Being Smart about the Smart Schools Bond Act

On Tuesday, November 4, the New York Bonds for School Technology Act, Proposal 3, also known as the Smart Schools Bond Act of 2014, was approved by New York state voters.

The measure, proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his State of the State Address last January, was not without its detractors. While supporters argued that the bonds would help boost our students’ technological literacy, improve facilities and provide much-needed funding for high-tech infrastructure, others countered that any newly purchased technology would become obsolete well before the repayment of the debts, and that the sale of bonds up to $2 billion would serve to push the state even deeper into debt.

Whether you agree or not, every school district in the state soon will be able to accept one-time Smart Schools bond funding for technology. School district board members and superintendents will undoubtedly find it tempting to purchase laptops, tablets, interactive white boards and other technology for their students. We naturally want these things for every student in every classroom. Before we buy anything, however, it is time for some long-term planning.

First, we should apply some fundamental principles to our planning, beginning with the end in mind. This means that we don’t start by drawing up lists of the technology we want to purchase. That’s the last step. Instead, we should ask ourselves, “What are the goals we have for our students and for their futures? What do we want students to be able to do?” The answers to these questions will point us in the right direction.

Once we’ve identified the skills our students need in order to be college, career and citizenship ready, the next step will be to describe what it looks like when those students are being successful. We’ll want to see students effectively using technology to help them conduct relevant, authentic research as they solve problems and work on projects. In fact, the New York Smart Schools Commission makes this recommendation in their final report.

The last thing to do is to think about the purchases we can make with our allocation of Smart Schools bond money. We’ll want to think long-term rather than short-term as we plan our purchases. It doesn’t make sense to purchase technology that will be obsolete long before we stop paying for the bond. Think of it like buying a house. With a mortgage, you buy a house or improve the structure. You wouldn’t use the money to buy a TV or pay the cable bill. This is no different.

By beginning with the end in mind when planning for this money, we will be investing in the future of our districts and, most importantly, the future of our students.

J. Francis Manning, District Superintendent
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES


OCM BOCES District Superintendent: 4+1 Pathway adoption is good news

The New York State Education Department and Board of Regents have heard from the community about the need to offer high school students different paths that give them options regarding their own learning and development and that better prepare them for the demands of life and work in today’s world. In recognition of the fact that “one size does not fit all,” we applaud the NYS Board of Regents’ recent action in adopting a “4+1 Pathway” model for students wishing to earn a Regents diploma. The “4” refers to a requirement of passing four Regents exams, while the “1” refers to options that students have for the fifth test.

The 4+1 model allows for different ways to meet the requirement of passing five Regents exams to graduate. The four required Regents examinations are English language arts, mathematics, science, and either US history or global history and geography.

For the fifth exam requirement, students will have the following Pathway options: Humanities: (one additional social studies Regents examination or approved alternative); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM): one additional Regents examination in a different course in mathematics, science or an approved alternative); Languages Other Than English (LOTE): a pathway assessment that could include a biliteracy; Career and Technical Education (CTE): an approved CTE pathway assessment following successful completion of a CTE program-approved pursuant, and; Arts: an approved arts assessment.

Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES has been working diligently with Central New York school districts in providing the leadership to facilitate and implement this much-needed change to our educational model. For all of our students in Central New York, we have a Regional Vision of Readiness that is founded on an uncompromising and relentless commitment to preparing them for college, career and citizenship – in other words, preparing our young adults for their future. At the heart of this vision are three commitments: providing instruction that engages, a culture that empowers and technology that enables. Central New York school districts are working together to increase the extent to which these three commitments characterize our schools. We are creating new regional schools, such as Innovation Tech High School in Liverpool, in which integrated project-based learning (PBL) courses, collaboration and technology are key in teaching and learning. PBL will be a significant component of all BOCES programs, as will increased internships, local business-embedded programs and the use of technology in ways that more closely mirror the world our students will enter after graduation. It is important to note that instruction will continue to be based on NYS Learning Standards and that students will continue to take all state-required exams (which are now changing as well).


This is good news for the students of New York. The provision of these choices is recognition of the fact that our current system of education in New York needs changing. This is a good first step. In the future, Central New York schools and districts will continue to advance a version of college and career readiness that is focused on the future rather than the past.

J. Francis Manning, district superintendent
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES