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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 11 April 2018

Created: 11 April 2018

Last Updated: 11 April 2018

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When the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) announced that they had identified two outstanding candidates, it turns out they were not exaggerating. I had the chance to meet one of those candidates, Alison Singer, this week and I can see why she won the support of the SBNC and appears eminently qualified to serve.

Singer is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School. After college she worked as a television producer, starting out with an affiliate in Norfolk, VA and moving to New York to be a producer at CNBC and Vice President of NBC Cable.

Singer is the parent of two girls – with very different needs –who attended the Scarsdale Schools, and has an impressive resume of professional and volunteer positions involving education. She serves on local, state and federal committees that work similarly to the Board of Education where she has learned to listen to constituencies, consider their views, build consensus and develop policies based on the input.

Her activism is rooted in personal experience. While on maternity leave after the birth of her second child, she learned that her first child had been diagnosed with autism, driving her involvement in a wide variety of initiatives on autism, people with disabilities and special education ever since. Today her two girls are both out of the house. The older one lives at the Center for Discovery in Monticello where she works with farm animals, and the younger one is a freshman at Yale where she does cognitive research. Singer joked, “It’s every Jewish mother’s dream; one daughter works with rats and one works with pigs.”

Singer, is the President of the Autism Science Foundation, a group that raises funds for autism research and awards $500,000 in grants each year. For 11 years she has served on the National Institutes of Health Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, (IACC) a group appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and recommend policy to the administration to improve coordination among all federal agencies involved with autism, including the Department of Education, NIH, CDC, and FDA.

Discussing how her experience on the IACC relates to a position on the Scarsdale Board of Education Singer said, “At the IACC, we actively seek public comment; I believe it's very important to listen to all parties and incorporate new ideas into decision-making. I think public comment should come at the beginning of board meetings so that the views expressed can be discussed and acted upon as soon as possible, where appropriate. Oftentimes, the comments at the IACC become aggressive, angry and downright rude. I have certainly been the target of personal attacks for positions I've taken on the IACC. I try to always remind myself that even the angriest speakers are coming from a place of love and fear; love for their children, and fear that a committee might make a decision that could somehow harm them. This has always helped me be more receptive to public comment, even when it takes the form of a personal attack.”

Singer has been a Quaker Ridge resident since 1999 and says she is “grateful to live here.” She has visited many school districts in her work and says, “Scarsdale is well ahead of the average. Our special education program is really superior and the Board of Education committee on Special Education makes every effort to give each child what they need.”

She believes that mental health, wellness and safety are some of the biggest issues facing the district today. When she discusses safety she means more than measures like constructing security vestibules or hiring guards. In her view the district’s safety initiatives should be on prevention and the mental health and wellness of the students to make sure that no one falls through the cracks or is feeling left behind or bullied. She believes that students should feel that school is a safe place where they feel accepted and not stigmatized. She credits the Scarsdale Schools with already implementing programs that put us “above the bar,” but feels that the district should “set the bar” in their efforts to educate healthy, well-rounded and confident kids.

Singer has a history of active volunteerism and enjoys living in a community where “people participate with their energy” and “embrace education in a meaningful way.” She “loves that people feel passionate about the issues.” She is also a fan of the non-partisan process, serving as a member of the SBNC from 2012-14, as the Vice Chair and as the Chair of the SBNC Administrative Committee in 2015 and 2016.

Beyond her credentials, she appears to have a good disposition to deal with controversial community issues and passionate neighbors. She is poised, direct and most important, optimistic about what the future holds for students, parents, the Scarsdale Schools and community.

The election for the School Board and a vote on the proposed 2018/19 school budget will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

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Written by: Laura Halligan

Published: 29 March 2018

Created: 29 March 2018

Last Updated: 29 March 2018

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Last week, the Scarsdale Board of Education (BOE) approved preliminary designs for donor recognition signage for the Scarsdale High School Fitness Center and Design Lab, acknowledging the contributions of the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation (SSEF), which raises funds for projects not covered by the district’s budget.

