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.
Please Support Duncan and Johnson on May 15
Raymond Duncan with Education Commissioner John King
Randall Johnson and I are up for re-election this year and are asking for your support to continue our work. Below you will find some additional information about us, the budget, and the election. Bookmark this page and check back as additional information will be posted as the election approaches.
Thank you for your support!
Randall Johnson with Education Commissioner John King
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 10, 2012 - PJ Letter to the Editor - Gus Kazolias
Duncan, Johnson best for school district
Once again, it's time for Poughkeepsie Board of Education elections and the candidates have come out of the woodwork. Where are these people the rest of the year? I regularly attend board meetings and before this month had never seen two of the candidates at a meeting; I've only seen the third when the budget is being discussed. If these candidates want to run for office, then why don?t they try attending some meetings first!
This year we have one candidate who filed what is in my opinion a baseless discrimination suit against the district. Another candidate means well, but at 19 he just doesn't have the experience necessary.
Then we have Raymond Duncan and Randall Johnson together they have 12 years of experience. Both have been recognized by the state School Board Association with their highest honor, the Master of Boardmanship award. These are the board members that I want to pick the next superintendent.
Duncan knows the district's finances better than anyone and Johnson believes in holding people accountable. The secret to their success is that they keep the children's interests first.
The Greeks have a saying that the fish rots from the head down. If we want our school district to be successful, then we need to start at the top and elect competent, knowledgeable and hardworking board members.
I am voting for Raymond Duncan and Randall Johnson.
May 10, 2012 - PJ Letter to the Editor - Raymond Duncan
Board member reaffirms his commitment
Schools and the boards that run them play a vital role in any community and Poughkeepsie is no exception.
This year represents a critical juncture for the Poughkeepsie school board. It is no secret that there have been a number of controversial issues decided by the Poughkeepsie board this year. On May 15 it will be up to the voters to decide the direction our district will take.
For the past six years I have kept my focus on children while working to improve education in our schools, strengthen safety and security and enhance financial controls and planning.
Educationally, I am seeking to increase the graduation rate and return full-day kindergarten. Fiscally, the tax levy for each of the past three years has been below 2.5 percent, which is the second-lowest in the county overall.
A recent Journal editorial (Define school board members roles, April 29) focused on the need for board member training.
Randall Johnson and I are the only two board members of the Poughkeepsie school board to ever receive the New York State School Board Associations Master of Boardsmanship Award.
My current term expires at the end of June; had I not sought re-election, my final act as a board member would be handing my youngest child her diploma at graduation.
I could have ended my service there, but for me it has never been just about my children, it's about my continuing commitment to serve all of our children and our community.
May 10, 2012 - PJ Letter to the Editor - Anna May Duncan
Mom sure candidate will be supported
My son Raymond Duncan is running for re-election for the Poughkeepsie City School Board, and it was with great pride that I put up his election sign in my front yard and in my neighbor?s yard. On Saturday, April 28, someone stole both my sign and my neighbor's sign. Subsequently, I found that many other signs of his had also been stolen. Signs with the names of other candidates were left untouched.
After my anger subsided, I realized that someone is afraid of having Raymond Duncan continue on the board. Is it his dedication to the children and to the taxpayers they are afraid of? Is it his financial acumen they are afraid of? Is it his need for accountability they are afraid of? Is it his honesty and integrity they are afraid of?
The thief may steal all of Raymond?s signs, but the residents of Poughkeepsie are aware of his hard work on their behalf and on the behalf of their children, and I am confident they will continue to support him.
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.
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:
A lot of people like to relax on a warm day, puttering around alone in their garden. However...you might not be as alone as you think. Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, our Astrobiology series goes into Microbiology mode to explore the origins of the unseen life around us.
And we'll spend an Academic Minute learning about the complex chemistry that goes into making a gourmet dinner.
Last year at this time, the late Joe Paterno was an iconic college football coach at Penn State University...a man who had a job for as long as he wanted. By the end of the year he had been fired, his 46 year legacy tarnished by a child abuse scandal. Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we'll hear from the author of a new book on the continuing fallout of that scandal.
Vampires, deadly spiders, lethal lasers, out-of-control asteroids...who knew that math could be so perilous. Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we’ll talk to the author of “The Book Of Perfectly Perilous Math”...and find out how students are learning math while saving the world..or not.
Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 01:00:00 -0400
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