Pittsford's School Budget

In Pittsford and a few of the other suburbs of Rochester, we have some of the highest property taxes in the state compared to home values.  I’m guessing it’s because the quality (and consequent cost) of education is relatively high (and perhaps comparable with that of, say, Westchester County), but the average home value, which is the basis of the assessment, is much lower.  Since home values aren’t likely to skyrocket in our area anytime soon, the only way to control the tax burden is to control expenses.  Our school district has no incentive to do this, however.  (We could also encourage the building of more townhouse developments that appeal to empty-nesters...)  Certainly, having an exceptional school system should be a ‘draw’ for employers and employees with families (and probably it once was). Sadly, our area doesn’t reap the rewards of spending all this money educating our children – most of them seem to leave to pursue careers elsewhere, taking their taxable income with them.

Instead of just complaining about the taxes and vainly voting ‘no’ on budgets (because most of the people I know who are opposed to the increases don’t bother to vote), I decided to learn more about the process of developing the budget, so I attended one of the Pittsford School District’s budget work sessions.  What I learned did not give me hope that our school district has any intention of managing costs.  Michael Pero, Superintendent of Schools, opened the meeting and explained that a goal of the Board of Education is “to be more communicative” and that starts with “what makes Pittsford special, including what are our values.”  He explained the complications of the budget process, as they must wait for input from other agencies, and complained, of course, about the property tax cap.

Darrin Kenney, Assistant Superintendent for Business, then gave a PowerPoint presentation with lots of graphs showing the steady increase in costs (mostly related to salaries and benefits, which comprise roughly 80% of the budget) and decreasing revenues.  No surprise.  He admitted that explaining the tax levy limit formula was his “least favorite part,” and that the district is in disagreement with the state about whether or not the costs related to the new buses, which were approved in a separate vote from the regular budget last year, should be counted in that limit.  This reminded me a bit of Maggie Brooks’ trick of stripping out the cost of snow-plowing from the Monroe County budget, so that the budget could remain flat (even though taxpayers end up paying more, because of the extra “fee”).  It also made me wonder if the District’s recent accounting maneuver to move textbooks from “supplies” to “equipment” is the first step to a separate vote for funding of textbooks.  And what mean person would vote against textbooks?

Mr. Kenney’s graphs all displayed a steady upward march of salaries, both historically and in future projections (through 2026, in fact).  It made me wonder what the corresponding numbers of students, teachers, and administrative staff were that underlie those figures, since they were not to be found in the presentation.  Are costs rising because we have more students and so need more teachers?  Or are they rising because we are paying staff more, even though student population is static or declining?  And how does this square with Mr. Kenney’s complaint that the wealth factor (Pittsford residents’ wealth compared to the State’s average) has been declining over the past 5 years? 

When Mr. Pero asked the Board how they felt about living within this year’s tax cap, it appeared that they mostly supported it.  One outspoken member, however, shared her bias towards exceeding that cap in future years, and her belief that the Board should begin preparing (propagandizing?) the public now for this need, and the super-majority* vote it will require.  To her, it is a fait accompli that costs must continue to rise and outpace the revenue restrictions. 

At one point, Mr. Pero mentioned that one of their benchmark schools is Scarsdale.  Interesting, since according to Money Magazine, in 2011, Scarsdale’s median home price was $1,200,000 and their median family income was $250,000 - roughly 3-4 times comparable figures for Pittsford. Scarsdale competes with neighboring towns in Westchester, as well as Connecticut and New Jersey, for residents who work in high paying jobs in the tri-state area.  While it’s laudable that in Pittsford we wish to educate our children to the same standards as other richer communities, it might be impractical given the economics of our region.

I sent Mr. Kenney an email with questions about the student and teacher populations, but received no response.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have also asked if any consideration was being given to merging with neighboring school districts in order to eliminate redundant overhead costs...

*If a district wishes to exceed the property tax cap, it then needs 60% approval, rather than a simple majority.  To complicate matters, if the initial vote fails, the district must hold a second vote (on the same or a reduced budget), and if the second vote fails, then there can be NO increase.  Classic game theory.

