Board of Education

BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Board of Education of the Lansingburgh Central School District is a nine member voluntary board. Each of the members serves a five year term. These public officials are elected by the voters of the school district to take the formal legal actions and assume the major responsibilities for policy and Superintendent oversight. These people are citizens who have taken on the additional tasks of Board membership in order to provide leadership for the welfare of the district students.

Meet the Board of Education

Mr. Jason Shover, President jshover@lansingburgh.org

My name is Jason Shover. I am a graduate of Lansingburgh H.S. (1990) and hold an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from Hudson Valley College (1992), as well as a B.S. in Economics from Siena College (1994). “My current position is as a Claims Manager for an insurance company where I manage 40+personnel. I have held this position for the last 6 years and have been with my company for 16 years in August. My passion for this great company is only a fraction of what I feel for my family.” I have been blessed to have a wonderful wife in Sheila, as well as my beautiful girls, Madison (5th grade), Grace (3rd grade), and Emma (almost 4 yrs. old and a future Turnpike Dragon!).

The day my oldest daughter was born, and then at each blessed birth for my other 2 girls, I realized that children are a gift to be held, cherished, and nurtured. I look at all children as our key to a prosperous, enriched, and healthy future world. I want all children to have the same opportunities as I have had. Without a good and solid foundation of equal opportunity, it becomes impossible for children to build a better house for their future. As I gain life experience (and yes, age) I feel a passion to want to help, to make a difference. I want to set the best examples I can for my children, as well as my 5 nephews (also in the district) and 3 nieces, in how a person is to be socially responsible and proactive in purposeful action. This is what drove me to be a part of this great Lansingburgh community, and specifically the last 3 years as a member and now President of the Lansingburgh School Board. It has been a challenging, but very rewarding experience that I encourage anyone who wants to be engaged and make a difference, to become a part of!! My first term of office ends June 30, 2013 after serving a four year term for a board member who stepped down.

Mrs. Susan Farrell, Vice President sfarrell@lansingburgh.org

I was recently elected to my third term on the Board of Education. A graduate of SUNY Oswego with a degree in Education, I recently retired from the NYS Department of Health where I was a program administrator.

I originally ran for the board as a way to volunteer in the school district and to give back to the community. I have enjoyed being a part of the positive changes in Lansingburgh over the years. With the community’s support, we have successfully passed several bonds which have allowed us to improve our facilities with little or no cost to the taxpayer. We have been able to add classrooms, a gym, and update the athletic fields and auditorium. We have been able to make renovations to all of the buildings to make them safer and more secure for our children. We have added technology to help our students learn.

I am a parent of two Lansingburgh graduates who went to Lansingburgh schools from K-12. This district has been a positive influence, and has helped shape them into the successful young men that they have become. I am happy to continue to work with the board, administration, staff, and the community. Together we can make the Lansingburgh school district a safe and positive place for all of our children to learn and grow. My third term of office ends June 20, 2016.

Mrs. Kelley Bristol kbristol@lansingburgh.org

I grew up in Lansingburgh and I am a graduated of the district. I have a Bachelors Degree in Finance from Siena College. My husband Gary and I chose to raise our children in the Lansingburgh Schools. Parker is currently in 11th grade, Cameron is in 8TH grade and Kylee is in 4th grade. As my children have grown, I have volunteered my time in classrooms, PTA, sports teams and even subbed as a noon aide. I love to see the children as they grow and learn.

Being on the Board I strive to make sure they continue to have the opportunity to grow, learn and achieve in these challenging times. The challenges facing education in the US for today and in our future are preparing our children to deal with the economic changes in our country. As a school board we would need to provide the children with means to obtain a strong educational foundation today, preparing them for their future tomorrow.

I would like to see the LCSD middle school removed from the “school in need of improvement” list. As a parent of a child with special needs I would like to see more programs offered to help educate our teachers and staff about children with mental health concerns and special needs. I feel it is important to provide teacher education and the staffing to assist these children to become successful. I have served on the Board since July 1, 2009, filling a vacant board member position. I am currently serving a one year vacancy which ends June 30, 2012.

Ms. Lisa Devaren ldevaren@lansingburgh.org

I graduated from Lansingburgh. I have a Masters in Special Education from St. Rose. I have taught special education for 25 years. I taught incarcerated youths at Camp Cass. I volunteered and coached for Miss Softball, Little League and Youth Soccer. I am the mother of Larenz and enjoy attending sports activities.

I love the sense of community in Lansingburgh and wanted to expose my son to that atmosphere. I’m at a point in my life where I want to give back to this community. As a teacher, parent and taxpayer, I think I can offer a unique perspective to the Board.

With the economy such as it is and cuts being made to education at all levels, it is going to be up to districts to find ways to provide quality education to students. We need to provide opportunities for our students to be well rounded and prepared for the future.

I have a concern with the increasing discipline issues in the schools. Students wanting to learn have valuable class time taken away while teachers deal with behavior problems. A solution must be found to motivate these students to succeed. We have positive things happening at Burgh and it’s time to focus on the positive things. I am currently in my first five-year term which ends June 30, 2016.

