Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009


Can These Parents Be Saved?

By Nancy Gibbs


The insanity crept up on us slowly; we just wanted what was best for our kids. We bought macrobiotic cupcakes and hypoallergenic socks, hired tutors to correct a 5-year-old's "pencil-holding deficiency," hooked up broadband connections in the treehouse but took down the swing set after the second skinned knee. We hovered over every school, playground and practice field — "helicopter parents," teachers christened us, a phenom… Continue

North County News - Award winning local news for the Hudson Valley,


NY Town schools anticipate severe loss in 2010 aid

By Anna Lillian Moser




YORKTOWN — Yorktown residents can anticipate a rocky school budget process in 2010.

“We’re faced with many constraints,” Superintendent of Schools Ralph Napolitano said during a school board meeting Monday, Nov. 16.

School officials are in the preliminary stages of composing a proposed budget for the 2010-11 school year, but Na… Continue

The following is the statement I made prior to voting for the Harmon Zoning Change at the Village Board Meeting yesterday night. If you were unable to make the meeting or unable to watch it, this might be of interest. Thank you.

“In deciding how to vote tonight I balanced a lot of opinions, concerns, desires and facts. On the one hand many people, especially on Young Street but also throughout Croton are very concerned about what unforeseen things might result from this zoning change. They worr… Continue

November 16, 2009

Programs to Certify Teachers May Grow

By JENNIFER MEDINA

The State Board of Regents will consider letting alternative teacher training programs certify teachers, expanding the role that for decades has been exclusively performed by education schools.

The proposal is one of several recommendations to improve teacher quality and recruitment that the board will consider in Albany on Monday. Another would change the requirements for teacher certification, l… Continue

November 15, 2009


Yonkers teacher worked miracles for 30 years

Phil Reisman
Journal News columnist

Yonkers has 38 public schools. Many of them are named after somebody important.

Look down the long list of schools and you’ll see the names of revered administrators, U.S. presidents, and a scientist or two.

One school is named after a writer and artist. Another is named after a defender of human rights.

Nine elementary schools are merely numbered.

But none of the schoo… Continue