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 […]
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
The SSD Recovery Plan: Buildings
July 28, 2019
The Plan calls this section “Capital Planning and Facilities Management” but what we’re talking about are buildings and building closures. The problem is that the buildings in the district are ancient. The costs to upgrade and maintain them are massive. Cutting buildings saves on their regular maintenance costs, but also removes future improvement costs. That’s […]
Politics
The SSD Recovery Plan: Business Office & Procurement
July 27, 2019
Right off the bat, I have to say that our current Business Manager, Pat Laffey, is excellent. His office is understaffed, he inherited a garbage fire, and he’s grotesquely overworked. Somehow, in all of my interactions with him, he remains positive. I would have at least devolved into epic cynicism to cope by now. The […]
The SSD Recovery Plan: Special Education
July 26, 2019
Right off the bat, I will point out that Special Education has been a disaster in the district. Why? We get sued straight to hell. It’s partly our fault, and we’ve drastically reduced lawsuits, thankfully. And it’s mostly a cultural problem in the world of lawyers. Why? Well, students in Special Education programs have individualized […]
The SSD Recovery Plan: Academic Achievement
July 26, 2019
The Scranton School District’s Recovery plan is a monster of a document. Small font. 214 pages. Lots of jargon and lots of data. It’s a lot, even for the initiated. I’ll try to break down the plan generally for everybody. There are 11 areas that the plan covers (Academic Achievement, Special Education, Administration and Governance, […]
Scranton School Board June 3rd Meeting: Way Too Long
June 4, 2019
Yesterday’s Scranton School Board meeting started (for Directors) at 6 PM and ended around 10:30. They need chiropractors on staff, or at least some ergonomic chairs. My back is shot. I feel bad for the audience. In terms of any kind of controversy… there was none. The Board voted down an assessment appeal, and I’m […]
I’m Worth Your Vote
May 19, 2019
Part of the process of getting elected is talking about accomplishments. It feels a lot to me like bragging, and I’m not a particular fan of that. But I need your vote. I’m worth it. And I’m going to tell you why. In three months on the Board: I became the most transparent member. It’s […]
Forgive the time it’s taken to get this out there. There genuinely aren’t enough hours in the day, these days. The most important takeaway from Monday’s Scranton School board meeting is that only one person in the audience made an April Fool’s joke. I genuinely can’t believe it. I was waiting for, “You’re cutting Pre-K, […]