As part of its original memo of understanding (MOU) with SSEF, the board of education agreed to support an appropriate means of recognizing donors to the projects, and to designate the space itself. (See the BOE’s online “Agenda Item Details” for the signage letter and accompanying designs.) While it is somewhat unusual to see such an acknowledgement in district facilities, BOE Policy 7500 gives the board discretion over facility naming (or acknowledgement) rights.

Steve Seward, SSEF executive director, said, “Our extensive discussions about donor recognition with the Board of Education took place through several months in 2014. First, with Bill Natbony, our liaison at the time, and then with the Board of Education as a whole in their public meetings that fall, leading to the signing by the two presidents at the time, Lee Maude for the BOE and Ellen Miller-Wachtel for us.” He went on, “We also worked closely with the district in 2016 to plan the courtyard design that would include a walkway with pavers to recognize contributors.”

Scarsdale School Board President Bill Natbony stated, “The MOU… between the foundation and the board does include a provision under which the board agreed to support an appropriate means of recognizing donors to the projects… within the board’s sole discretion and with the details of that recognition to be determined through mutual discussion.” He continued, “The MOU was discussed extensively and approved by the board at public meetings several years ago.”

The current designs are the result of collaboration between the foundation and district administration, coordinated by Pam Rubin, SSEF secretary. According to Natbony, both groups had discussions over the past year about the design, size and content of the plaques in the two spaces. Then, he said, “At several board meetings during the past year, updates were provided to the public that discussions between the administration and foundation were ongoing, and… it was anticipated that a proposal would reach the board for consideration as soon as possible.” He continued, “The public had opportunities to comment on what an appropriate method of recognition might be at several times -- at the time the MOU and the recognition provision was discussed, in response to periodic updates at our board meetings by the board’s foundation liaison or others, and at our meeting on March 19.”

According to Scarsdale Schools Superintendent Thomas Hagerman, “Pam Rubin has done a really terrific job of interfacing with lots of folks and making sure that it was the right fit, the right design for the spaces, that it really reflected (its) purposes… When we first talked about this work, we talked about having an integrated design… that would really match in a seamless sort of way.”

Rubin stated, “A very large group (of donors) stepped up to support these really incredible projects… We are so thrilled at the kind of education that will take place in those spaces. And, as far as the signage goes, we wanted to make sure that (it) did justice to what was happening in those spaces.”

The signage for the fitness center and design lab will include the names of 65 donors, each of whom made a contribution of at least $10,000. Seward mentioned, “We also plan a small plaque within the design lab for 10 donors whose gifts of $5,000 are allocated to support equipment. And, of course, the fitness center will include a suitable tribute to Tyler Madoff, whose family's gift made possible the purchase of equipment there (unrelated to SSEF).” In addition, the foundation has sold over 400 courtyard pavers at $250 and $1,000.
The $38,000 estimated cost for the signage will be deducted from the final SSEF payment due to the school district, as the district is not permitted to purchase donor plaques or signs. Board Member Art Rublin expressed concern that the district may need the $38,000 for other expenses… “I’m struggling with the idea that there may be shortfall… At the same time, I think it’s important to recognize the donors… What are the chances we won’t need that $38,000? We’re hearing that there’s going to be $38,000 less than there was going to be before. If we don’t need that money it’s a different story...”

Hagerman explained, “This wasn’t fleshed out at the beginning of this process as well as it should have been but, of that $38,000, $25,000 of it… was for the actual donor plaques, and we knew we couldn’t pay for those… because that is a gift of public funds. So that was a gap that was built in.” Of the remaining $13,000, approximately $5,000 would be for installation and related costs, and $8,000 for additional design expenses to insure the signage is an aesthetic match to the space.

To clarify, while the board did approve the preliminary design plans last week, there was no approval for a $38,000 payment by the district. According to Natbony, the cost issues are still under discussion.

In addition to the question raised by Rublin is whether the district will make a formal practice of recognizing donors who contribute to future projects and/or facilities. Natbony explained, “I suppose any action taken by any board at any particular time could arguably constitute ‘precedent,’ but this circumstance arises from a particular MOU, from particular projects and from an unprecedented fundraising effort by the foundation. Moreover, the actions of this board cannot bind future boards and does not constitute formal adoption of a board policy.” He went on, “My understanding is that donor recognition plaques (though on a smaller scale) have previously been used with respect to other donations (benches are one example).”

