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Thread: Lackawanna School Board Shenanigans

  1. #421
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clevehill View Post
    How do people feel about having 27-30 students per class?
    what was average class size in the 70's and 80's ?

  2. #422
    Member granpabob's Avatar
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    my classes all had 25 to 30 students and most of us passed
    One good thing about growing old is your secrets are safe with your friends they can't remember them either

  3. #423
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    I thought the classes at school 43 were upwards of 25+ kids when i went.

  4. #424
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    I'm sure you got along fine. We could say the same about advances in medicine. Humanity went on, but we should advance as a society... Not regress. The link below is just one of hundreds of studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of smaller classes.

    http://m.aer.sagepub.com/content/27/3/557.short

  5. #425
    Member granpabob's Avatar
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    A study done by educators who want to protect their jobs and those of their friends should thought of as biased
    One good thing about growing old is your secrets are safe with your friends they can't remember them either

  6. #426
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    Which is why many people on this message board support firing the highly paid teachers. You can circumvent UNION negotiations and you can trim pension costs AND payroll to boot. Now that 3012-c is law it simply takes TWO YEARS and BYE. BYE to the highly paid teachers.

  7. #427
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie View Post
    Which is why many people on this message board support firing the highly paid teachers. You can circumvent UNION negotiations and you can trim pension costs AND payroll to boot. Now that 3012-c is law it simply takes TWO YEARS and BYE. BYE to the highly paid teachers.
    And for the record I do not agree to firing the highly paid teachers.

  8. #428
    Member literal's Avatar
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    Class size is now determined by unions in contract negotiations. What we had when we were in school is of no consequence as this is now a negotiated item. With special education students mainstreamed with regular students the number in the class increases but not really because the special ed student will have a teacher aide in their class to help.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  9. #429
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    Post The names have been changed to protect the innocent........

    City & Region
    Wives of two Falls school board members get jobs with district

    By Aaron Besecker | News Niagara Reporter | @AaronBesecker
    on July 3, 2013 - 9:52 PM
    , updated July 4, 2013 at 12:36 AM


    NIAGARA FALLS – It looks like the school district’s “friends and family plan” is alive and well.

    The wives of two School Board members got new jobs as secretaries in the district’s central office.

    The hiring of Julia M. Destino, wife of board member Johnny G. Destino, and Diana M. Restaino, who’s married to board member Robert M. Restaino, got the board’s stamp of approval at the board’s first meeting of the new school year Tuesday night.

    Both Julia Destino and Diana Restaino will begin with starting salaries of $33,920. Their appointments are provisional, meaning they will have to score near the top on the next civil service test to keep the job.

    Johnny Destino acknowledged that the hires do “perpetuate the idea that it’s ‘friends and family’” in the Niagara Falls district.

    “It’s a bad reflection for the state the city’s in that these jobs are all that’s out there,” Johnny Destino told The Buffalo News. “It doesn’t look good, and I know that.”

    Many have long criticized the Niagara Falls School District for instances when relatives of people in high places in the district end up with jobs working for the district.

    Among the critics are Johnny Destino, who has been outspoken in past cases of alleged nepotism.

    In late 2010, he challenged the district’s appointment of Maria A. Massaro as head of human resources, a $120,000-a-year post. Massaro is the daughter of Angelo Massaro, the school district’s attorney.

    Destino had said that Superintendent Cynthia A. Bianco acted beyond her powers and changed the job requirements, which allowed Massaro to be hired. At the time, Destino said the board would have enough votes to make the appointment, but he wanted to delay the vote on the appointment so “it would have been more transparent.”

    Robert Restaino, a former city judge, did not return calls to comment.

    The district had received 19 applications for two provisional secretary jobs and one temporary secretary job. Eleven candidates were interviewed by a committee, whose members include representatives of the administration and the union.

    The committee rates those interviewed as “acceptable” or “non-acceptable,” and sends the list to Superintendent Bianco.

    “It’s always been my position that I’m going to hire the most-qualified person,” Bianco said.

    Bianco – who served as deputy superintendent under her brother, former Superintendent Carmen Granto, before taking over the district’s top job – described Julia Destino as “overqualified” for the job.

    Bianco also praised Diana Restaino, who has been a substitute teacher in the district since 2002, saying she is “asked for by every single school in the district.”

    Bianco said Niagara Falls is a small community where “everybody knows everybody.”

