Friday, April 19, 2013

Ann Meyer Named High School Principal

Ann Meyer

At the April Board of Education meeting, Superintendent David Quattrone recommended Ann Meyer as the next Principal of Bronxville High School. The Board of Education approved the appointment at an annual salary of $170,000. She will begin July 1st. Ann is completing her first year Assistant Principal at Edgemont Junior/Senior High. Prior to that she was a member of the Bronxville science department from 2006-2012. In that capacity she not only taught AP Biology and AP Environmental Science, but also served as the Chairperson of the Professional Development Policy Board and launched the Bronxville Voices Project. Her earned her undergraduate degree at Wellesley (Biological chemistry with Honors), and her Master’s degrees at Harvard and Bank Street.

The search process began in February with open meetings for students, staff, and parents. Additional feedback came through an anonymous survey posted on our website. Advertisements in the New York Times and Education Week yielded 86 responses. Dr. Rachel Kelly, Dr. John Kehoe, and Quattrone reviewed the applications and interviewed promising candidates, including several incumbent principals. Five applicants were forwarded to a screening committee consisting of four students, two parents, three faculty members, two administrators, and two members of the Board of Education. That group identified two leading candidates.

After getting feedback from the screening committee, central administrators held follow-up conversations with finalists, conducted reference checks, and reviewed written communications (including teacher evaluations, memos to staff, and memos to parents). At this point Meyer was identified as the leading candidate. The final step was a site visit by a team including Kelly, a parent, teacher, and student.During the visit Edgemont teachers and administrators used such phrases as “dynamic,” “good at asking questions,” “always asks how we can support kids,” "makes it easy to trust her,” and “she has great ideas but doesn’t come to the table thinking hers are the best ones.”

In her letter of application she wrote: “My commitment to the principles for which Bronxville High School stands as well as my desire to help students of the high school to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in college and beyond would make me a great candidate for the position. I would welcome the opportunity to return to lead the faculty and students in order to continue the tradition of excellence in Bronxville High School. “


Welcome back, Ann!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

ES Principal Search Extended

Superintendent David Quattrone announced at the April Board of Education meeting that the Elementary principal search is following the same process as the high school search, but is about a week later.

The screening committee, chaired by Dr. Rachel Kelly, consisted of three parents and three teachers. They interviewed four candidates, all of whom are sitting principals in the region. Afterward the committee discussed its findings with Quattrone, identifying the strengths of each candidate and any concerns to be probed further. "We are now in that phase of the process," said Quattrone. "We are doing the reference checks, review of writing samples, and follow up conversations with candidates," he said. "Taking the time to be fully informed, balanced, and thoughtful is in the best interests of everyone." He expects to complete the process by early May.

Earlier in the process Quattrone, Kelly, and Dr. John Kehoe reviewed 130 applicants and interviewed six. They eventually forwarded four to the screening committee. The original timeline called for an April deadline, but the interviews were postponed for two weeks due to scheduling conflicts.

Board Approves Budget Below Cap

After budget workshops that began last fall and continued into spring, the Bronxville Board of Education adopted a school budget of $45,359,909, representing a budget-to-budget in crease of 2.53%, and tax levy increase of 2.44%.  The tax levy increase is below the calculated tax levy cap of 3.23%, in which debt service and excess retirement contributions are exempted. For the budget presentation (prior to the April adjustments), go here.

The key drivers of the budget increase were mandatory retirement increases and health benefit premiums, neither of which are under local control.  Budget pressures were eased by voluntary wage freeze from administrators, a retirement incentive, and a $100,000 increase in state aid that found its way into the final state budget.

Along the way the Board considered but ultimately rejected program reductions in music, high school electives, and other enrichment elements in the course of study.

Discussing the proposed budget, Board members raised questions about an across the board 2% reduction in all discretionary categories, replacing a physical education vacancy, and the potential need for an additional kindergarten section.  Ultimately, all these options were incorporated into the final budget, including allocating an additional $100,000 of the budget to offset tax increases.

The budget hearing will be held on May 9, and the statewide budget vote is slated for May 21.  A budget information bulletin will be sent to all residents in early May.


Auditorium/Science Lab Renovations Move Forward

After completing design development, KG&D, Bronxville's architects, have submitted construction plans to the State Education Department for approval.  Based on current patterns, we expect approval in the fall  followed by bids and a contract award late in 2013.

Parke East, our construction managers, have supplied initial cost estimates for the project. Now that construction documents have been finalized, a second round of estimates will be conducted by two independent estimators, generating even more accurate budgets.

The final design closely follows the concepts presented earlier, including seating for 505 persons, much improved handicapped access, and a side lobby addition. Board questions focused on changes from the preliminary budget and confirming that all sound and lighting equipment are included in the budget.

The construction schedule calls for turning over the auditorium to the contractor just before February break, February 14, 2014 with construction extending through February 2015. Science lab renovations will begin in late June 2014, with completion planned for the following September. There are several variables that will drive the schedule, including the timing of state department approval and contractor requirements.

The Board's facilities committee has reviewed several options for reducing costs still further, and our project consultants are exploring the feasibility of beginning asbestos abatement this summer.

For the architects' presentation, click here.

Board Awards Tenure to Nine

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent David Quattrone, the Bronxville Board of Education awarded tenure to nine faculty members at its April meeting. The group includes Stacy Bilgoray (Grade 2), Justin Chao (Grade 3), Katherine Bryce (Grade 3), Louise Lebrini (Grade 4), Courtney Alan (Art), Aimee Keevins (Special Education), Jonathan Peter (Physics), Jennifer Rosenzweig (English), and Cassie Sullivan (Latin). The recommendations follow a probationary period (usually three years) during which candidates are mentored, evaluated by multiple observers, and assessed through ongoing supervision. Board policy states that "Tenure will be granted only to candidates who have demonstrated outstanding ability and who have met the highest professional standards."


Stacy Bilgoray
Katherine Bryce
Justin Chao
Louise Lebrini

Jonathan Peter
Courtney Alan
Jennifer Rosenzweig
Cassie Sullivan


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

REMINDER: Late Start on Friday, May 3

A visiting team of seventeen educators from the Tri-State Consortium will assess our critical thinking and creativity initiative over a three-day period, May 1-3..  They will providing feedback to the entire faculty on Friday morning, May 3. As a result, classes will not start until 10 AM.

The full report will be made available to the public after it becomes available.