Dear fite4kids: Your stats for GC7 are incorrect, unless you have some inside source that I don't know about... Please check the stats for GC7 at link below: https://reportcards.nysed.gov/schools.php?district=800000035507&year=2011 2010-2011- # of students attending = 1630 2009-2010 school year cost/student = $33,666 for general education (other districts average $25-$30K per, our additional cost per student comes from the 2 million dollars cost to provided busing for the almost 700 kids going out of district) In addition, GC7 spends about $50K per special ed student, which is on par with other districts, I believe Ardsley and Eastchester spend more at about $55K per special education student. View Comment

Dear fite4kids: Your stats for GC7 are incorrect, unless you have some inside source that I don't know about... Please check the stats for GC7 at link below: https://reportcards.nysed.gov/schools.php?district=800000035507&year=2011 2010-2011- # of students attending = 1630 2009-2010 school year cost/student = $33,666 for general education (other districts average $25-$30K per, our additional cost per student comes from the 2 million dollars cost to provided busing for the almost 700 kids going out of district) In addition, GC7 spends about $50K per special ed student, which is on par with other districts, I believe Ardsley and Eastchester spend more at about $55K per special education student. View Comment

The statistics on Greenburgh Central 7 schools- # of students attending: ~1,700 # of schools PK - grade 12 >>> 6 (!!!) structure of the schools: a) ECP - grade prekindergarten (PK) b) Lee F. Jackson- grades K & 1 c) Highview- grades 2 & 3 d) R.J. Bailey- grades 4,5 & 6 e) Woodlands Middle School- grades 7 & 8 f) Woodlands High School- grades 9-12 Bravo to GC7 BOE for holding a meeting to discuss a goal for the school district. There were 6 members there (1 absent!) to share with the audience their vision of restructuring. Having attended the meeting I learned alot from the talk by ELP executive Robert Hendricks. In my opionion, as a parent of young children currently in the school district, going through 4 schools from PK to grade 6 is detrimental to our children. Too many schools to "readjust to", it's also hard for the parents. The current structure of our school is the reminent of desegregation, as the presentator so eloquently pointed out. As a taxpayer, is it smarter to maintain 6 aging buildings??? Or is it time to think about renovation that can save money?? This will be the fourth attempt to restructure in our district, which should be an indicator that it is a needed change! What else should the GC7 BOE set as a goal? Academic improvements in tangible numbers that can been seen on NYSED report cards (grades 3-8 ELA and Math tests, High School regents tests) and SAT scores. Yes, these numbers come from tests. These numbers are important in that they are accessible to all, to new incoming parents, to current parents wondering what's going on in the next school their child is going to, public perception of our school district. GC7 test scores can be improved and should be improved. I don't know why Scarsdale keeps getting into our discussions at Greenburgh. Greenburgh is unique and will never ever be like Scarsdale (thank goodness). I am here for improving Greenburgh schools. Other districts are mentioned so that we know what is happening around us, maybe we can also look at Ardsley, Eastchester and Dobbs Ferry. View Comment

What is wrong with positive incentive? I think it's terrific. Bravo to Westchester County for trying to encourage kids to study hard! View Comment

Hartsdale train station View Comment

In between train tracks @ Hartsdale train station View Comment

Amen! well said! View Comment

It's a cool piece that wowed my children. Definitely worth seeing! View Comment

Terry, Your points are well taken. However, the students and schools are judged by the standardized test scores. It is a reality that in many places from civil service tests to academic placement tests to tests within the universities, as Drs. Jonathan Farley and Edward Frankel pointed out last Friday at Woodlands High School, achievement matters. Dr. Farley specifically said that students should take no more than 4 courses per semester and at least 1 easy course to ensure that you master the minimal load and get As. He stressed the importance of As in career development and making a living. That is not to say that scores on tests or grades in class are everything. They are not. However, they are a very large piece of the academic puzzle and so long as we don't have to give up any academic or personal goals why not show children, parents and community members that we can strive to improve? Are you happy with the 1385 average SAT score? I would like to see admin and BOE work together to help kids improve scores all around and that we can show the community the ROI (return on investment) on their tax dollars. Amy View Comment

Terry, I agree and that's why I come out and support the kids of Greenburgh. I also believe that kids in Greenburgh can do better on standardized test to reflect their talent. Does Jeremy Lin's parents just accepted his love and talent for basketball? No, they wanted him to get a good education so that if he is injured he has a plan B. What about Tiki and Ronde Barber? They also strive to be scholars while being athletic. We need to expect our kids to be best scholars they can be and still pursue what they love...that's our job. View Comment

Greenburgh library lower level near the auditorium View Comment

Now this is some of the finest students Greenburgh has to offer! Bravo to these talented kids! View Comment

WPEyesNEars: you should check out the mural! It's absolutely lovely. You should speak to the 1st grade artists, they are proud to have made a beautiful wall. You should go to the WMS library, Candice the artist also beautified that room. I hope one day you will get a chance to speak to Candice, her artistic techniques were really practical and unique. For all those in the community who have never visited Lee F. Jackson, you should come by for a visit of this lovely school. But first you should call the LFJ office to arrange and get permission but I am sure the school will be proud to show you around. View Comment

