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Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
The Mtdmorit Enterprise- Thursday, August 24,2006 Editorial Lindsay Myers has taught us the value of diversity Lindsay Myers, like high-school students across the country, is preparing to go back to school this fall. But, unlike most, her going to school in her home district, Voorheesville,in the town where she grew up, was a hard-fought battle. Two years ago, over the summer of 2004, we wrote about the protests made by Lindsay's parents, Lisa and Jeff Myers. They wanted their daughter, who was born with Down syndrome, to be able to continue to attend classes in the school system she had been part of since she was five. In her elementary years, Lindsay was mainstreamed into regular classes with an aid. Voorheesville did not offer integra- tion in the middle-school years for Lindsay, so her mother petitioned the school and was able to start a BOCES (Board Of Cooperative Educational Services) program at the middle- school level. Voorheesville had no program at the high school, though, and the district said Lindsay would have to go to a school in a neighboring town that offered an appropriate program. She spent a year there, over her parents' objections. We wrote in this space two years ago, \If the Myerses' gumption brought the middle-school at Voorheesville the gift of Lindsay,\could people in the community who see the value of diversity in the school convince the district to continue to include her? Might there be other families in the district in a similar situation?\ While the BOCES program housed at Guilderland High School has served many students well, Lindsay's mother said that, since the students were from all over the Capital District, Lindsay couldn't get together with them much outside of school, so friendships were few. Mrs. Myers was convinced two years ago that Voorheesville simply didn't want her daughter and that it was an \image issue.\ Referring to the school's national recognition, she said, \They don't want to tarnish their blue-ribbon status\ by creat- ing programs for children with special needs. \I feel like Voorheesville is discriminating against my child,\ she said. Everything changed, Mrs. Myers said, with the new superin- tendent at Voorheesville — Linda Langevin has a master's degree in special education and, with her at the helm, the district's approach opened up. \It's been a totally different experience,\ said Mrs. Myers this year. \I have nothing but good things to say.\ Lindsay, during the'last school year, was placed in an indi^ vidualized education program that combines mainstream aca- demic classes and one-on-one specialized teaching in a small workshop classroom. She's been able to take academic courses as well as life-skills courses and; in one school year, she advanced a remarkable half-grade, striving to move her way up to a third-grade level. \It has worked out as a win, win,\ said Robin Jacob, Voorheesville's director for special education. In the 2005-06 school year, Voorheesville hosted its first BOCES class at the high school. The school had extra space, which was good timing because one local boy needed this type of setting, Jacobs said. We believe a BOCES class benefits not only the students it serves but those in the rest of the school as well. The Guilderland schools, which have a long and proud tradi- tion of hosting BOCES classes for special-needs students have seen, over the years, hearing students learn sign language and regular students learn to accept those who are different. Stephen Hadden, Guilderland's special-education coordina- tor, put it succinctly when we talked to him two years ago. \Our students get to interact with children with special needs,\ he said, \and our students who need a BOCES program don't have to go far.\ Being different is never easy. Our reporter, Holly Grosch, who first wrote about Lindsay Myers two years ago, visited Lindsay at Voorheesville's high school in June, as her last assignment for us. Grosch's in-depth report, the centerpiece of our back-to- school special section, tells the story of one girl's, life as a mainstreamed student. Grosch heard from Lindsay that, both at Guilderland and Voorheesville, she was sometimes teased by other students. \Sometimes I'll be embarrassed...My face will get red,\ Lindsay said. 'They call me the F word and the B word.\ Such a statement could break our heart. But, there's more. Lindsay is learning, with the help of her teacher, Kille Lewis, how to ignore kids who are mean and how to approach new people to make friends. Grosch observed a young woman who was learning to navi- gate, not just the hallways of a high school, but life with its many ups and downs. Lindsay has gained a new sense of indepen- dence. She has hopes of someday moving out of her parents' house and living on her own with roommates, perhaps working with food preparation. She's earned the respect of classmates. \She's a pretty girl,\ said one. \She's nice and has an awesome personality.\ Mrs. Myers hopes that her daughter has paved the way for other students with special needs — \maybe setting a new trend/* she said. Lindsay, with the backing of her family, has opened a door for all of Us. Let us walk through it with our heads high and our hands joined. Byrd's-Eye View c^mnsm^^mwiRi'. School board listened to taxpayers To the Editor: The Guilderland School Board did a remarkable thing at its Aug. 15 meeting; unlike previous years, the members listened to the growing number of tax- payers who were calling for property-tax relief. Resulting from a combination of wise fiscal practices by the district administration; addi- tional state-aid payment; re- funds from NationalGrid; and the measured development in the town that swelled the overall assessed value, our school tax rate increase was reduced to just above 3 percent. Community support a high note for band To the Editor: The Guilderland Town Band and its board of directors would like to thank the Guilderland Community for support of the band during the 2006 summer season at the Guilderland Per- forming Arts Center. Audience attendance for each of the three summer concerts was outstanding despite the fact that two of the concerts took place on rainy evenings. Special thanks to all of the music fans who stayed on to listen at the Aug. 10 concert as the rain poured down. Having some of the audience join the band on stage (to stay dry) made for a fun and enjoyable concert for the band as well! The band is looking forward to its 38th season next summer and to continued support from the community! See you next JuneatGPAC! Meghan Barrow Fritz Meeusen Co-Presidents, '• Board of Directors Guilderland Town Band While the actual amount of the tax relief is not terribly large and differs from taxpayer to tax- payer, residents of Guilderland can take comfort in the fact that we now have a board that is willing to accept that the tax- payers of Guilderland have limits as to the increases in taxes that they can afford. Guilderland FREE has always maintained that it is possible to combine excellence in education with a sound spending plan that considers the needs of our entire community. Last year, we sup- ported two candidates who won election and have shown a con- tinued commitment to balancing educational needs with appro- priate fiscal restraint. FREE remains hopeful that the board meeting of Aug. 15 is not a one-time event and that the board and district administra- tors will continue to keep listening to the concerns of our community members. Michael Marr Founding Member, Guilderland FREE Editor's note: Fiscal Respon- sibility and Excellence in Educa- tion was founded in 2005 and has 60 to 80 members, Marr said before the May elections. Residents will benefit from highway merger To the Editor: Who do you think will benefit from the merger of the town and county highway departments? Kevin? [Supervisor Crosier) Ray? [Highway Superintendent Storm] It's the residents of Berne and Albany County. What makes you think that our service will be less than it is now? The members of both departments live primarily in Berne. Go ahead! Put it up for a vote. People are correctly reluctant to change something that works. But why would they not vote for something that will work as well as what they have now and cost less? While we're doing\ it though, let's make sure that all of the town and county employees will make at least as much as they do now so they are not hurt. Be sure that we address their concerns properly, then go ahead and merge the two departments. > Ralph Miller Berne CORRECTION In an article last week on Daniel Crowthef and Sarah Ritchie, blacksmiths at the Altamont Fair, we reported incorrectly on their professional affiliations. Both are members of the Capital District Blacksmiths' Association; Ritchie is the president and Crowther is the secretary.
