Senator Suzi Oppenheimer Speaks Out on the Race to the Top
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Now that the initial excitement over New York’s victory in the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) competition has subsided, school districts throughout the state are wondering how, and to what extent, their students will benefit from RTTT. There is a misconception that Race to the Top is a federal aid program, much like other school aid programs, where monies are simply distributed to particular school districts. That is not the case. RTTT is an incentive program designed to further innovations that will improve the quality of instruction for all students. The legislation I sponsored that was key to our RTTT win puts in place sweeping education reforms that will accomplish that goal. Scarsdale is well known for its excellent school system. The reason that our Race to the Top (RTTT) victory was so exciting is that now under-performing schools throughout New York will be able to implement the kinds of educational innovations that have long been a hallmark of high performing districts. There is no doubt that the success of Scarsdale and similar school districts will be examined and emulated as these reforms are implemented.
Closing the achievement gap among all our students is critical to New York’s long-term economic prosperity. Indeed, a key objective of the reforms I sponsored was ensuring that each and every student who graduates from any public high school in our State be fully prepared for post-secondary education or productive employment. The Scarsdale Board of Education clearly understood the importance of this goal when it voted to support the State’s Race to the Top application.
It would be wrong to assume, however, that the RTTT reforms serve no benefit in high performing school districts like Scarsdale. First, in even the best learning environments there is always room for improvement. The recent recalibration of state assessments revealed that even in Scarsdale there are students who struggle and who would benefit from the innovative teaching strategies that RTTT is intended to foster. More importantly, while some have criticized the scope of federally imposed testing that began under No Child Left Behind, RTTT funds will be used here in New York to create better and more performance-based assessments that will help school districts identify early-on whether students are on track to succeed in college or careers. While the state core curriculum standards provide a baseline for what students in the state need to know and demonstrate, Scarsdale has and can continue to build upon those requirements.
Second, the longitudinal data system that will be built with RTTT funds will – for the first time – track individual student performance from preschool through college. This data will allow us to measure whether our brightest students are being sufficiently challenged at all levels of their schooling, a necessary outcome if they are to develop to their full intellectual potential. Teachers and principals can be trained on how to interpret this data to improve instruction.
Third, the reforms I sponsored create a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and principals that is based, in part, on student performance. Educators who are rated “developing” or “ineffective” can receive professional support to improve their performance. The objective of the evaluation process is not to penalize underperforming teachers, but rather to provide them with the tools they need to succeed.
Sadly, despite the best intervention it is not always possible for every educator to achieve the level of proficiency expected in the community. When, in those cases, it becomes necessary to consider termination of a tenured teacher or principal, the reforms provide for an expedited 60-day hearing process for educators who demonstrate a pattern of ineffective teaching or performance. In the past, the length and expense of the hearing process made it almost prohibitive for school districts to take such action.
Finally, approximately half of the RTTT monies will go to fund statewide educational initiatives, such as the longitudinal data system, that will bring innovation and improve the quality of instruction for all New York students. In addition, State Department of Education plans to use a portion of the award (about $126 million) to issue competitive RFPs. I look forward to seeing the kinds of initiatives or projects that districts like Scarsdale may submit for funding under these RFPs.
The Race to the Top reforms, in short, chart a new course for public education in the 21st century – one that will not only improve failing schools, but will also spur innovation, improve educational outcomes and further our commitment of a quality education for all students."
Drunks, Busts and Abuse - From the Police
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The natives were restless in both Scarsdale and Greenburgh this past week. In Scarsdale, teens and adults ran afoul of the law, with a drug bust, a DWI and the arrest of a Quaker Ridge man who menaced his wife.
Drunk: On the evening of August 28, Jacqueline Andres-Gopstein of Madison Road was arrested for drunk driving. When police stopped her, she was found with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and refused to take a Breathalyzer test. She failed the standard field sobriety tests and was arrested and released, pending an appearance in court.
A concerned boyfriend prevented his inebriated girlfriend from driving around 10 pm on August 23rd. To prevent her from taking out her car, he blocked the driveway with his car and called the police. The officer spoke to the girl who voluntarily gave up her car keys to her mother. As an extra precaution the boyfriend disconnected the car’s battery.
