Mount Vernon SchoolTalk

Interscholastic Athletics in the Mount Vernon City School District has been cut. This means that there will be no sports of any kind for the 2008-09 school year. That means no football, no basketball, no cross country, no soccer, no track and field, no cheerleading, no volleyball, no tennis, no swimming, no wrestling, no baseball, no softball, and no golf.

We can save the sports program if the community comes together to raise $950,000.

The people of Mount Vernon must come together to save this institution. Research has proven that children who participate in supervised activities are safer, healthier, and more productive in school than students who do not participate in supervised activities. For the children of Mount Vernon, sports programs are more than simply extracurricular activities, they are an extended family and support system. It is proven that the opportunity for mentorship and the sense of belonging is one of the largest deterrents to gang involvement.

I am writing today to tell you about an amazing event that involves you making a difference in the lives of Mount Vernon Children. On Thursday, July 10th at 11am there will be a press Conference at City Hall. I am asking for each of you to come to City Hall with a check for $100. I am hoping that we can get hundreds of ordinary people from throughout the city who are outraged that sports has been cut, who care about children, who care about education, to make a stand with your contribution of $100.

The goal is to raise $950,000 by August 10th so that Interscholastic Athletics will be able to move forward without interruption. Will you be able to make a donation of $100 to help us reach our goal? The Mount Vernon Educational Foundation has agreed to serve as the fundraising vehicle for our efforts. All checks are payable to:

Mount Vernon Educational Foundation Inc.
PO Box 476
Fleetwood Station
Mount Vernon, NY 10552

Please share this message widely with your friends and family. I will see you on the steps of City Hall, check for $100 in hand, on Thursday, July 10th at 11am. - Debra Stern

Posted on July 8th, 2008 by Debra
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This meeting began with the board’s annual organization meeting, a series of business matters that all school boards must address at the very beginning of each fiscal/academic year. The academic calendar begins July 1, and ends on June 30 of the following year.

After an oath of office for recently elected trustees, I was elected President of the school board, and Derrick Claye was elected Vice President. Next a series of resolutions were approved, largely appointments as required under law (clerk, treasurer, claims auditor, etc.). The regular July session of the board began immediately upon completion of the organizational meeting.

BUILDING CIVIC CAPACITY
Claudia L. Edwards, Ph.D. addressed the board during the time for public comment to present her recently completed doctoral dissertation entitled, “Building Civic Capacity: A Strategy for Improving Public Education in Communities with High Concentrations of Minority Students.” The following is a quotations from the executive summary,

“This study is based on research conducted to explore the public and its role in shaping local education policy. Designed to build public support for public education in school districts with high concentrations of people of color, the scope of this research explores those challenges which impede the public in a Black-led community from galvanizing to address the educational needs of children attending their local public schools. Thoughts about building public support for public education are based on Clarence Stone’s theory for building civic capacity. Recognizing public engagement as a function of a healthy democracy, Stone’s model was used to explore the readiness on the part of citizens to collectively work to build a sustaining, powerful force, engaged in safeguarding quality education for all children. The study takes place in the City of Mount Vernon, a Black-led community located in the wealthy New York suburb of Westchester County.”

An executive summary and background about the researcher are downloadable.

PRE-K PRESENTATIONS
Assistant Superintendents Shelley Jallow and Tim Costello delivered presentations on the districts plans for the pre-kindergarten program in the coming year. Jallow the district’s head of curriculum and instruction spoke about program details while Costello, the district’s business manager, addressed questions about the program’s funding stream. Pre-k is a non-mandated program that the board of education elected to preserve, notwithstanding its having to adopt a contingency budget.

INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS
Mayor Clinton Young addressed the board to demonstrate his on-going commitment to work closely with the school district on identifying private contributors and other means to restore funding for interscholastic sports. This was the Mayor’s second appearance before the board on this topic in as many weeks. The sports program was eliminated after the proposed annual budget failed to receive public support in two elections. The Mayor’s initiative, SOS (Save our Sports), and the district’s own effort entitled TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves Miracles), involve a collective force of coaches, PTA people and community members. Targeted fundraising and other forms of outreach are being planned for the coming days and weeks. Questions about the district’s efforts should be directed to Deputy Superintendent Maureen Gonzalez.

TAB 80: APPOINTMENT OF A GRANTS WRITER/MANAGEMENT
Danielle Crossley was appointed the new grants writer for the district. Her salary is funded entirely through the grants budget, and not the general fund. The recommendation was approved.

Posted on July 7th, 2008 by Charlie
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Mayor Clinton I. Young has announced an initiative to raise private funds to cover the cost of the interscholastic sports program in Mount Vernon, NY.

Meanwhile the school district is spearheading a cooperative effort to fund the sports program. Together Everyone Achieves Miracles (T.E.A.M.) is a committee with the goal of raising $950,000 to reinstate the entire interscholastic athletic program for the 2008-09 academic year.
The group is planning a major donor campaign, special events and a booster campaign. The chair of TEAM is Donna Pirro.

Posted on July 3rd, 2008 by Charlie
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YES: 919
NO: 1530

The budget was NOT approved by voters.

Tab 2: The board adopted a contingency budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year in the amount of $187,442,761.

Journal News Coverage has been extensive.

Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by Charlie
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FACTS ON BUDGET REVOTE
District Web Site

Posted on June 5th, 2008 by Charlie
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