February 8, 2015
Issue No. 6
www.westsidenewsny.com
West Edition
Distributed to Bergen, Clarendon, Holley-Murray and Brockport-Sweden
Board hears opinions from speakers on both sides of Spencerport’s Urban-Suburban implementation by Kristina Gabalski Members of the Spencerport Board of Education are expected to vote Tuesday, February 24 on whether the district will join the Urban-Suburban program. Spencerport School Superintendent Mike Crumb has recommended the district join the program in the 2015/2016 school year and both the Teachers and Administrators Associations at Spencerport have endorsed joining the program; however, comments from district residents, parents and teachers during the third and final public information meeting regarding Urban-Suburban held February 3 at Spencerport High School show the community continues to be deeply divided on the issue. During the meeting, Superintendent Crumb reported on his recommendations for implementation, saying he feels Urban-Suburban, “... would be successful in Spencerport very quickly.” The Superintendent was followed by eleven speakers who explained why they also are in favor of the program. The list included parents, an UrbanSuburban graduate, and Brockport, West Irondequoit and Pittsford school administrators. If Spencerport opts not to join the program, Urban-Suburban graduate Darius Melvin said he knows the students from the city will be o-k. “I’m more concerned with students and teachers of Spencerport who won’t have the opportunity to build relationships with people who don’t look like them,” he said. James Brennan, Assistant Superintendent for Finance at the West Irondequoit Central School District, called all facets of the Urban-Suburban program, “seamless -” from the financial aspects - “... it does generate positive revenue-” to the screening process, to the benefits for all students - “.... it has a positive influence on kids,” he observed. The public comment portion of the meeting began at about 8:30 p.m. and lasted for nearly two hours with 42 people signed up to speak. Although Ty Zinkiewich, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction at
Spencerport, asked for a “night of respectful commentary,” emotions ran high and he repeatedly had to ask some members of the audience to stop interrupting speakers. Mary Lou Clifford, who said she was a life-long resident of Spencerport, expressed astonishment at the behavior she witnessed. “The disrespect to others by those who don’t agree is abominable,” she said. Speakers expressed opinions on both sides of the issue and many became emotional as they spoke. Those who spoke in favor of UrbanSuburban included parents, residents and teachers. “It’s not perfect,” one parent with three young children said of UrbanSuburban, “but the potential diversity would add to the value of a Spencerport education. Give it a chance.” Sara Snarr, a mother of three girls, said she has discussed the issue with her daughters. Following their talk, one of her daughters said, “It doesn’t have to be a perfect program ... it’s a good program.” Snarr noted she feels, “... there’s a huge portion of the community that supports the program.” Other residents expressed a number of concerns regarding Urban-Suburban. Many said they work hard and make many sacrifices to be able to live in the community, pay taxes, and send their children to Spencerport schools. They questioned whether those who do not live in the community and don’t pay school taxes in the district should be able to send their children there. Others called Urban-Suburban exclusionary and elitist. The program is open only to minority students and suburban districts are highly selective regarding the students they allow into the program. “All entitlement programs are wrong,” one resident said. Michael Miceli, a parent, noted only one of the seven Monroe County School Districts participating in the program has joined in the last 40 years (most of the districts participating joined before 1970) and that after consideration, the Churchville-Chili School District decided not to join the program. Continued on page 5
“Bring Your Own Train” Sunday, February 15 Model railroaders are invited to bring their favorite HO gauge engine and cars and watch them pass through tunnels and over bridges as they operate “their own train” on the New York Museum of Transportation’s layout. Open Sundays only (winter hours 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the New York Museum of Transportation features an array of full-size trolley cars, a steam locomotive, antique highway and horsedrawn vehicles, smaller artifacts and a large model railroad. The museum is located at 6393 East River Road, West Henrietta. (585) 533-1113; info@nymtmuseum.org.
Local school districts host career and college night for area teens and families Area school districts are joining forces to present a Career and College Readiness Night on Tuesday, March 3 in the Spencerport High School Auditorium at 2707 Spencerport Road. All students currently enrolled in grades 8 through 12 and their families are encouraged to attend this information fair to plan and prepare for the college and career choices ahead. Representatives from area colleges and businesses will be on hand for this informational evening to provide materials and answer questions. In addition, break-out sessions will be offered in the following categories: Culinary and Hospitality; Information Technology; Skilled Trades; Advanced Manufacturing; Healthcare; and two- and four-year Colleges.
Participating colleges include: SUNY campuses (Alfred State College; Binghamton; Brockport; Finger Lakes Community College; Genesee Community College; Monroe Community College) and Rochester Institute of Technology, Nazareth College, St. John Fisher College, and the University of Rochester. Participating community and industry representatives include: Electrical Union, Wegmans, Carpenter’s Union, SPX, EarthLink and Unity Health. The evening is sponsored by Brockport, Gates Chili, Hilton, Holley, Kendall, Monroe 2 BOCES CTE, Spencerport, and Wheatland-Chili Central School Districts. Students and families may contact their district school counseling for more information.