This site
is run by Raymond K. Duncan and provides information on the Poughkeepsie City School District.
This is not the official site of the Poughkeepsie City School District.
The Poughkeepsie City School District official web site can be found
here.
Important News
I am trying something new here. My updates move down the page and then into the archive pretty quickly. Most of the time this is okay but sometimes I post items that I would like to stay at the top for a while. The posts that I like to keep around for a while are usually the ones that I write like my position on the Alternative Program or information on District goals. From now on this post will remain at the top with links to important topics. I will update this post as needed.
Someone asked me about the Poughkeepsie Journal articles I post on my site. My posting an article does not necessarily mean I agree with it. I post articles that are relevant to the Poughkeepsie School District.
Clicking on any of the underlined topics below will take you to the full post:
May 31, 2011 - Poughkeepsie Journal: N.Y. tax cap has local leaders seeking mandate relief
ALBANY — The message from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders last week was clear: Property-tax levies in New York will be capped at 2 percent with minor exemptions, pending approval from the Legislature.
Now, with a framework tax-cap agreement in place, local governments and school districts say the need to ease their state-mandated costs has never been more urgent.
"I think everybody agrees that a property-tax cap is a good start," said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. "But if we pass a cap without mandate reform, there will be some unintended consequences that could hurt quality of life in communities, with Medicaid at the top of the list."
May 25, 2011 - Poughkeepsie Journal: Property owners challenge assessments at Grievance Day
Reducing their tax burdens was on the mind of some property owners Tuesday contesting the assessed values of their land.
They were among those across the state taking advantage of Grievance Day. This is the annual opportunity for residents to request their local boards of assessment review to lower or raise the assessed values of their parcels.
Eugene Sardo of the City of Poughkeepsie said Tuesday he was asking the city board to lower the $256,000 assessment on his home on Cedar Avenue. He said seven years ago he and his wife, Carol, paid $280,000 for the house.
May 25, 2011 - Poughkeepsie Journal: Cuomo, lawmakers reach deal on property tax cap
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders said Tuesday that they've reached a deal to cap the growth of property taxes in New York to 2 percent a year and carve out limited exemptions for burgeoning pension costs.
But while the sides appeared to agree on the parameters of a long-stalled tax cap, uncertainties remained and they said they were still negotiating some pieces of the deal.
In particular, the agreement is being linked to the renewal of rent regulations for New York City and its suburbs, including Westchester and Rockland counties.
May 24, 2011 - Poughkeepsie Journal: Councilman will resign to join city school board
Democrat Ralph Coates will move from his paid seat on the Poughkeepsie City Council, representing the 2nd Ward, to a seat on the volunteer city school board in July.
"While I recognize I made a commitment to the citizens of the 2nd Ward, I realize the overwhelming support for me to be a representative on the school board," Coates said during a Monday news conference at City Hall.
Coates' resignation from the council is effective June 24. School board members are sworn in during the first week in July. Under state education law, Coates cannot serve on the school board and the council. He and incumbent Greg Charter topped a five-person field May 17 to win three-year terms on the Board of Education.
May 24, 2011 - Poughkeepsie Journal: Senators: Some bad teachers avoid discipline
ALBANY - New York school districts aren't disciplining some bad teachers in the classroom because of a costly and "broken" state process that also allows many to quietly resign and teach elsewhere, according to testimony in a Senate hearing Monday.
Republican Sens. John Flanagan and Stephen Saland slammed the disciplinary process negotiated with teachers' unions. The process can take two years to complete, charges the full $217,000 cost per case to taxpayers and they say it's stacked to favor the teacher.
One New York City case took a year to fire a teacher convicted of manslaughter, said city schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.
May 22, 2011 - Poughkeepsie Journal: Coates will reveal pick between city council, school board Monday
City of Poughkeepsie Councilman Ralph Coates, who was elected Tuesday to the city school board, said he will announce Monday which governing body he plans to serve on.
Under state education law, Coates, D-2nd Ward, cannot serve on both boards. He will reveal his plans at a noon news conference in the third-floor council chambers of City Hall.
Board of Education members are sworn in during the first week in July. Coates won a three-year term. His two-year council term expires Dec. 31.
I decided to create the PoughkeepsieSchools.info web site to better
inform the public about the Poughkeepsie City School District. I
have put a lot of time into my participation in the Poughkeepsie City
School District and if I can convey my experience and knowledge to others
then I believe that I have a community obligation to do so. It is my
belief that an open system of government best serves both the residents
and students for which the district was created. It is my hope and belief
that working together we can make our school district the best that it can
be. I invite all members of the community to spend some time and explore
PoughkeepsieSchools.info. Most importantly, by sharing the information I have gathered I
hope that others can become more informed. I would also like to
think that the information provided here will also encourage others to
become involved in the district.
Unless otherwise noted
all of the information that I post to PoughkeepsieSchools.info is factual
with the exception of the Bulletin Board. Bulletin Board comments
are the opinion of the author and I reserve the right to remove any
Bulletin Board posting that I deem inappropriate. I welcome comments
from visitors to the site.
Who is Raymond Duncan?
I am a homeowner and a City of Poughkeepsie resident for 19 years with two
children attending school in the Poughkeepsie City School District. I grew
up in the town of Poughkeepsie and attended school in the Wappingers Central
School District. I work from home as a computer programmer and
consultant. I attended board meetings for three years before being elected
to the Board of Education in May 2006. I have served two years as Vice President
and two years as President of the Board
and my current term expires on June 30, 2012. I am a member of the
Audit Committee and serve as the liaison to the Dutchess County School Board
Association. I can be emailed at
admin@poughkeepsieschools.info.
The Best of Our Knowledge is a weekly radio show produced by
WAMC (Northeast Public Radio). The program airs Mondays at 8:00pm and again Friday's at 3:00pm. Recent shows are listed below:
The Best Of Our Knowledge # 1114 - Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge...we'll hear about a school in Brooklyn that uses Applied Behavioral Analysis to help teach children with autism. We'll also hear how Educational Collaborative in Massachusetts are coming under increase scrutiny...stir up a little controversy talking about school choice...and, since we're getting a little political, we'll spend an Academic Minute examining America's perceived shift to the right.
The Best Of Our Knowledge # 1113 - Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we'll talk to an urban school teacher and advocate about her Urban Teacher's Journal. We'll also hear about the problems facing schools in low income areas of Chicago...and spend an Academic Minute finding out how to deal with a toxic person in the workplace.
The Best Of Our Knowledge # 1111 - It's been an interesting year here at TBOOK central. While we are still getting established with our new production staff and host...we thought we'd take some time to look back at some of the highlights of the past year. We'll listen in on a conversation with the president of the National Education Association on the challenges of helping students with Autism. We'll explore an Asian university for women. And once again get acquainted with the stuttering speech therapists.
This site owned and operated by Raymond K.
Duncan, it is not associated with or run by the Poughkeepsie City School
District. Click here to read the
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