Geva Cohort – “Informed Consent” Part III – Rehearsal Week 2

(Informed Consent, directed by Sean Daniels, runs from March 18 to April 13)

rehearsal space, with taped and table 'levels'

“Great!  But I don’t think we can charge money for it yet,” Sean quipped at one point.  Obviously, since it’s only the second week of rehearsal, and the show doesn’t open until March 22.  But the progress they’ve already made in that short time is considerable – the actors are already deep into their characters, and you can really feel the power of this very complex play, and get a sense of the emotional impact it will have when they finally do have an actual (paying) audience. 

model of the set

The different levels in the play are mirrored by the levels of the set, which also evokes the Grand Canyon, which is one of the play’s settings.  Since this is not a traditional set, with rooms and furniture, motivation for moving or sitting has to be found in the dialogue (for example, at one point, Sean asked a seated actor to stand, to give the scene more energy, but to sit an another point to communicate more intimacy).  And since the actors will need various props to indicate the different characters they portray, great attention is being paid to where those props are stored and how they are retrieved and returned, by whom and when.  Very complicated!

I attended parts of two different rehearsals this week.  The actors are in the process of memorizing their lines and their blocking.  At the same time, they are working to breathe life into their characters, for example, by:

- discussing “clockwise” vs. “counterclockwise” tribal dances (apparently the Havasupai are a “clockwise” tribe), and the implication for stage movement,

- exploring different accents (and sometimes translations) to associate with different “stories,”

- determining who they are, when they are just sitting and watching other actors in a scene,

- using Sean’s insightful and often humorous direction to help them understand their subtexts.

The upcoming premiere of Informed Consent is extremely timely.  Just this week, the New York Times ran an article and op-ed about the FDA’s current deliberation of “genetically modified babies” – embryonic mitochondrial manipulation, which would give a child genetic material from three parents, rather than two, and eliminate inheritable mitochondrial disease.  I would have loved to talk to Sean and the cast about that over the drinks that he kindly invited all 9 of us cohorts attending Thursday's rehearsal to, but luckily for them, I had dinner waiting for me at home.  

The Role of the Conductor: A Choral Member's Perspective

Another little something I wrote for Concentus' blog (the women's group in which I sing):

My non-musician husband once asked me what purpose the conductor serves in a concert.  He understands that an ensemble needs someone to prepare the group, but he can't understand what function the person with her back to the audience at a performance serves. Because he’s a guy, I tried a sports analogy. A good conductor is like a good sports coach:  auditioning musicians (recruiting/trading players), selecting the music and assigning parts (creating a playbook and assigning positions), and rehearsing (training) the ensemble in preparation for the performance (game). Just as the coach's role doesn't end at the start of play – he's on the sidelines encouraging, directing, reacting to the game as it unfolds – neither does the conductor's role end when the house lights go down.

Gwen conducting Concentus in our December 2013 concert

One of the conductor’s primary functions is to keep the tempo, but it’s more than beating out the beat.  For example, Gwen (our conductor) also helps different voice parts with particularly sticky entrances, and with cutoffs, particularly if the words end in an ‘s’ (so we don’t sound like a bunch of hissing snakes!).  She also helps elicit a particular mood from the group (from happy to somber), and reminds us to smile when appropriate (there’s nothing like a scowling group of singers to let the audience know the piece is either really difficult or unpopular…).  And if things go off the rails, if we speed up frantically, slow down ponderously, or somehow get out of synch, all of the singers look to her to get us back on track.  So it’s critical that the musicians glance up from the music frequently (sort of like keeping your eyes on both the road and the rear view mirror while driving).  Without the conductor, the group could probably muddle through by feeling the music together, and watching each other, but there would be the occasional train wreck that would require starting the piece over entirely – something neither the singers not the audience would enjoy!

I once sang in a large chorus with a director whose conducting style was inconsistent – it changed dramatically between rehearsal and performance.  Because we were not used to some of the conductor’s movements, we sometimes got confused, and either missed entrances or jumped the gun!  Then there’s a collective but uncommunicable concern, especially if accompaniment is involved, about how to fix things.  I recall one time it was so bad that we had to just start all over. Luckily, most conductors are skilled at their jobs, and that means you don’t usually notice what they add to the performance.  Which means you just might wonder what purpose the conductor serves….

Itzhak Perlman

Saturday’s concert of the Eastman Philharmonia, conducted by Neil Varon, was sold out, and the audience (young and old) was buzzing.  Although the orchestra consists of upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, if you closed your eyes and weren’t distracted by the incredible youth on stage, you would swear you were attending a performance by professionals.  They particularly shone, I thought, in the pianissimo passages.  Varon, who is also Professor of Conducting at Eastman, is a lively conductor, and the first piece, Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Op. 92, was met with cheering applause. 