At 4 am on 8/29 an 18 year-old Briarcliff Manor girl was stopped by police at the intersection of Post and Popham Roads when she went through a red light without stopping. While pulling over, she drove the car over the curb. She told police that she was lost and needed to find the Taconic Parkway to return home. Police detected alcohol on her breath and asked her to get out of the car for a sobriety test which she failed. She was placed under arrest for DWI and taken to headquarters where she was found to have a blood alcohol content of .19. She was arrested for going through a red light, driving without a license, and driving while intoxicated.
Abuse: On August 25th, A 40 year-old Quaker Ridge man was arrested for menacing his wife. He had allegedly threatened her with physical violence and was verbally and physically abusive. He appeared in court and Judge Galloway issued a temporary order of protection for his wife.
Up in flames: Park Road residents found a roll of toilet paper in flames at their front door around 10 pm on August 23rd. They were able to extinguish the fire and no damage was done. They had not heard anyone on the property and had no idea who would have done the deed.
Egged: Kent Road residents returned from vacation on 8/23 to find that the front window of their home had been egged in their absence.
Busted: Police received a report of a parked SUV on Oak Way at 11 pm on August 23rd. They found a 2005 Toyota 4 Runner and when they spoke to the 18 year-old driver they noticed the smell of marijuana in the car. They asked the driver to get out of the car and then spoke to another passenger in the back who admitted that he had marijuana and produced a large glass jar of it from under the front passenger seat. The 19 year-old passenger was arrested and placed in the cruiser. Police then spoke to the other two boys in the car, and both admitted to smoking pot. Police called their parents and the parent of the driver and they were released.
The boy who admitted to having the marijuana was taken to police headquarters, placed in the holding cell and read his Miranda rights. He was found to be carrying a fraudulent driver’s license. Police weighed the marijuana and there was 28 grams. He was arrested for possession of a forged instrument and possession of marijuana. The boy was arraigned by Judge Galloway at 3 am on 8/24 and released with a scheduled court appearance for August 25.
Missing: A Chesterfield Road girl reported that her Mac laptop was taken from her second floor bedroom on August 24th. There were no signs of forced entry to the house and nothing else was missing.
Copper flashing valued at $1,150 was reported missing from a construction site at 234 Mamaroneck Road on August 29th.
A 19 year-old Scarsdale girl did a friend a favor and gave him $440 in exchange for a personal check made out to her from him uncle’s account. After she gave the friend the funds, the bank informed her that the check had been issued from a closed account. Her friend said he would return the money, but failed to do so.
Found: A paper shopping bag from the store Black and White was found on the walkway above the Scarsdale Train Station on the morning of August 24th. The bag contained several children’s sized items with the Quaker Ridge logo and other items in plastic bags.
Animals: On the morning of 8/23, Walworth Road residents called police when they found a sick raccoon on their lawn. Police shot the animal and the highway department removed it.
At 9 pm on August 25 police were called about an injured owl on the grounds of the Middle School. When they arrived, they determined that the animal was a red tail hawk, which appeared to be sick or injured. Police called the New Rochelle Humane society who sent a wildlife rehabilitator to secure the hawk.
Also on the night of August 25th, an injured and abandoned dog was found, tied to a street light pole at the corner of Church Lane and Crane Road. The New Rochelle Humane Society was called again to retrieve the dog.
Police freed a black crow, stuck inside a cage at the Greenacres School on August 29th.
Public urination: An unknown caller reported that a construction worker was urinating at the corner of Oxford and Post Roads on the afternoon of 8/24. Though police did not observe anyone urinating, they spoke to the workers and advised them not to pee in public.
A woman called police on the afternoon of 8/27 to say that she saw a little boy peeing behind a tree in Davis Park. She called out to the boy’s father who got upset with the woman for scaring his five year-old son. Police mediated and recommended that the woman call the Recreation Department to see if they could provide a port-a-potty for the park.
Misunderstandings: A Brooklyn man came to Scarsdale to collect some money he claimed was owed to him. He knocked on the door of 79 Penn Boulevard but realized he had the wrong address. He returned to his car and found that he had locked the keys inside it. Using a hanger, he attempted to break into his own car. The resident at 79 Penn Boulevard called police to report that a man had come to her home accusing her of owing him money and was now breaking into a car. When police arrived, they found that the man was the rightful owner of the car and called RJT to help him open the car door.
