Letters to the Editor

Saluting a Citizen for Going the Extra Mile

Dear Editor,
It is not at all common to find individuals in our community that have the time, interest, and drive to scrutinize the work of our Board of Education and RHS/RMS school administrators as they develop the school programs and associated budgets.
Even rarer are individuals that are willing to submit to the public abuse that comes with speaking out at public BOE meetings and summarizing issues with supporting data in the press. It seems that instead of welcoming feedback from the public, some members of our BOE are instead going on the offense. How arrogant?
I, for one, welcome the "watchdog" function that Bertrand deFrondeville has been providing this community over the years. It tells me that someone is making it their business to keep our BOE and school administrators "honest".
Thank you, Bertrand deFrondeville.
Sincerely,
Gunther Kempin

The Off-Season Joys of the Boardwalk

Dear Editor,
Congratulations, Dan McBride, for making the Playland Boardwalk a more lively place this past winter season.
You let the dogs in!
Opening up the beach for those who wanted to exercise their pooches often brought amusing scenes of wild chases along the beach and in the water by dogs of all sizes, breeds and temperaments, and a well disciplined group of owners who respected the “pick-up” rules on the beach. Those Labs and other breeds that dove and swam in the very cold Sound water needed good fresh water baths, and we wonder how that was done.
Apart from the canines, us humans enjoyed the same sun as Florida “snowbirds” and acquired equal tans by knowing the best out-of-the wind spots to settle down with some reading material in a comfortable deck chair. Every September, after the amusement park closes, we renew acquaintances and miss some we knew from a previous winter season.
We have learned to recognize “old” friends — “Stanley”, “Bud”, “Arturo”, “Ben”, “Mary”, “Maria” and “Peg” — and so many others known as “The Regulars”, all of whom share membership in the life of the Boardwalk along the shores of “The American Mediterranean” from September through April.
Sincerely,
John Carolin

What the Research Shows on Class Size

Dear Editor,
In his recent article, “The 3% School Solution,” Peter Jovanovich claims that educational research findings do not reveal provable differences between classes of 15 and 25 students. On the contrary, randomized control trials have proven significant differences in early elementary students’ reading and math achievement in classes of 13-17 students (small) versus those in classes of 22-26 students (regular). Longitudinal studies in non-experimental settings have replicated this finding of the benefit to academic performance of smaller class sizes during early elementary years.
Beyond such quantitative proof, numerous qualitative research findings illustrate small class size benefits of improved teacher morale and student behavior. Importantly, recent evidence reports that when students return to regular-sized classes (in fourth through eighth grade), students who were in small classes for three or four years retain a greater advantage.
Building from these findings, the American Educational Research Association promotes an ideal class size of 13-17 students in the early years of elementary school. This is not an investment choice around the extremes of 10 and 35 students per class, as Mr. Jovanovich would have us believe. It is an investment decision with evidence to consider quite near the outer limits of the current Rye City School District (RCSD) guideline of 18-22 students per class.
Perhaps instead of moving to a radically different Finnish model, we should re-examine the appropriateness of one class size guideline for all elementary school grades and invest in small classes for grades K-3. The majority of RCSD’S early grade classes are now at 22 students per class. Some have more. Could we aim for 18, if not smaller? The evidence supports dividing our scarce resources to support young learners. It also suggests that we would reap benefits in grades 4-12.
Sincerely,
 Amy Jo Dowd, EdD

Reasons to Vote Yes

Dear Editor,
On May 20, voters in the Rye City School District will vote on the Board of Education adopted budget of $68,251,850. I am writing to urge voters to vote “YES” on the resolution to approve the budget.
We are all worried about the economy and our own personal economic security.
We are worried about the future. In terms of education, however, it is all about the future. It is about the education we give our children now that prepares them for the future, a future we anticipate will be challenging in a variety of ways.
Most citizens do not take the time or have the time to follow budget deliberations.  I have been involved. I have listened to the different points of view and debates over program improvements and priorities. 
Here are some highlights of the 5.1% budget increase.
Priority #1 – Maintain our current class size guidelines and increase the allocation to schools for textbooks, supplies, energy, etc., to reflect a modest increase in the CPI – 3%.  There are some 484 employees in the District now. Negotiated increases with employee unions and anticipated agreements for salary and benefits, along with CPI increases, account for 46% of the budget increase.
Priority #2 – Student enrollment continues to grow. Many families with children have moved to Rye in the last ten years and larger grade level classes are moving through the schools, with the majority of the growth projected for the middle school and high school in the next 5 to 8 years. More students require more teachers and this budget includes 4.5 teaching positions at the secondary level.
Children with special needs continue to enter school in larger numbers and with great need for intense adult supervision. The District has five teacher aide positions in the budget to provide the required support. Both parents and the District want these children to be educated as close to home as possible as long as it is the most appropriate placements and the least restrictive environment.
K-5 math grade level standards, textbooks and materials have had intense review over the last two years. The District is ready to move to implementation in the 2008-2009 school year. This budget also calls for the expansion of the elementary school Spanish language program into grade 2.
Twenty-three percent of the budget increase is devoted to this priority.
Priority #3 – In October of 2006, voters approved a $9 million bond for infrastructure improvements in the schools. The first bond payment on the $9 million is included in this budget.
This accounts for 21% of the budget increase.
To summarize: A “YES” vote means that voters support Priority #1 – Support the current program.  A “YES” vote means that voters support Priority #2 – staff to support enrollment growth and the programs that are essential to student learning and staying competitive. Finally, a “YES” vote means that voters affirm paying for the bond they approved in October 2006.
Everyone is a friend of education. Show your support on May 20 with a “YES” vote.
Sincerely,
Charmian Neary