Yes fans (were there any others in the audience?) should have recognized the final piece, Brahms' Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 from Rick Wakeman's Cans and Brahms, on the Fragile album.

The highlight of the evening, of course, was Itzhak Perlman, who played the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in G Minor, Op. 26, by Bruch.  Without a word, he sent ripples of laughter through the audience as he suspiciously accepted and inspected his violin and bow from Ji-Yeon Lee, Concertmaster, as if she had perhaps switched his for her own!  The students were obviously thrilled to be playing with him – it must have been quite an experience for them – one they’ll remember the rest of their lives.  The music that emanated from his instrument was sensational, and both he and the orchestra received thunderous applause and a standing ovation.  Following that, he was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Music degree, and we were able to hear his humorous side, as he accepted and quipped, “I can now see patients.”  He added that he was particularly keen to receive the doctoral hood as it would help keep him warm here in Rochester.  But he was also serious, as he graciously complimented the talented musicians of the orchestra.  He explained that for him, music is about teaching, and about the future – of the students and the audience.  From his vantage point, he saw the future of classical music as very bright.

Let’s hope so!

Geva Cohort – “Informed Consent” Part II – First Rehearsal

(Informed Consent, directed by Sean Daniels, runs from March 18 to April 13)

It isn’t often that you have the chance (or the desire, frankly) to read the script of a play before seeing it performed.  And it’s rarer to be able to watch the process of creating a play from scratch.  That’s what Geva’s Cohort Club is about – providing the prospect to a fortunate few of being flies on the wall, to understand the creative process, and to communicate the experience to their ‘communities.’ And if we motivate two friends to see the show, and they motivate two friends, and so on, and so on…

One of the things I’ve learned so far is that the script is just the starting point.  Since Geva’s shows don’t usually travel in from somewhere else (as RBTL’s do), the cast and crew are creating something fresh, which is a responsibility as well as an opportunity. In the case of Informed Consent, which will have its world premiere here in Rochester, the script is still open for rewrite.  The playwright, Deborah Zoe Laufer, is at the table with the cast and director, helping to interpret her intention, and also listening to the cast as they put their stamp on her lines, and adapting the dialog to their questions and needs.  

As I learned in the kickoff ‘meet and greet,’ the play has been workshopped 8 times around the world, so it’s already had the benefit of being read, responded to, and reworked.  And after it closes here, it will go to Cleveland.  I haven’t even seen the play performed yet, but I’m already excited about its potential, not just locally, but, perhaps, in a larger theater somewhere downstate? 

The charming Ms. Laufer explained that the play is based on an actual story involving genetic testing of an Indian tribe, and that, to give a “personal way in for the main character” she has created a story for her that involves early onset Alzheimer’s.  The sense of a person’s ‘story’ is so central to this production that, as we went around the room introducing ourselves, Sean Daniels, the director, asked us to tell a little bit about ourselves, and our heritage.  It wasn’t a surprise that most in the room shared (sometimes humorous) stories of ancestors, close or distant, who had emigrated from Europe or the Slavic countries.  It was interesting, then, when one of the actresses, who actually has a Native American heritage, shared her horrified reaction to these stories, which all implied colonialism of her ancestors’ land.  I can’t help but think that her perspective and participation in this premiere will make the play even stronger than it already is.

Sean also explained that for Informed Consent, Geva has formed relationships with several local interest groups: the Alzheimer’s Association, The Friends of Ganondagan, and the University of Rochester, which is teaching the script as part of their medical ethics courses!  This is definitely a play that will have universal appeal, as it asks “what it means to be alive today,” and how we manage and react to rapid changes in technology.  It’s so great that Geva has reached out to the community to participate in the dialogue that this show will generate.

Unfortunately, I could only stay for a read-through of the first several pages, as the actors and director explored different ‘voices’ for the introduction to the play’s stories.  But even so, I just know that this group of talented people is going to produce an incredibly thrilling and compelling production that people will be talking about.

