Board of Ed working toward year-long goals

PINE PLAINS — The Board of Education is looking to officially adopt its goals for the 2009-10 school year at its next meeting, after discussion at its Aug. 5 meeting.

The draft goals were presented, and have been organized by the “five pillars� of the Vision 2012 statement, an initiative organized last year by district Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer with input from members of the district and community.

The goals are deliberately broad in scope, as President Helene McQuade explained in an interview after the meeting.

“We used to set goals that resembled a laundry list of specific items,� she said “At some point the board then decided that we really needed to have the broader picture. We wanted to define our vision and goals for the district in terms of important bigger issues like student achievement, and then have the administration develop the plans for how to achieve those goals.�

McQuade said she believed it was more appropriate for the board to be involved at a more general level, and that many of the goals (improving the academic performance of all students, continuing to recruit and retain quality staff, pursuing innovative ways to offer cost-effective curricular options, etc.) are guidelines the administration “doesn’t have to even think about planning for because they are already part of their normal routine.�

In addition to Kaumeyer’s midyear presentation, which assessed the district’s performance in reaching those goals, the Board of Education also receives biweekly reports from the district’s principals and administrators that address activities going on in their buildings, framed within the context of the outlined goals.

While the specifics of attaining or working toward those guidelines are more the responsibility of administration, there is definitely a “laundry list� of things to keep the board busy with during the upcoming year.

“Reconfiguration is certainly going to be a priority for us this year,� McQuade said. “The staff has been working on it, and having regular meetings to be sure the district as a whole, including the community, is properly prepared for the change.�

Reconfiguration was a hot-topic issue last year, and the board voted earlier this year to begin implementing the kindergarten to grade two program at Cold Spring Elementary in Stanfordville, while all students in grades three to five will be housed at Seymour Smith Elementary in Pine Plains. However, due to concerns raised by parents and residents at subsequent meetings, the board ultimately decided to postpone reconfiguration for a year.

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m.