Park Road residents called police when they saw a man carrying a flashlight and a bucket walking in their driveway at 1:47 am on 8/27. Police found out it was the milkman!
A Walworth Avenue man called police on the morning of 8/29 to say that his neighbor’s car had been running since the previous night. Police found that the owner of the car had forgotten to take out the keys and left the car on all night.
Noise: Police asked the manager at the Saxon Woods Grill to turn down the music after a complaint was received from Stonewall Lane residents around 7:45 on the evening of 8/26. The manager complied, but police received another complaint about noise from the same residents at 11 pm that night.
Greenburgh Police Report:
Fights: Michael Marom, who is in the process of building a house on Elizabeth Street in Scarsdale reported that someone removed three wooden stakes from his property on 8/25. He suspects that his neighbor may be involved, as the neighbor objects to the construction of a home on the site. On 8/28, the neighbor returned from vacation and found that her car was missing. Marom claimed that the woman’s car was parked on his property and he had it towed to Yonkers. On 8/29, an excavator was working at the house to remove some trees and one of the trees fell on the wires and caused a small fire.
White Plains residents got into a domestic dispute at 4 am on 8/23. A 19 year-old woman called police when her 33 year-old boyfriend threatened to throw her three cats outside.
Police were called when a couple got into a fight in the parking lot of Staples on Central Avenue on 8/27. Manuel Gomez, age 51 of the Bronx started yelling at his wife inside the store. She tried to leave when he struck her in the nose with his forehead causing swelling and a cut. He then pushed his wife to the ground and store managers called the police. The woman has an order of protection against her husband.
On the afternoon of 8/28 two Hartsdale residents got into an altercation while driving and they exchanged words. Robert Ford was driving a red Saab and Carlos Davis was behind the wheel of a Hummer. Ford started rummaging through his car and told Davis that “he was lucky that he was black or he would shoot and kill him.” Though he did not see a weapon, Davis called police who stopped Ford and searched his car. They did not find a weapon.
Thefts: A 37-year-old Yonkers man was arrested when he left the A&P on Knollwood Road with eight cases of beer without paying for them. Police nabbed the man in the parking lot with the stolen beer and brought him to Greenburgh Police headquarters where he was booked and released on $200 bail.
On 8/24, an employee of Verizon wireless on Central Avenue saw a customer leave the store with a Blackberry Curve in his hand. He followed the suspect outside and was able to retrieve the phone. However, he later realized that the suspect had taken a second phone that was not recovered.
On the evening of 8/24 an employee of Chef Central saw a man attempting to the leave the store with two boxes of knives. When he was confronted, the suspect dropped the boxes, ran out of the store and got into a Honda Civic. A few minutes later, a woman ran out of the store with two boxes of knives valued at $1,288.48 and got into the Honda, and the two suspects drove away. Police have the license plate number of the car and will follow-up.
A Fort Hill Road man reported that his daughter’s bicycle and helmet were stolen on 8/27. He saw a man, who he believes is the newspaper deliveryman, picking up the bike from the curb at the end of the driveway.
Busted: Police stopped a car on Mt. Joy Avenue due to a broken brake light on the afternoon of 8/24. When the driver rolled down the window of his Honda Pilot police smelled marijuana, and the driver removed a small plastic bag of it from his pocket. The driver, a 20 year-old Scarsdale boy was arrested for possession and released.
A 20 year-old Scarsdale boy reported that someone broke into his email account and sent an email out to all of his contacts claiming that he was mugged and stuck at the airport.
A Scarsdale woman reported receiving at least 50 annoying phone calls from August 1 – August 25 from a private caller. When she picks up, there is silence on the other end.
An unhappy Mahopac woman said that she had complications from dental work done by a dentist on Central Avenue in 2007. She requested her medical files on 7/26/10 and had not received the paperwork by 8/4/10. She also believes the dentist forged her signature on the medical consent form.