    The superintendent called the hiring process “very open” and “transparent based on qualifications for the job.”

    Newly elected board member Ronald J. Barstys, whose first meeting as a member was Tuesday, was the only board member on the nine-member panel who voted against approving the personnel report.

    Barstys said he does not have an issue with any individuals who were hired but wants to change the process the district follows in terms of what information is provided to board members before they vote on personnel matters.

    Barstys said he got the personnel information for Tuesday’s meeting delivered to his home Friday night at about 9:30.

    “The appearance was it was stuck in at the last minute,” Barstys told The News.

    Barstys said he reviewed the packet Sunday evening and immediately emailed district officials for more information about the candidates’ background.

    Barstys said he was told “it’s not the district practice or procedure to distribute that information.”

    The newly elected board member said “it’s about changing the culture” of the district.

    email: abesecker@buffnews.com

    6 Comments

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    Guest • 11 hours ago −

    I thought that's why you paid to take a Civil Service test, so the best person for the job got the job, not who we want and as long as you get a certain score you can keep the job we gave you. I have been eligible for a job with the Niagara falls School Board for 4 years(having taken a test which I paid for and placing first with a score of 100) to never even get an interview for, and family members just walk into a hand given job. You have to love Niagara Falls and all the political high jinx that goes on here(or maybe not)

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    JOHN > Guest • 3 hours ago

    it's not a good thing. Civil service is BS. You should contact the Gov. new committee The system is corrupt, I've been around for years.. Some ways they do it is : we sent a letter, you did not respond, the person on the list has disability preference,, your interview didn't go right, found something in your past employment.. There are a number of moves they make. Just like this article, they take the job provisional, they take the test(if they even decide to give one), if they past no matter what the score is, they are in. Because they are familiar with the job now.. Also they give the bs, we can take one of the top three on the list, leaving you #1 until the list expires, or they have another exam because this list doesn't have enough qualified people to choose from. Maybe marry into someones family to get in, then divorce. Sometimes people did that to get into this country. GOOD LUCK

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    A Responsible Adult • 2 hours ago

    Well, at least their absolute and total corruption on this matter is out in the open, but If they have no qualms about doing this, you know they are doing much more nefarious things behind the scenes to benefit themselves, their family and their friends financially. Power corrupts, even the most innocent and well-meaning. So sad. Same as it ever was.......

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    ExpectResults • 4 hours ago

    “It’s a bad reflection for the state the city’s in that these jobs are all that’s out there,” Johnny Destino told The Buffalo News. “It doesn’t look good, and I know that.”

    So... what message do you think Johnny wants to send to the public? You only get one guess and I'll bet you will get it right. Johnny is basically saying... so what. Its my turn now!!

    "The superintendent called the hiring process “very open” and “transparent based on qualifications for the job.”

    Now there's a kiss-arse response for you! The Supt now has Johnny's support and votes... and he knows it. One hand washes the other.

    Supt. Bianco – who served as deputy superintendent under her brother, former Superintendent Carmen Granto, before taking over the district’s top job... (what a surprise!)

    The culture of Niagara Falls will never change. And dammit... the folks from NF are proud of it!! Just ask them.


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    bufguy > ExpectResults • 4 hours ago

    Living in Buffalo, I've always said look at Niagara Falls, no matter how dysfunctional or screwed up we are, next to them we look good.
    $120,000 for a human resource director...that's on par with Buffalo, a district 5X larger....they have 1 high school, Buffalo has 17.

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    Fran Bax • an hour ago

    Shocking. Only 25 years of this in my book
    ************************************************** ************************************************** ******************
    " Lack "awanna.......Niagara Falls......Same dysfunction, Different Family and Friends Club members. Control-Control-Control is the name of their game!
    Again,
    Nepotism breeds incompetence.........

    They are the "machine" and OUR children are the products produced........
    And, I feel so sad for the ones who fall between the cracks! Just where do they end up ......

  10. #430
    Member literal's Avatar
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    13-2014 Board of Education
    Leonard F. Kowalski - President
    Robert C. Sireika - Vice President
    Kenneth S. Motyka
    David M. Joyce
    Mark E. Kowalski
    Jennifer R. Grzybowski
    Nicholas M. Sobaszek

    Anne G. Spadone, Superintendent

    Lisa A. Almasi, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services

    Richard S. Juda, Jr., School Attorney/Special Education Attorney

    Marisa Chini, Board Clerk
    * * * * * * * *
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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