously, Norwalk needs much more than a parent portal, but it's a start toward positive change. My points were directed at those who questioned the cost to taxpayers, those that criticized the launch before the teachers' union could approve, and those that criticized the tool period. As for the comment about the kinds of parents who may access the portal: I can assure you that MY children are average students who do not achieve at "the highest level" without an extra push, and despite the efforts to communicate with teachers, the results are a mixed bag at best. This portal provides easy access to grades/progress which is essential to the many students who simply need consistent feedback and knowledge about their grades to motivate them to aim higher. It is rather naive of you to assume that the only children who already "achieve at the highest level" do so because they have more caring or involved parents than those who may be struggling. Norwalk is filled with students who, with the right interventions and/or resources, are ripe for higher achievement. Why would anyone want to deny or criticize a resource that could help achieve greater gains?
DeleteFinally, you say Rivera can't get credit for it. While it's true the discussions about launching this portal had been going on for at least 2 years before his arrival, it was upon his arrival, along with his CTO, that the "talk" was put to action and the deal was closed. For that, he does get credit.
Me naive? 'A study published earlier this month by researchers at North Carolina State University, Brigham Young University and the University of California-Irvine, for example, finds that parental involvement — checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home — has a more powerful influence on students’ academic performance than anything about the school the students attend'
DeleteAlso.....'While the conversations parents have with their children change as kids grow older, the effect of these exchanges on academic achievement remains strong. And again, the way mothers and fathers talk to their middle-school students makes a difference. Research by Nancy Hill, a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, finds that parents play an important role in what Hill calls “academic socialization” — setting expectations and making connections between current behavior and future goals (going to college, getting a good job). Engaging in these sorts of conversations, Hill reports, has a greater impact on educational accomplishment than volunteering at a child’s school or going to PTA meetings, or even taking children to libraries and museums. When it comes to fostering students’ success, it seems, it’s not so much what parents do as what they say.' (Similar research was done on young children and vocabulary development. The same results were found to be true. )
Switching to the budget, if Manny Rivera decides to use Title 1 grants to help with next year's budget, how is he going to do that within the federal law for use of this grant? Title 1 grants are to give additional help for students who are low achievers, not replace local funding. Will he cut out Title 1 aides? Will students who are in need of special help get it anymore? Does anyone have answers?
ReplyDeleteI really wouldn't go borrowing trouble. As an experienced superintendent, of nationally ranked status, I'm sure Dr. Rivera understands understands the rules of a Title 1 funding.
ReplyDeleteBorrowing trouble? I am concerned about extra help for my low achieving students. No one else seems to fight for them.
DeleteIs Believe to Achieve consulting in the city of Norwalk anywhere?
ReplyDelete