Residency laws for teachers should be a must. Sorry if it might reduce the selection of teachers for a couple years but somehow I would rather have larger classes and fewer teachers that actually cared than a bunch of people who could care less about the children's future because their own kids are safe and educated outside the city system. It is the biggest crock of s&*t and pulls the whole district down and the city with it.

I had several friends who went through the city system and talked about these teachers, it was obvious to the kids that the teachers didn't care and often would tell the children as much. I also have friends that teach in the system now who don't live in Buffalo and some that do. I also had friends who lived int he city but went to suburban schools (illegally). It is a real problem but unless people are willing to get invested to a place they will always consider their kids as someone else's 'problem.' They don't need to make sure they teach children how to read because they are not their children of their friend's child. They know they will drive home and everything will be fine.

The other option to a residency requirement is to create a county wide school system. Probably the best but hardest to accomplish task. One where all our children have an equal opportunity for a good education. Everyone knows the scales, funding, quality are different between city and suburb. Everyone realizes the school district problems go to the heart of Buffalo's ability to retain the middle class. What bothers me so much is the lack of action to do anything about it. Years ago the school system made huge efforts to improve itself now all that seems to come from the board is political pandering that tries to show the people how much they are doing. Ohh longer school hours, ohh smaller class sizes. Political moves that in the end won't do any good for the system or its children. HUGE shame.

I am getting to the age where children are starting to become a question in my head. What will I do with my children. Will I be able to get into one of the good schools? Pay extra for a private school education? Will I just be forced to leave the city like so many people I know because their wives refuse to take a chance on their education. Who can really blame them? It's sad but I don't. Who knows... end of rant...

thanks for bringing this to the attention of all

We all know the complete sit on your arse incompetence of civil servants sucking at the teets of the taxpayer at the expense of children.....sounds like this public school is ideal for conversion to a charter!!!!!

For whatever it is worth, let me put my two cents in and play off of the success of the Central Terminal art shows.

1) I agree, get rid of BAVPA it sounds like PRAVDA the Soviet Communist newspaper

2) open this school up to partnerships! Everyone knows the life of an aspiring artist is not an easy one nor is it a secure one which is why so many parents cringe when their kids decide to point their life in that direction.

But as far as partnerships are concerned there is alot of avenues that Buffalo simply refuses to consider and offer such as:

A) partnerships with the Roycroft for artisinal arts and crafts. As far as I know the Roycroft has no onsite artisanal glass makers for example.

B) Burchfield Penny, Central Terminal and Albright Knox could do an annual show on local artists from the school.

C) a lesson from Rochester? Rochester puts their high school plays and musicals on local TV every year. Where are the civic promotions of local TV and Radio stations when it comes to local performing arts in theater and music and other performing arts.

D) partnerships with UB Performing Arts, Buffalo State, etc? As with technology, I see no partnerships between local high schools and local colleges in the arts either!!!!

E) do we ignore our budding playwrights, stage crafters, journalists, writers, correspondents, reporters, documentary writers and researchers, etc? They may not be performing artists but they straddle the info/news/entertainment hybrid that is our modern media

F) and where exactly is Buffalo in the 21st century arts of programming video games, video art, special effects programming, animation, etc?

G) and where exactly is Buffalo in the various forms of 20th and 21st century expressions on canvas, paper, computer, radio, tv, film, etc.

NONE OF OUR LOCAL ARTS AND ARTISTS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IF IT STANDS ALONE!!!!!

NONE OF OUR LOCAL ARTS AND ARTISTS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IF THEY ARE NOT PROMOTED!!!!!

NONE OF OUR LOCAL ARTS AND ARTISTS CAN ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL IF WE SUBSCRIBE TO THE SAME MONDANE COOKIE CUTTER ARTS AND PERFORMING ARTS THAT ARE DUPLICATED IN EVERY OTHER HIGH SCHOOL IN EVERY OTHER CITY! AGAIN, THAT DOESNT PROMOTE CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND TALENT BUT SIMPLY NEEDLESS COMPETITION IN THE SAME GENERIC FORMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPLORED.....WHICH PRODUCES THE TALENTLESS VOMIT THAT CAN ONLY FIND VALUE IN SHOCK LIKE WARHOL AND MAPPLETHORPE.

WE OWE MORE TO OUR KIDS AND DONT YOU THINK ITS ABOUT TIME WE THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX AND GAVE IT TO THEM! ESPECIALLY WHEN THESE PARTNERSHIPS NEED NOT ADD THAT MUCH COST TO THE BOTTOM LINE!

I always wished BAVPA would become a regional school with a much more rigorous selection process.

KUDOS to any group who is willing to focus resources (time, $$$, supplies, energy, etc) to support the Arts in our schools. I heard about the Lancaster Academy of the Visual & Performing Arts too... holy cow! Way-Impressive... I wish the best to Buffalo and Lancaster in their endevours. FYI, I found this link to a short video which promotes LAVPA... check it out!

http://candlelight-productions.com/demo/LHS_LAVAPARTS256.wmv

Cheers! --Red