Monday, December 30, 2013

OCM BOCES Facilities Referendum - January 23, 2014

The Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES has an opportunity to purchase the former Nationwide
Building in the Town of Salina. This acquisition means no additional cost to our districts.

Currently, OCM BOCES owns two facilities and leases eight more. A building purchase reallocates some of the current rental budget and allows those funds to be used to buy this building.

There is a Referendum Vote on this purchase on January 23, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Voting locations are:

Lee G. Peters Career Training Center (4500 Crown Road) in Liverpool,
Henry Campus Administration Building (6820 Thompson Road) in Syracuse, and
McEvoy Education Campus (1710 NYS Route 13) in Cortland.

Eligible voters must be U.S. citizens, age 18 and older, who have resided within the OCM BOCES region at least 30 days prior to the vote.

Click here to download an application for an absentee ballot.

OCM BOCES is presenting information about the referendum to component district Boards of Education on the following dates:
January 6, 2014 - Baldwinsville Central School District
January 7, 2014 - Homer Central School District
January 8, 2014 - DeRuyter Central School District

Download the OCM BOCES Facilities Referendum fact sheet here for vote and project details.


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

State Education Department looks at OCM BOCES collaboration with Le Moyne College on leadership development

Good schools depend on good teacher leaders and good administrators. Through its Division of Instructional Support Services, OCM BOCES has begun the Central New York Leadership Development Program (CNYLDP), a joint initiative with Le Moyne College, as part of efforts to support existing leaders and encourage and develop future leaders.

On Monday, December 9, 2013, Dr. Stephanie Wood-Garnett, New York State Education Department (SED) Assistant Commissioner for Teacher and Leader Effectiveness and SED Project Coordinator Melissa Greene, will visit the area to learn about OCM BOCES and Le Moyne College’s CNYLDP collaboration.

The CNYLDP provides a combination of instruction and coaching/mentoring for three different audiences: teacher leadership, building leadership, and district leadership. Participants engage in initiatives with colleagues from other school districts, bringing richer ideas that will impact their analysis and problem solving. The format allows weekly feedback from mentors and monthly presentations by adjunct professors who are current practitioners in the field. CNYLDP is designed to complement and integrate ongoing professional development initiatives while providing a sustained focus on leadership development.

OCM BOCES District Superintendent Jody Manning is pleased the SED is looking at the collaboration as a model. He said, “BOCES is about success…not just the success of students, but of teachers and administrators as well. We believe that this collaborative endeavor will strengthen our area’s existing leadership as will nurture future leadership. We are excited to have SED here looking at the program as a model for others.”