Last week, Superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools Dr. James Williams went to Washington to meet with 30 fellow urban school superintendents from across the nation in a roundtable discussion with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Obama Administration officials at the White House. They discussed how to make the most of a $100 billion stimulus package, that Buffalo will see a share of, in order to improve and advance public education.
According to Williams, Buffalo will get 50 percent of the allotment (total amount as yet undisclosed) by the end of March. The remainder will come 6 months later with certain stipulations, key of which is a William's ability to prove that there is agreement between the superintendent and the unions. In the past, there has been a strained relationship between Williams and Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore, and now that stimulus dollars are hanging in the balance, it is hoped that differences will be settled in order to take advantage of the available funds.
In order to maximize the stimulus dollars, the superintendents spoke with Arne about longer school days and a longer school year, which Williams has made operational in 17 schools since he began his tenure in Buffalo. Williams also had the distinction of being the senior superintendent at the meeting, with 20 years experience.
Expanding on the topic of discussion, Williams said, "We have to build an agenda. We have to close schools that aren't performing, of which there will be 11 in Buffalo this year. We need a data base to track each individual student. We also talked about recycling teachers in non-performing schools and teacher quality. If you recycle teachers and children, you move away from blaming the school. I've started these processes an procedures."
Another stipulation for the stimulus funds is that they not be used on personnel.
Williams says that Arne raised the topic of problems with unions and the importance of collaboration for change. In agreement with everything Arne had to say, Williams, who has long held the same ideals said, "It was like I wrote it." There was a general corroboration among the superintendents that common problems in public schools are universal throughout the nation.
When Williams was asked if poverty in Buffalo played into student performance, he said, "Poverty is used as an excuse; we blame the poverty. We'll get out of poverty by educating children."
The money is more important than ever with Williams, who worries about losing ground due to the economy as well as a change in administration. He says Albany sometimes gets "confused" in an administrative change and that the fiscal crisis make it all the more difficult to do business. He's not expecting the state budget to be done April 1st of this year.
"The economy won't be back to normal in 2 years," Williams said. "We have $24 million coming from Title 1, $14 from the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act), and the stimulus package will be separate from that. It will balance whatever Governor Paterson comes up with. We were used to a multi-year budget under Spitzer. All supers need to tighten up controls."
Williams says the bottom line is collaboration and working together for the children, then the government will show us the money.
"Poverty is used as an excuse; we blame the poverty. We'll get out of poverty by educating children."
---
Poverty may be an excuse, but hunger isn't. Our system owes school children access to a decent meal, something Buffalo Public School students don't have regardless of income or neighborhood.
No one ever said school lunch had to be tasty, but it ought to be relatively nutritious and healthy. Right now the vast majority of poorly concocted, pre-fab breakfast and lunch meals served to Buffalo students end up in the cafeteria trash can, and rightly so.
I'd like to see some of the stimulus go to feeding our kids. How can you be a good, attentive student when you're diet consists of a small amount of simple carbs and zero brain food?
This is especially true if the system begins to have longer school days (an idea I support). While they're at it, maybe they could let the kids play on the playground more than once a month and take part in gym more than once every six days? I think that all of those things would increase attendance and performance in our schools.
Thanks for listening. Back to work now...
ChristaSeychew>"Our system owes school children access to a decent meal, something Buffalo Public School students don't have regardless of income or neighborhood.
ChristaSeychew>"Right now the vast majority of poorly concocted, pre-fab breakfast and lunch meals served to Buffalo students end up in the cafeteria trash can."
Those are very strong public accusations. Meals not "decent", "vast majority" thrown in trash.
Evidence, please?
Having had 3 children in the Buffalo Public Schools I can attest to the poor quality of lunches. Outsourcing to the private sector put profits ahead of quality.(remember when the Reagan Administration tried to classify ketchup as a vegetable) My kids usually took a lunch from home.