A Brutal Fight, Busts and Losses from the Greenburgh Police
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Teen trouble: A dispute between two boys in Edgemont in the early hours of the morning of August 11 turned into a brutal fight. A boy from Clarendon Place, Scarsdale got into a fight with an unknown suspect in the parking lot of the Seeley Place School at 3:50 am. The suspect pinned the Edgemont boy to the ground and punched him repeatedly in the head and the neck. After someone broke up the fight, the two continued to feud and the suspect picked up a rock the size of a baseball and struck the boy in the center of his forehead and on the left side of the face with the rock. Friends finally stopped the fight, but the Scarsdale boy suffered severe pain and discomfort to his head, neck, face and jaw and has had headaches since the incident. He wishes to press charges against his assailant.
Also on the morning of 8/11 police were called to the Daytop School on Central Avenue to resolve a dispute between a staff member and a student. The student was argumentative and aggressive because he said the staff member “snitched on him” to his mother about an incident that had occurred a few days earlier.
A 17 year-old Scarsdale boy was stopped by the manager of Rite Aid on East Hartsdale Avenue when the boy placed a bottle of vitamins, valued at $28.99 in his book bag and attempted to leave the store without paying. The store did not press charges but banned the boy from returning to the store.
A 20 year-old Ardsley Road girl reported her purse missing after three unknown boys entered her house without her permission at 1 am on 8/11. The three boys claimed to be friends with the girl’s younger brother and refused to leave so she ended the party. She went to the Candlelight restaurant with friends and got a call from her dad to say that the house alarm had gone off. The next morning she realized that her purse, including her license, credit card and wallet was missing.
Two 17 year-old Edgemont youths were charged with unlawful possession of alcohol when they were spotted with an unopened bottle of vodka in the parking lot of Funcraft on Central Avenue on Thursday night 8/12.
Money trouble: On the morning of August 11, police were called to TD Bank on Central Avenue when a woman was attempting to withdraw cash from her account. Fraudulent checks had been deposited in her account and she was withdrawing the proceeds. Police stopped Shante Monique Watkins of Jamaica, NY outside the bank and found that she had $2,250 in fraudulent funds and a bag of a substance that appeared to be marijuana in her purse. The 24 year-old woman was taken to police headquarters and arrested for possession of marijuana. The envelope containing $2,250 was returned to TD Bank and police will investigate the source of the funds.
Car trouble: A red 1998 Ford Mustang was stolen from the Sunoco Station at 858 Central Avenue sometime between midnight and 6 am on 8/12. The car was parked there as it was for sale, and it was locked and the keys were inside the shop.
A stolen 1996 Toyota Paseo, belonging to a Cortlandt Manor woman was found at 6 am on Sunday morning 8/15 on North Central Avenue. The passenger side window was open and the keys were on the seat. Police ran a DMV check on the license plates and found that the car had been stolen on 8/12.
A Montrose Road woman reported that her GMC Envoy was damaged while parked at the Hartsdale train station on Friday August 13th. No one left a note.
Thefts: A cashier at Marshalls was arrested for stealing cash from the register on the evening of 8/12. The store’s Loss Prevention Manager reported the theft.
On Friday 8/13, an employee of Radio Shack saw a customer unlock a Boost mobile cell phone from the shelf and leave the store without paying for it. The employee chased the suspect and managed to grab the phone, but the suspect knocked the employee off his feet. The suspect then got into a green Toyota SUV and fled. Even though the employee recorded the license plate number, the store decided not to pursue the incident.
Lucio Rosas, age 45 of Ferris Avenue White Plains was arrested outside Best Buy on Sunday 8/15. He had removed the security device from a Dell Inspiron Laptop Computer, put the computer behind his back and left the store without paying. When he was taken to the police station he was also found to be drunk.
A Fishkill woman left her fanny pack at McDonald’s on Central Avenue on the evening of 8/13. When she realized, she returned to claim it, but McDonald’s was closed for the night. The next morning when she went back again, the fanny pack was gone. The store will check the videotape to see if they can find out what happened.
A Manhattan man left his fanny pack in addressing room in TJ Maxx on Central Avenue when he was trying on some clothes on the afternoon of 8/15. About an hour later he realized it was missing and returned to the store; but his pack that contained a digital camera, passports and $90 was gone.