Congrats to Terry Williams, Eric Bitterman and Sonja Brown! You've beaten out 7 others in a terrific election. Hope you will help to unify GC7 schools, create and implement common and effective math and reading curriculum and advocate for our children and citizens by cutting down on wasteful spending and eliminate "FUZZY Math". View Comment

A terrific Global Gala event indeed!! Great job to the Greenburgh Central 7 PTA Council for putting it together. Great job to Milena Din for working with the administration and teachers to put it all together. View Comment

The board president Mr. Williams is correct in that the board of ed (volunteers) are entrusted to select the superintendent. It's an important job and should not be taken lightly, meaning that the board members are not there to advocate for their own children, but rather for the good of the district and all children from PK-12. The board are entrusted with the job to select a superintendent that will be good for all the schools of Greenburgh, not just the high school or elementary. Our new superintendent needs to exemplify impeccable integrity and commitment to academic excellence. And YES, STANDARDIZED TESTS DOES MATTER, if it doesn't matter then why does almost 700 students from Greenburgh attend private/parochial school? Greenburgh is consistently noted as one of the best place to live, it's often called the "best hidden secret" in Westchester. As one mom noted so eloquently last night, we need to bring up our schools and make Greenburgh the BEST place to live and send our kids to school in. Also, I saw for my own eyes last night that the board of ed is practicing "FUZZY MATH" with money. How is it that 45K is transferred to different places for a math enrichment program for 10 kids done without total consent from the board?? One board member said she was under the impression this enrichment was grant paid (with no cost to district). Another board member asked if what was done was "Legal"??? And another board member said "fund transfers happen all the time" with a hand wave. All this makes me want to look into this matter further!!! Finally, Mr. Newland, the board member, who mentioned numerous information session was actually talking about the community meeting where the school budget was being presented. Mr. Newland is correct, there was low turnout from the community due to LOSS OF CONFIDENCE from Greenburgh residents. View Comment

To: WPEyesNEars, you speak in shocking generalities. Taking pot shots here will not solve the problem, unless your desire is to fan the fire (ignorance and apathy will do that). As part of this communitye we are all responsible for educating our children. Btw, in case you are wondering- board of ed members are unpaid volunteers, they're concerned parents and community members who have stepped up to try to make a difference. I may not agree with all their decisions but I will NOT stand for anyone (YOU!) to call them names and degrade their efforts. While I agree that we need to cultivate a "whole/well-rounded"child and that SAT score is not a good indicator of college success I believe that we need to ensure that our children are educated and be able to keep up with peers in other school districts. At minimum, our children need to be proficient in ELA (English language arts) and Math such that majority are receiving level 3 (meeting learning standards). Socioeconomic factors do not fully account for the poor standardized results. Neither does lack of parental involvement or occasional poor teachers. This is truly a complicated problem that requires EVERYONE to be part of the solution. First off, having a long term Superintendent (for more than 3-4 yr at a time) will ensure educational continuity for the central administration. Second, greater emphasis on academic achievement is needed on all levels: from parents, Board of Ed, Superintendent (even the interim), Assistant Superintendents, Principals and teachers. Third, the Princeton Plan (clustering grade levels) adopted by our district is causing alot of disconnect for our kids going from school to school. Having 6 different schools cause disconnect for our children, parents and teachers. Currently our kids go through four schools just to get from PreK to 6th grade!! Continuity is key to catching kids who may need a little extra help to ensure that they mastered current grade level work before promoted to the next grade. Fourth, voting down the budget will not help the kids. The community needs to show that it cares about it's greatest asset- kids! The community need to attend Board of Ed meetings and Community Engagement Meetings and demand higher achievement if they feel they're not getting their tax dollar's worth in education. All the parents in the GC7 district need to join together, learn about your kids' education by going to PTA meetings and Parent-Teacher conferences, attend Board of Ed meetings and community engagement committee meetings. We all bear responsibility for our kids' achievement. View Comment

Education for our kids = PRICELESS!!! To: Housemusic3 >> if you have issues or questions about the budget please attend board meetings, they are open to the public. Or request a copy of the proposed budget, they can be sent to you. Do not make blanket statements about "Listening to these guys whine ..." Who is whining? We live in Westchester, national average doesn't apply! Cost of education goes up just like a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk. We need to focus on increasing the quality of education for our kids. They are the future. For those who don't have kids in the schools, the curriculum nowadays for K-12 is very comprehensive, even more than 10 yrs ago! Our kids need our support more than ever, both in the home and in school. There is no place for ignorance and apathy in the education of our children. Vote to support our children. Amy Huang parent, community member, advocate & PTA president View Comment

Great Job voting for RJBailey! Please help Highview get their 500 votes. Voting is county-wide. There's a school in White Plains (Church Street) that has over 12,000 votes so they're likely to get $10K prize. So show support for Highview and help them get $500 for their PTA. Spread the word! Vote for Highview, help them get 500 votes before the deadline! Amy H from LFJPTA View Comment

Great Job voting for RJBailey! Please help Highview get their 500 votes. Voting is county-wide. There's a school in White Plains (Church Street) that has over 12,000 votes so they're likely to get $10K prize. So show support for Highview and help them get $500 for their PTA. Spread the word! Vote for Highview, help them get 500 votes before the deadline! Amy H from LFJPTA View Comment