Seward concurs, “(There is) no precedent. And, we do not currently have any plans for capital projects of this kind.” He volunteered, “We are now looking to launch a program of grants in support of innovative education programming at all seven schools in the district, on the model of the initial grants we awarded in 2013, before the capital campaign.”

However, while recognizing the great generosity of SSEF and not seeking to minimize its contribution to the high school, some question the appropriateness of listing names of individual donors. Amy Cooper, who was the President of the SHS PTA when the foundation was established and the parent representative on the high school building committees for the 2014 bond projects, is among them. She said, “During my tenure as the parent rep on the high school facilities committee and as the Scarsdale High School PTA President in 2014, I attended many of the Board of Education meetings pertaining to the 2014 Bond. I do not recall any public discussion about whether individual names should be posted on a plaque outside the fitness center or design lab. I reviewed all my notes pertaining to the 2014 Bond and cannot find any reference to Board discussion and approval of listing individual donor names on these facilities. I believe there are many unanswered questions on this topic. Full community involvement and discussion as to whether Scarsdale Public Schools should permit individual donor names to be posted on plaques on school facilities is warranted, especially since listing individual donor names on plaques inside our schools is not the usually protocol in Scarsdale.

Natbony’s response is that issues raised “Do not really concern ‘naming rights’ because the design lab and fitness center are not being named after anyone.”

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 23 March 2018

Created: 23 March 2018

Last Updated: 24 March 2018

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The annual PT Council Sports and Formal Swap returns this year on Saturday, March 24, 2018, from 10am to 12pm at Scarsdale Middle School! The best deals on sports equipment and dressy clothing for youngsters will be coming soon to Scarsdale Middle School -- please note the change in location from the past few years.

PT Council will be accepting gently used sports equipment (no skis), musical instruments, and youth formal wear. This event is a great spring cleaning chance to rid your basements, attics, and garages of all those outgrown bicycles, baseball and softball bats, tennis rackets, and lacrosse and field hockey sticks. Clear your closets of fancy apparel that no longer fit your growing children.

Merchandise drop off will be at Scarsdale Middle School, 134 Mamaroneck Road, from 5 to 7pm on Friday, March 23, 2018, and from 8 to 9:45am on Saturday, March 24, 2018 (before the Swap opens to shoppers).

Donors may obtain a receipt for tax purposes. All proceeds support the Scarsdale Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, the 501(c)(3) umbrella organization over all seven Scarsdale PTA units. PT Council informs and advises the PTAs as they fulfill their mission of promoting the welfare of their students.

If you have questions about this event, please send email to [email protected] with “Sports Swap” in the subject line.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 15 March 2018

Created: 15 March 2018

Last Updated: 15 March 2018

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As the proposed 2018-19 budget moves towards completion, the members of the School Board and Administration met with various members of the community this week at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of on Monday morning and at a budget forum at SHS on Tuesday am. After the heated meetings about the 2018 bond, these sessions seemed tame, attracting some questions but few fireworks.

As it now stands, the proposed budget is $156,899,407mm which represents a 2.09% increase over the 2017-18 budget and would translate into a 1.98% increase for Scarsdale residents and a 3.53% increase for those in the Mamaroneck strip. For the average Scarsdale homeowner, with a home value of $1,595,700, this would mean a $482 tax increase. In Mamaroneck, the increase would be $767.

These numbers do not include $250,000 that was approved last week for a Director of Security at $125,000 and another $125,000 to make building improvements and technology upgrades to enhance security at district schools. The Board has not yet decided whether to fund these from reserves or raise the 2018-19 budget. If they add the $250,000 to the budget, the budget would increase another .18%.

Though the overall student population is projected to be flat, demographers are estimating that the elementary school population will rise by 43 students while the middle school will have 48 fewer students and the high school will be down by 9 students. The budget calls for the addition of two contingency elementary school teachers – (one special ed) and a .4 FTE to teach STEAM courses at the high school, depending on enrollment.