(Other cohorts are just as excited as I am by Informed Consent. To read more from their perspective, visit the Geva Journal:  http://gevajournal.wordpress.com/  )

Geva Cohort – “Informed Consent” Part I – The Script

(Informed Consent, directed by Sean Daniels, runs from March 18 to April 13)

I was so flattered that Sean Daniels invited me to ‘cohort’ again, and this time on a drama!  In advance of the initial meet-and-greet, he sent out the script, which I read on my iPad on a plane. I wished I were reading it in old-fashioned hardcopy, so that I could highlight passages that particularly resonated with me.  Although it’s a relatively short play, it’s dense with thought-provoking themes.  As Geva’s website explains, Informed Consent is based on a true story, and “explores the question of just how much knowledge is too much.”  For example, if you are at risk for a deadly disease and could be tested to determine the likelihood, would you do it?  One of my favorite exchanges between two of the characters involves who gets to choose the knowing or not-knowing, and why one person’s fear trumps the other’s.

In addition to the “how much is too much” question, the play also examines the implications of that knowledge (or lack of it), on behavior and on an individual’s or community’s Weltanschauung.  As science and technology continue to advance at a breathtaking pace, how do we define and weigh the ethical implications of that progress?  Just because we can screen embryos, or genetically engineer them in vitro, for disease risk or gender selection, should we? 

Part of the play revolves around the revelation of the history of an Indian tribe being screened for diabetes.  In the process of testing for the illness, the geneticist discovers the tribe’s genetic origins, which contradict their “creation story.”  The tribe would rather stick to its belief than assimilate the facts.  I couldn’t help but be reminded of the similar way that Christians stick to their beliefs in the face of scientific discoveries, which they either ignore (as the Creationists do evolution) or incorporate reluctantly (as the Catholic Church did the idea that the Earth was not the center of the universe).

And the play introduces the question of who we are – are we our genes?  Are we our memories?  Even though it has been proven that our memories are not static, like snapshots or movies, but that our mind can modify them without our being aware?

I already have tickets to the show, and I’m very much looking forward to watching it evolve from the page to the stage.

For more information about the play, visit Geva's website:

http://www.gevatheatre.org/shows/informed-consent/

Ballet: RCB Style

I was eager to see the Rochester City Ballet perform at Nazareth again (the first time I saw them, in May 2012, with my dancer-friend Colleen and her husband, I was disappointed).  But after reading rave reviews of their performance at Jacob’s Pillow last summer, and chatting with someone on their Board, I thought I should give them another try. Last week’s extensive positive coverage of the company and the performance also reassured me that I hadn’t seen them at their best.

My friend Linda and I attended the matinee, and there was a good representation of ages in the audience.  The program was short – only four pieces, interspersed with commentary by Jamey Leverett, Artistic Director.  The first two pieces were excerpts from classical ballets, and were undistinguished (although ably performed), except for the lovely costumes.  It’s unfortunate that the economics of regional dance require recorded, instead of live, music, and especially since the sound system at Nazareth leaves a lot to be desired. 

Ms. Leverett, who choreographed the final two (more contemporary) pieces, explained the “RCB Style” as a diverse product line, with a mix of classical and contemporary ballet.  She described the former as “uplifted, weightless, and regal,” whereas the latter introduces a new vocabulary, and allows the choreographer to “break some rules” and “color outside the lines.”  She even had two dancers demonstrate some classical vs. contemporary ‘shapes’ and movements (I thought this was a creative way to help educate and involve the audience), which were then recognizable in her Alpine Garden, set to beautiful music composed by Jeff Tyzik.  The choreography and costumes complemented the music, and Linda and I enjoyed this piece the most, by far.

She also explained that part of “who the RCB is” is shaped by collaboration with other local organizations and artists, including the RPO, the Memorial Art Gallery, and local musicians and artists (including Brian O’Neill, whose paintings of the dancers will be featured at the Arts & Cultural Council in April).  The final piece, using a composition by a local musician, had live accompaniment – a double bassist who also provided vocals (which I kept wishing would stop).  Linda and I both agreed that the music was grating, and were amazed that it had inspired Ms. Leverett to create such stunning choreography.  The dancers also seemed to enjoy this piece, and it showed in their evocative performance.

At the conclusion, Ms. Leverett invited the audience to ask questions of her, the dancers, the musician, and the composer.  Linda and I left the theatre wishing there had been a bit more dancing and a bit less talking – for example, we would have loved to see more of Bravo! Colorado, from which Alpine Garden was excerpted.  Or anything else choreographed by the talented Artistic Director.  I’m looking forward to seeing the RCB perform with the RPO at Hochstein in March, and hoping that at least one of the pieces will be choreographed by Ms. Leverett, whose “coloring outside the lines” is a joy to watch.