Mr. Carl Walp, Jr. Cwalp@lansingburgh.org

I graduated from Manville High School in New Jersey. I have a BA from Rutgers University in Geography, specializing in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems. I currently work as a Mapping Technologist for the New York State Department of Transportation, where I have been since moving to the Capital District in the fall of 1992. I have been wearing numerous hats as a Little League officer and coach for many years in Lansingburgh and Brunswick. I am married to Karen Walp, a substitute teacher and teaching assistant at Turnpike Elementary School, and a long-time volunteer officer for TES PTA and the Lansingburgh PTA council. I have two sons, Zachary and Ryan, in the District, one in high school and one in elementary school.

My wife’s volunteerism for the PTA has inspired me to find ways to help the children in our community. For the past decade, I have worked with her in PTA endeavors. But I’ve also enjoyed doing this on the baseball diamond as a manger, coach, and role model for young athletes. When the opportunity arose to join the Board of Education in the spring of 2010, it seemed like a way to take this to the next level and reach more kids than ever. Since this time, I have tried to learn more details about the school district’s role and its responsibilities to our youth. It is my hope that I can be a small part of the puzzle in assisting these young people to become well-educated, upstanding members of our growing community.

Challenges facing today’s and tomorrow’s education systems are the same everywhere, namely how to provide a cost-effective, quality education for our kids. In these tough economic times, it is commonplace for districts to seek out new, innovative, technologically-driven methods to teach their students and prepare them for the future, while seeing their funding shrinking on an annual basis. We need to find ways to help our teachers refine their own teaching practices, increase student achievement, and do it within a defined budget.

School districts across the nation face similar problems no matter their geographic coverage. I would like to see changes in several areas: school safety (bullying, weapons, drugs, violence, discipline issues), student achievement (state test scores, college attendance rates), technology in the classroom, and parental involvement.

These things are already in the process of changing for the better, but it will take time to change the overall culture of the schools and its constituents. Here in Lansingburgh we may have a small community, but we have a huge opportunity to improve the academic experience for our children. All we need to do is take that first step into the future. I am currently serving my first five- year term which expires June 30, 2015.

Mrs. Mary Sweeney msweeney@lansingburgh.org

I am a graduate of Lansingburgh High School. After high school I enlisted in the military where I served for 3 years. I am married to John and have 2 children; Ryan (2006 Lansingburgh graduate) and Rebecca (2008 Lansingburgh graduate).

I have lived in Lansingburgh all my life (minus my time in the military). My parents are both Burgh graduates as well as all of my many aunts and uncles.

I am currently in my 7th year on the School Board. I have served as a member and then President of the PTA at Rensselaer Park Elementary School, member then President of the PTA Council and I was also the Legislative Representative for the Adirondack District PTA.

I am currently employed by Rensselaer County. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and vacations at the beach. I am currently serving my second term of office which expires on June 30, 2014.

Ms. Jennifer Ward jward@lansingburgh.org

I graduated from Lansingburgh. I received my BA in Elementary Education/History and Master’s in Literacy from Sage. I work for Verizon as a special assistant. I have four children. One graduated from Lansingburgh and three are currently in RPES. I am active in PTA, and I was appointed to the Board in 2010 and then elected for a one-year vacancy term expiring June 30, 2012.

I am an advocate for all students and pride myself on having an open mind. I am able to accept challenges, manage stress, and keep a positive attitude in disconcerting times. I would like to continue my focus on important issues and strive to reach consensus on difficult issues.

One of the most challenging issues facing education today is government cutbacks. With changing State Education standards and guidelines for students and professionals, cutbacks harm the children’s educational programs. An additional concern I see facing education is the lack of parental support and involvement in their children’s future. I would like to improve state test scores and I would like to see more parental involvement in education.

Mr. P. J. Higgitt phiggitt@lansingburgh.org

I was born and raised in Lansingburgh. I graduated from Lansingburgh High in 1981 and later graduated from the University of Maryland. I served 29 years in the Army and National Guard retiring in 2009 with the rank of Sergeant Major. My service included numerous overseas deployments and a combat tour in Iraq during 2004-2005.

I also worked 19 years with the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department and I am presently employed as a Radio Engineer for New York State. I have resided in Lansingburgh continually since 1991 with my wife Lisa. We have three daughters; Nichole, Megan, and Jenna, all of whom are Lansingburgh High School graduates.

I have been a member of the Lansingburgh School Board since July 2003. Children have always been a priority of mine. I have coached numerous youth sports teams and worked with Weed & Seed as a mentor for the Drug Education For Youth (DEFY) program. Several Veteran Organizations that I am affiliated with assist local youth and schools in numerous ways. I am involved on the school board because I want to do my part to ensure our children receive a quality education that prepares them for college and future careers.

