February 1, 2017
NYSSBA's Brian Fessler spoke at our February 1st meeting. He analyzed the governor's budget proposal and spoke about the upcoming legislative session in Albany. His power point presentation was comprehensive and very informative. Following our meeting, all delegates were emailed a copy of his presentation,
Attending members formulated a legislative platform for 2017. This was sent to our legislators after the meeting and will be used as a basis for discussion with our elected officials during the current legislative session.
A number of OCSBA members will journey to Albany to attend NYSSBA's Capital Conference on February 12 & 13th. Joining with DCSBA, RCSBA, SCSBA and UCSBA, members will visit our legislators on Monday, February 13th to discuss issues critical to our schools.
December 7, 2016
David Shaw (Shaw, Perelson, etal) and Melissa Knapp (Thomas, Drohan, etal) delivered an excellent presentation on collective bargaining. With a tag-team approach, they discussed what boards and administrators need to to before they begin the collective bargaining process. They also discussed current colective bargaining trends in our region. Their powerpoint presentation was very well received by our attending members.
OCSBA members reviewed last year's legislative platform and discussed possible issues to be included in our 2017 platform. We are looking forward to having Brian Fessler (NYSSBA Legislative Associate) join us at our February 1, 2017, meeting to discuss the 2017 legislative session in Albany.
November 2, 2016
Representatives from LEGOLAND were with us to discuss the impact of this facility on our communities and our schools.
Dominic Cordisco delivered an excellent powerpoint presentation and gave an interesting and thorough talk on LEGOLAND's history, philosophy, .and facilities. He spoke at length about the exciting educational opportunities LEGOLAND afforded educators and students in our region. He gave a powerpoint presentation and a summary of LEGOLAND's project benefits to our attending members. These were emailed to our districts the next day.
October 5, 2016
Our October meeting featured two timely presentations. The first demonstration was from members of the Lions Club who described a screening test that can detect vision problems in young children. This program is offered as a community service without fee and is available to our school districts. A number of Orange County schools have already taken advantage of this screening process, and the Lions Club members encouraged all who are interested in this program to contact their local Lions Club for further information.
Barry Entwistle, Director of Member Relations for NYSSBA, then discussed how to navigate the convention to maximize one's learning experiences. He encouraged all to download the NYSSBA app on the convention and indicated he or other members of NYSSBA staff would be available to provide any necessary assistance to members who attend the Buffalo convention.
Reservation sign-up sheets were distributed and members were asked to confirm the numbers of people who would attend the OCSBA dinners during convention. Susan will confirm with district clerks within the next two weeks.
September 7, 2016
OCSBA held its first meeting of the new school year at BOCES on September 7th. School attorneys Jim Drohan & Stu Wasman (TDWPM) gave an update on the new school safety regulations. Once again, they presented an informative session for our attending school board members. Their PowerPoint presentation was emailed to our delegates a few days after the meeting.
Roberta Greene, MHSSC's new Executive Director, shared her enthusiasm and ideas about the upcoming efforts and activities of the Mid-Hudson School Study Council. She encouraged all board members to take an active role in planning MHSSC's events and activities and urged all to participate in the study council's programs.
Bill Boss (OCSBA's Legislative Coordinator) gave a preliminary discussion of the proposed NYSSBA resolutions and the procedures used during the NYSSBA Annual Meeting where delegates vote on the resolutions.
Susan noted that we received excellent sponsorship contributions to our hospitality suite during convention. She also noted that she needs firm numbers for the OCSBA dinners during convention by October.
Assistant Director Welcomed
At our September meeting, President Ron Sommer welcomed Karyn Meier, OCSBA's newly appointed Assistant Executive Director. Karyn left the Florida Board of Education on June 30th, and joined OCSBA in her new position in mid-July. Karyn will work closely with Susan during the 2016-17 transition year.
Welcome aboard, Karyn! We look forward to a positive and rewarding working relationship with you during this school year.
Annual Meeting - June 1, 2016
At our annual dinner meeting at West Hills Country Club two members of the Board of Regents met with us. Regents Beverly Ouderkirk and (our area's regent) Judith Johnson spoke about the challenges facing the Board of Regents and their goals to ensure a strong education for all children in New York.
OCSBA officers were elected and a budget was approved for the 2016-17 school year. We recognized those individuals who are leaving board service in June and presented those in attendance with a certificate of appreciation for their school board service.
May 4, 2016
School board operations and protocols were discussed at our May meeting in Goshen. The school board handbook, establishing norms, election of a board president, orienting new members, retreats and self-evaluation were among the topics our members shared with each other during this evening session.
A proposed slate of officers was presented by Nominating Committee Chairperson Roseanne Sullivan and the Executive Committee shared their budget proposal for the coming year. Both will be voted upon at our annual meeting on June 1st at West Hills Country Club in Middletown. Notices and reservation forms for our annual dinner meeting were sent to our district clerks and OCSBA delegates.
With Susan's plan to retire in June of 2017, the delegates created a new staff position, Assistant Director, effective July 2016. The executive committee is looking to hire a part-time Assistant to become familiar with OCSBA's operations, schedules, and meetings throughout the year. The salary of $25,000 per year and the work assignments will be shared between the Executive Director and the Assistant during the 2016-17 school year. It is expected that the Assistant will work closely with Susan during the year with the possibility of assuming the Executive Director position upon Susan's retirement. Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest to either Susan or President Ron Sommer by June 1st.