Job one for our schools
One of the strengths of Dobbs Ferry is its small size. Unfortunately, it is also one of its' weaknesses. Given all that is demanded of our schools, I think it's imperative that we don't lose sight of it's core mission; fundamental academic preparation. We owe each student at every level a substantive education that prepares them for the future they seek, including a core competence in math, science, critical thinking and writing. This is job one and I think it compels us to continually reassess our offerings and their implementation. We have to measure and then support the academic initiatives that deliver on this goal and abandon those that don't. A program or policy instituted 5 years ago might not be the right one today. We have to be willing to dispense with sacred cows. After mandates and personnel expenditures, we are left with about 12 unfettered cents on every dollar of revenue to spend discretionally. Every move must count.
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