The safety of our children is my primary concern. Times have changed and we need to ensure that we create an environment where children can feel safe while they learn. Funding is definitely a challenge. The neediest schools seem to get the least funding. We need to increase the support of our schools at the state and federal levels. Standards need to be considered and we need to adjust our school curriculum to correlate with the demands of the NYS Learning Standards.

The global economy, worldwide technology and the demands of the job market will continue to challenge education and we have to begin to prepare our students for these new challenges by increasing our repertoire of course offerings, while simultaneously increasing the rigor of the courses we currently offer our students.

I would like the district to investigate to possibility of in-house Universal Pre-K programs. These programs would be on site classrooms, housed in the elementary buildings. The in-house UPK classrooms will allow the district to supervise more closely the operation of the classrooms and the teachers would be able to access district resources.

It is vital that all children receive academic and programmatic intervention that supports the federal, state, and district curricular demands and rigor. I would also like to see expanded RtI (Response to Intervention) programs in place to provide support to students. RtI allows us to give the academic support to students at an intense level.

It provides targeted supplemental instruction for any student who is struggling with academic or behavioral issues. RtI also helps us to minimize the number of students who are identified as having special needs. Response to intervention will help to make our identification process more reflective of the students who truly need special programs, and provide students with the support they need to meet NYS Learning Standards. I am currently serving my second term of office which expires on June 30, 2015.

Mr. Edward McDonough emcdonough@lansingburgh.org

Born and raised in the City of Troy, I am a 1981 graduate of Catholic Central High School. After attending Hudson Valley Community College, I went to work for the New York State Assembly, in the bill drafting department.

Several years later I went to work for the Rensselaer County Board of Elections, where I have been for twenty-one years. I am now the Commissioner of the Board of Elections, and have held that post for nine years.

My wife Jackie, a former Lansingburgh school board member, and I have lived in Speigletown for twenty years. We have two children, Rachael and Tyler who both attend Lansingburgh High School.

I coached Lansingburgh Pop Warner football for seven years, Lansingburgh Little League for eight years and the Lansingburgh Royals baseball team for over three years. I also sit on the Town of Schaghticoke zoning board and have held that seat for over ten years.

I am in my third year as a Lansingburgh School board member. I currently sit on the Curriculum and Community Relations Committees. I am currently serving my first five year term which expires on June 30, 2014.

Mrs. Cynthia DeDominick, Superintendent of Schools cdedominick@lansingburgh.org

BOE@Lansingburgh.org - This email address will go to every board member.

Lansingburgh Central School District Capital
Improvement Project

To view the January 18, 2012 Capital Improvement Project Presentation please click here.

Board of Education Meetings and Agendas

Regular board meetings are open to the public. Click on the link below for dates and times of scheduled board meetings for the 2011-2012 school year.

Notice to the Public

Please take notice that the times of the Committee Workshop Meetings have changed to 5:30 p.m. and Regular Workshops are at 6:30 p.m. Board Meeting times have changed as well. The Board Meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Board Meeting Calendar for 2011-2012

2011-2012 District Calendar

2011-2012 Board of Education Goals

Please click here for the 2011-2012 Board of Education Goals.

Board of Education approves Annual Professional Performance Review for Building Principals and Teachers

The Board of Education of the Lansingburgh Central School District, in public session at its meeting of August 31, 2011, adopted the Annual Professional Performance Plan for the 2011-2012 school year, pursuant to the requirements of Education Law §3012-c and accompanying regulations of the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education.

Annual Professional Performance Review (“APPR”) supports the professional growth of educators. This review system should provide timely feedback, an opportunity to acknowledge educators’ strengths as well as their weakness and an opportunity for growth as an educator.

This APPR system will be a significant factor in all employment decisions including but not limited to:

Retention
Tenure Determination
Termination
Supplemental compensation
Promotion
Professional Development
Coaching

For more information please click here.

Complaint Procedures

Complaints by citizens regarding any facet of the school operation often can be handled more satisfactorily by the administrative officer in charge of the unit closest to the source of the complaint. Complaints will be made to the building principal/and/or his/her assistant if the matter cannot be resolved by the teacher, coach, or other school employee.

If the complaint and related concerns are not resolved at this level to the satisfaction of the complainant, the complaint may be carried to the Superintendent and/or one of his/her assistants. Unresolved complaints at the building level must be reported to the Superintendent by the building principal. The Superintendent may require the statement of the complainant in writing. If the complaint and related concerns are not resolved at the Superintendent level to the satisfaction of the complaint, the complaint may be carried to the Board of Education.

Unresolved complaints at the Superintendent level must be reported to the Board of Education by the Superintendent. The Board of Education reserves the right to require prior written reports from appropriate parties.

Minutes

Minutes of board meetings are availble for downloading by clicking on the date of the meeting. Minutes are in PDF format.

2011-2012 School Year

2010-2011 School Year

2009-2010 School Year

2008-09 School Year

2007-08 School Year

In order to read PDF files, you will need Acrobat Reader, a free download from Adobe.

Lansingburgh Central School District

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