The district’s reasoning for closing Bancroft appears to change by the day. I don’t blame anybody if they find it hard to keep track of. I’ve written about it more extensively here. Their strategy is simple: shift gears, distort, backtrack, throw something at the wall, hope it deflects legitimate criticism, and close Bancroft anyway. The […]
Politics
Keep Bancroft Open
March 15, 2021
There is no justifiable reason to close George Bancroft Elementary. Right off the bat, we all know how important neighborhood schools are. They are the linchpin of a community, the glue that holds it together. Bancroft, like many schools, serves as a place for families to gather and interact and access is simple, as it […]
Scranton Must Bus Its Kids
January 24, 2021
Before I talk about the bussing debacle, I want to address today’s article in the paper, which focuses on the district’s Recovery Plan. According to the article, “While some of the former school directors who approved the plan in 2019 believed they could amend it, the new directors learned last year that Finan had the […]
Tom Borthwick for Scranton School Board!
January 23, 2021
I am announcing my candidacy for Scranton School Board. If the district were headed in the right direction, I would be happy to spend time with my wife, Michelle, and my two young sons, Thomas and Joseph. But the district has taken a dark turn. In a time when there is a budget surplus and […]
Politics
A School Day in the Time of Covid
July 22, 2020
Politics
School in the Fall: How Do We Do It?
July 17, 2020
Keeping track of all of the considerations in play when it comes to school returning in the fall… well. I’m tired already and I’m sure you are, too. I’ve seen NO districts locally with even a public draft of a plan. There are vague statements. We know that Dunmore wants a full return (get ready […]
Our System Fails, Our People Do Not
March 24, 2020
I hope that everybody is weathering this storm as best you can. In my downtime, I’ve been doing what most of you have: reading a lot about the virus, wishing I were more productive, and thinking. Watching this all unfold has been surreal, sad, scary, enlightening, and, call me crazy, uplifting. So here I am […]
Politics
The SSD Recovery Plan: Workforce
July 29, 2019
The single largest driver of district expense is our employees. Salaries and benefits cost money. So the plan examines our workforce needs and has recommendations in that regard. The plan would LIKE to offer raises, but points out that they aren’t feasible without changes. This means that as the district negotiates with its unions, there’s […]
The SSD Recovery Plan: Revenue
July 29, 2019
This is one part of the plan I was excited for. There are some innovative ways that the district can actually make money. Generating revenue is extremely important if the district is going to survive the next few years. The problem with the district has been that it has used one-time revenue sources and borrowing […]
The SSD Recovery Plan: Information Technology
July 29, 2019
The district has had a few IT problems over the years. The Auditor General cited us for not having proper inventory (which is addressed in a different portion of the plan) and we’ve dealt with a grading system, eSchool, that doesn’t work properly. I suggested getting a new system, since this one is plagued with […]