Police Blotter
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All was relatively quietly on the Scarsdale front this week, as many residents were on vacation. Here is a short report of village happenings: Arrests: Louis Werner, age 41 of Armonk was arrested by Mount Kisco police on Friday August 18th. She was wanted for driving without a license in Scarsdale in February, 2010. She was transported to Scarsdale Police Headquarters where she was processed and released to a friend on $300 bail.
A White Plains youth was arrested on a bench warrant on August 17th. Charges stemmed from driving in a stolen car.
Thefts: A GPS device was stolen out of a 2002 Toyota Highlander parked on Wynmor Road during the night of August 15-16th. On August 18th, a Farragut Road resident also reported that her GPS device was stolen from her car overnight.
Underage Drinking: Police received an anonymous complaint about noise at the Fox Meadow School on Tuesday night 8/17 at 10:20 pm. They arrived to find a group of kids drinking from a bottle vodka. One of the boys, a 15 year-old visitor from out of town drank too much and passed out. The Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps was called and the boy had to be carried to the ambulance. He was transported to White Plains Hospital for treatment.
Noise: On Wednesday night 8/18, complaints about noise were received about parties on Gatehouse Road, Valley Road, Ewart Road, Brite Avenue and regarding a car at Chateaux Circle.
Disputes: On Wednesday night August 18th a fight broke out between two women at Search for Change, a residential home on Post Road. Police interviewed both women and the residential counselors on site and the women agreed to maintain their distance from each other in the future.
A Puritan Road man called police on the afternoon of 8/19 to report that his ex-wife was in violation of their custody arrangement when she was 16 minutes late dropping off their daughter.
A Court officer at Scarsdale Village Hall called police when a resident became unruly on the afternoon of 8/20. The young man had come to court to settle two tickets and when the officer explained the terms the man became irate and started to yell. The court officer gave him copies of his summons’ and asked him to leave.
Around noon on August 20th, an older man parked his black Lexus in the handicapped spot at Kids Base and started to curse and yell into his cell phone. His loud voice could be heard at the pool snack bar, so an employee of the concession stand went over to the fence and asked the man to quiet down. The man then closed the car window and continued to yell. When he was asked to quiet down again, he drove away but the employee wrote down the man’s license plate number. Police used the plate number to track down the Crane Road man and visited him at home. The man claimed that he was hard of hearing.
Found: A Citibank Mastercard was found in front of18 Chase Road on the afternoon of Thursday 8/19. A Good Samaritan turned it over to the police who contacted the card owner who came to retrieve it and police advised her to check for unauthorized charges.
Heathcote Road residents found a red and white Kona Mountain bicycle on their lawn and reported it on August 22nd.
The street sign for the intersection of Mamaroneck and Catherine Roads was turned into Scarsdale police on the night of August 19th. The sign had already been replaced so police kept the sign.
Damage: A Rock Creek man reported that minor damage was done to the hood of his 2004 Honda Accord when it was parked in the Freightway Garage on August 17th. Police asked the garage to examine their video surveillance to see if they could ascertain what happened.
Cohawney Road residents found beer cans on their property and on the windowsill on August 22nd. They also noticed that one of the cans was lying hear a broken dining room window.
Watering Violations: A Carthage Road man was issued a village code summons for violating the watering restrictions at 3 pm on 8/19.
A neighbor called to report that Heathcote Road residents were violating the watering restrictions at 8 pm on 8/17. Police stopped by the offenders’ home, informed them of the restrictions and they agreed to comply.
Harassment, Misunderstandings and Noise from the Scarsdale Police
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An Edgewood woman reported that her exhusband had gained access to her computer files. Though she changed her password, the man changed it back to the original one. He gained access to her legal documents and she wished to press charges against him for unauthorized use.
In the latest round of a continuing dispute between the owner of the Citgo station on Scarsdale Avenue and an ex-employee, the station owner reported receiving a threatening phone call. The ex-employee said, “I haven’t forgotten about the money. I’m going to take care of it and take care of you, so you better watch out.” Police intervened and asked the ex-employee to stop threatening the station owner and pursue the matter through legal channels.
Cyclist Hit: A cyclist was hit on the afternoon of August 6th as he made a left turn from Olmstead Road onto the Post Road. A car turning from Post Road onto Olmstead clipped the biker's wheel, causing him to fall off the bike. The biker had cuts on both knees but refused medical attention.
Noise: Police dispersed a crowd of youths from the Edgewood School parking lot at 11 pm on August 2nd, after they received a report from a man who resides near the school. At 11 pm on August 6th police were called about noisy kids at Greenacres School. Police found kids in a parked car and asked them to leave the area. The following night, around 10:30 pm, about 40 kids were asked to leave the area around the Greenacres School.
Bradford Road residents were asked to turn down the music at a party they were having on August 7 at 10:30. Minutes later police received a similar call about a party on Sheldrake Road and asked the homeowner and DG to turn down the volume.
Confusion: On August 3rd a Palmer Road woman reported that a disheveled looking man came to her door and claimed he was from Con Edison and that he needed to turn off her gas. She called Con Edison who told her that no service was scheduled for her gas line. However on the morning of August 5th, police observed the same man working on Palmer Avenue. Turns out that he was a subcontractor, hired by Con Edison, to replace the gas line on Palmer Avenue.
In a similar incident on August 6, a Tompkins Road man said that two men who claimed to be from UPS were at his door. The men were working as subcontractors for UPS to clean up an antifreeze leak reported by UPS. The spill was found in front of a neighboring home and the contractors cleaned it up.
A Wildwood Road man called police at 5:30 on 8/8 when he saw two kids with guns at the Quaker Ridge School. He believed they were playing with BB guns. Police investigated and found the guns and the boys. The guns turned out to be toys and police asked the boys to stay on their own property as not to scare anyone.
An Edgewood woman called police when she believed her nephew was being attacked on August 5th. She heard loud voices on a voicemail had had left her. However, when police got in touch with the nephew it turned out that he was just hanging out with some loud friends.
Lost: A Cross River dad contacted Scarsdale Police to look for his daughter who was late returning home. The man thought his daughter might be with a friend who lives on Brite Avenue and asked police to locate her. Police found the girl at her friend’s house, where she had fallen asleep and forgotten to call home.
A Black Birch Road woman came to headquarters to report that her Tiffany wedding ring, valued at $4,500 was missing from her home. She had last seen it on July 8th and does not suspect anyone of stealing it.
Found: Police found a small glassine bag of a substance that appeared to be marijuana on Garth Road on the evening of August 6th. In addition, a Briarcliff woman found a wallet containing money, a debit card, a driver’s license, a student id, metro card, and an insurance card on Garth Road around noon on August 4th. She turned it over to police who were able to locate the wallet’s owner.
A black Prada wallet was found on a Metro North train at 10 pm on August 4th. The wallet was turned over to Scarsdale police, who located the wallet’s owner in Bronxville.
Animals: A Mamaroneck Road resident called police when she found an aggressive raccoon near her home. Police investigated and found an entire nest of raccoons and told the woman to contact a trapper.
Another raccoon was found underneath a car parked at the Shell Station on Scarsdale Avenue. The animal would not move or walk so police advised the station manager to call a trapper.
A smoking transformer brought police, the fire department and Con Edison to 16 Paddington Road on the morning of August 4th.
Damage: a school bus owned by All County Bus of Yonkers damaged stonework at a Franklin Road home on 8/6. The driver left the scene without reporting the incident.
A neighbor reported that a rear window of a Franklin Road home was broken and that the homeowners were away. Police found a second floor window with a large hole in the middle and broken glass in the yard beneath the window. There was no evidence that the house had been entered and police were not able to figure out what broke the window.
Theft: A Brite Avenue woman reported that her Garmin Nuvi navigation system had been stolen from her car on May 1, when the car was parked near the train station in the Village of Scarsdale.
A Saxon Woods Road man requested that his wife and mother-in-law return personal documents that they had removed from his home. The women have an order of protection against the man so he asked police to contact them in regards to the paperwork.
Help: A Hillview Road woman fell out of her wheelchair and called police for assistance on the afternoon of August 5th. SVAC arrived and helped her up.
