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Post by bobbbiez on Oct 15, 2009 10:59:54 GMT -5
 Big headlines in the OD this morn, "does Utica need to add a second high school?'  My response is, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU CLOSE UFA IN THE FIRST PLACE?"  Dumb, dumb, dumb! What a waste of taxpayers dollars. 
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Post by WestmoGuy on Oct 15, 2009 11:05:54 GMT -5
With Utica becoming a dumping ground for every scumbag in the Northeast, plus with the influx of immigrants, the Utica schools population is on the way up.
10 years from now after they build up, they'll be closing them all down again.
I mean come on, dont they take population swings into consideration when they built all the new stuff years ago??? Probably not, because that's the typical vision of an type of governmental or administrative body in Utica. The "yeah, we'll worry about that later" attitude.
;D I'm Done.
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Post by dgriffin on Oct 15, 2009 11:28:10 GMT -5
Actually, I'd guess the school system does a good at job planning as most. The one I worked for annually did a school population future plan from a census of births that someone in the district office kept count of from the local newspapers each morning. That data was merged with a separate school census taken every couple of years, I think. You didn't want to wind up heating and maintaining 5 buildings if you only needed 4 somewhere down the line, or having more teachers than you needed (because you can never get rid of them without paying. One of the reasons you hear a lot of griping from teachers about class sizes is because most districts are anticipating school population drops. ) With the drop-off in the birth rate, the possibility of that was real. Theoretically, Utica should have saved a lot of money when closing UFA.
But could the district anticipate whatever factors are today increasing the school age population? They should answer that question. If the reason is unanticipated immigration, I'd guess that no one at the federal level shared any plans with the school district, because it wouldn't have been politically smart to do so.
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Post by Clipper on Oct 15, 2009 15:51:51 GMT -5
Kennedy high school was built in N Utica because that area of the city was growing. It is still one of the more populated areas of the city, and a LONG ways from Proctor High, as is W Utica. W Utica typically went to UFA and E Utica to Proctor. The logical move would have been to close Proctor to begin with, but THAT was a political move by the usual E Utica politics and E Utica power that was then on the school board. I remember reading at the time of the decision, hearing the allegations of unfair influence in favor of Proctor, by Alumni from the East End.
Maybe Sunshine remembers the names that were serving on the board at the time. N Utica residents were especially upset, by the idea of their kids having to travel across town to school, when they had a relatively new and modern high school in their own area.
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Post by dgriffin on Oct 15, 2009 17:02:43 GMT -5
Always a difficult choice, and of course I know absolutely nothing of how it was made in Utica. Typically, a board will first look at population trends, then the cost of heating and maintaining buildings (the newest aren't always the most ideal.) The teacher corps weighs in, of course, both with educational reasons (some buildings better match education objectives) and non-education reasons, such as teacher safety or just plain aesthetics. Also, and you won't see this in the official minutes, the board considers which parents, politicians, teachers, administrators, etc. are going to be the biggest pain in the ass if they don't get their way. Finally, before the vote, each board member asks himself if he really wants to run again or not. If not, you might get a more intelligent vote from him or her. I wonder where our favorite school board ex-member is these days. He's the guy that should be commenting. Frank?
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Post by clarencebunsen on Oct 15, 2009 17:31:19 GMT -5
The loudest voice on the school board during that time was Jean Arcurri.
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Post by concerned on Oct 23, 2009 8:24:52 GMT -5
Well, if people are going to elect Jean Arcuri to the school board, what can they expect! Was that when she was leading a student revolt from outside the school? That's right, as a school member who didn't get her way about something .... can't remember what ... she went outside and fomented rebellion among the students and encouraged them to skip school and boycott the staff and administration. A real team player. |
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Post by dgriffin on Oct 23, 2009 11:30:59 GMT -5
Well, if people are going to elect Jean Arcuri to the school board, what can they expect! Was that when she was leading a student revolt from outside the school? That's right, as a school member who didn't get her way about something .... can't remember what ... she went outside and fomented rebellion among the students and encouraged them to skip school and boycott the staff and administration. A real team player. ] Well, say it nicely and invite her to comment. She can certainly defend herself. |
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Post by bobbbiez on Oct 23, 2009 18:34:07 GMT -5
Well I have to defend Jeanie Arcuri who was a very, very vocal member on Utica's school board. Not that I really need to because Jeanie speaks very well for herself and always backs up her actions with facts but she is not here right now, so I'll speak of her. I remember back in the 70's when I worked with Jeanie and Fran Marino against the busing issue which was being crammed down our throats and was no benefit to our kids. These two women devoted all their time and worked endlessly against other board members for our benefit bringing out all the info on other issues that were not beneficial to our kids or to the taxpayer. Sure they were very vocal and rebel-rousers but if they were to run today I would work to get them elected again. Sorry to put this so bluntly, but we need people today like Jeanie and Fran, who have the b*lls to buck the establishment and who are not afraid to fight for us and our kids.
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Post by dgriffin on Oct 23, 2009 20:51:17 GMT -5
Wait a minute. Am I thinking of Sue Arcuri, Justice Denied? Are they related? Which one tried to get the students to walk out of school? Mother/Daughter?
Bz, set me straight, please.
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Post by bobbbiez on Oct 23, 2009 21:03:08 GMT -5
I'm thinking you're talking about Sue Arcuri. I know of her but I personally don't know much about her. She did call me after I made the newspaper speaking at one of our watch -group meetings. Talked to her and decided her and I were not on the same page so I never went any farther with her. I'm not positive but I don't think she and Jeanie are related. Or at least she never mentioned it to me during that the one conversation. 
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Post by dgriffin on Oct 23, 2009 22:06:12 GMT -5
I have deleted my post about Jean Arcuri and I apologize for confusing her with Sue Arcuri.
Thanks for the info, Bobbbiez.
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Post by bobbbiez on Oct 24, 2009 2:53:31 GMT -5
You're quite welcome my friend. Don't let it happen again. lol!!!!! Like I don't screw up here and there (a lot). ;D
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Big headlines in the OD this morn, "does Utica need to add a second high school?' 
