On Saturday, May 8, 2010, the Newburgh Lyceum group and Mothers and Others for a Better Newburgh co-sponsored a "Meet the Board of Education Candidates" event.
Seven of the eight Newburgh School District Board of Education candidates were able to attend. The many excellent questions submitted here at newburghedinfo were among those forwarded as input.
Video coverage of the event is posted at the Newburgh Lyceum blog. The video quality at the beginning of the event is not so good. However, the audio is fine throughout.
All of the candidates are to be commended for taking the time and initiative to answer questions publicly. And thank you to Newburgh Lyceum and Mother and Others for sponsoring this event.
Each of the candidates expressed a sincere desire to work for improvements in the district. On May 18 you will get to decide who gets the chance.
Watched the video and found
Watched the video and found all the candidates poorly prepared to make any statements that would directly speak to the problems of this school district. The questions were not much for substance and looking at the many questions posted earlier the moderator avoided asking some important key questions about the budget, the salaries of all employees and the rising taxes we pay. None, especially the incumbants, appeared well informed or cared not to be about the NY report card or anything in the budget that still needs to be cut or reduced.
What I came away with is that this district needs new eyes and new ideas. At least out of the four challangers there are three who can do the job better.
You might not find what you want
Basically all you seem to be looking for is to cut programs for the kids and decrease teacher compensation. The school board candidates want to show that they care about the school and the community and that they want what is best for the school district, not that they want to go against it and want to see it dilapidated. You are looking for a candidate who will pledge to cut sports and other extracurricular activities, increase class sizes, and chase teachers away by paying them unsustainable wages. Not that the schools don't need to continue to improve but, onsidering the conditions of the city of Newburgh, Newburgh schools are not bad at all. Find me a city that has among the highest crime rates and poverty rates in the country that has a nearly perfect graduation rate in its schools. You won't find it.
Which poster said that?
Exactly where did you read all of that?
Lots of chatter Little substance
The candidates did little more then breifly acknowledge the pressing issues of this district; poor student performance, poor accountability, poor discipline practices, poor public participation and poor spending practices and then went on to generally acknowledge something needs to be done.
The three incubants shared nothing in the way of any accomplishments during their many years on the board. Keep in mind these three; Woodhull, McAfee and Bowles, along with Lewis, have served during the time when this district has failed in so many ways.
The challangers offered little of substance to offer as an alternative or better approach to this district's troubles.
Every candidate made little mention of the economic crisis and none made a committment to reduce spending, staff, ineffective programs, elective courses and taxes.
This was better then no opportunity to hear what they had to say, but the questions were too general and the video shows that no one in the audience (aka voters / taxpayers) had a chance to ask additional questions. The time seemed short or the video was edited. The program was advertised as a 2 hour event, but the video lasted almost half of that.
It will be difficult to vote for even one of these people.