At the League meeting, the administration was asked what they would do if more classes break than anticipated and if additional teachers are needed. Though they thought it was unlikely, they did say that these decisions depend on timing. If additional students move in before mid-August, then the district is committed to ensuring that classes in K-3 remain at 22 students per class, with grades 4-5 at 24 students.

For instance, there is currently a fourth grade inclusion class at Greenacres taught by two teachers that exceeds the cap. If that class splits next year, Assistant Superintendent Drew Patrick said the district would need to hire another teacher.
However, if children move in during the year and cause classes to exceed recommended sizes, sometimes the district will leave the class intact as not to disrupt the children and their relationships with one another and the teacher.

They said that funds would have to be found in other budget lines to pay for salaries. There was concern as the district is practicing tighter budgeting and the fund balance is estimated to decrease from $23.4 million as of June 30, 2017 to $18.8 million as of June 30, 2019. Reserves were impacted by a decision to use over $2 million in 2017 to make up for a shortfall of funds on the 2014 facilities projects.

At the League meeting, Lynne Shain, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum shared some of the curricular initiatives that are underway in the schools:

One is to teach critical thinking skills, so that students can "Transfer and apply what they are learning to new, non-standard situations." Quoting educator Tony Wagner she said, "It's not what you know, it's what you can do with what you know that counts." Therefore, the district is giving kids more opportunities to solve non-standard problems.

Another set of initiatives involve consideration of the "Whole Child,'" with a series of health and wellness initiatives.

The district is also working to ensure consistency in the curriculum across classrooms and schools. They are using the Teachers College Reading and Writing program as well as Singapore Math and are in the process of building more math leaders among teachers.

For the sciences, the district has found that teaching science via lecturing is not as effective as an inquiry approach to science where children engage in activities and experimentation.

In terms of technology, all sixth graders will have an iPad with them all day in school and can take them home to charge. Elementary school students use chrome books and iPads that are left at school at night. Shain calls this "transformational, making students into workers and experts because they can look things up."

The League inquired about the level of funding for capitol improvements in the proposed budget which is 1.3% and is a decrease over last year. Dr. Hagerman said that the passage of the $65 million bond addressed many of the district's facilities needs and he questioned the recommendation that districts spend 2% of their budget on facilities improvements, especially in a place like Scarsdale where salaries account for such a high percentage of the school budget. Mr. Mattey added that funds for facilities are also included in other budget lines, such as the principals' discretionary spending.

Dr. Hagerman said the district was still looking into additional facilities expenses such as air conditioning and parking, though he added, "We think that much of the parking issue is "behavioral."

A question was asked about the district's forward plan on facilities and educational needs for the future. Dr. Hagerman –answered, saying, "There is a lot going on thinking about 21st century classrooms – rooms, furniture and technology. He said, "We are grappling with this." He also said the administration is trying to centralize the use of grants to fund some experimentation with space, such as Edgewood Room 18 where new furniture was installed. Furthermore, he added that the learning commons at the high school and planned spaces for elementary school students foster collaborative learning and seamlessly integrate eating and learning for all age children.

At the public forum, two residents questioned plans to replace the turf field at Butler Field with another synthetic surface. Ron Schulhof said he had safety concerns about the turf which is made of "crumb rubber," that is made from tire and car tires. He said that kids get scraped and burned from the turf and that it emits harmful gases. He asked the Board to do some research on the surface and find out if the risk to the kids was worth it.

Darlene Lefrancois-Haber, a doctor at Montefiore agreed saying that "Injuries are much more frequent on turf fields," and said, "It would be reckless to proceed with this." She said that the "EPA is conducting a major survey and we now have the data." She told the board that the turf is filled with "carcinogens, lead, chemicals and heavy metals that are prohibited from being disposed of in landfills." She urged the board to "Do what's right for the kids."

Leah Dembitzer from the LWVS of Scarsdale questioned the impact next year on a budget for this year that is $1.3 million below the tax levy limit. Stuart Mattey replied, "It doesn't put us behind but it doesn't jeopardize us going forward."

The Board will meet again on March 19 and discuss the budget at 7:30. They will adopt the budget on April 16 and the budget vote will be held on May 15.