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Q & A with Batavia School Board candidates: Phil Ricci

By Daniel Crofts

The first candidate interviewed was Phil Ricci, who has been on the school board since November. Ricci is a military veteran who currently works as a branch manager of two Bank of America locations, and he has years of experience in business/management, process improvement, financial management and consulting, as well as in working with youth.

Ricci is also a member of the Batavia City Youth Board and a budget ambassador for the school district's Audit Committee. He lives in Batavia with his wife and three children.

Could you talk about the experience you bring to the school board -- especially in terms of business and working with youth?

On the business side, I've worked for both the private and public sector. I've managed millions of dollars in funds, as well as teams ranging from five people to five hundred people. That said, school districts are a whole other beast of burden. They're not like how normal businesses work. The hard thing about experience is that, yeah, I have it, but in order to learn how a school district works, you have to learn how the state thinks and try to apply your business experience to that. Anyone who knows about New York State will tell you that if the state was a business, it would have been bankrupt 10 times over at this point. People on the school board learn real quickly that business experience doesn't go a whole long way with the way New York State does things.

As far as working with youth, when I was in Germany (in the military) I built a program from the ground up. It's called "Skies Unlimited," of which I then became the regional director of instruction for all of Europe. I got to work with every different type of population, and I learned the real message of advocacy. There are so many people out there who do not view youth programs as essential, and I challenge that every time I hear it. If you don't have solid youth programs, solid education, and solid support structures for youth, you end up having higher crime rates. You end up having a less educated workforce.

I think the biggest thing I've learned over the years -- working with kids in the military and being on the Youth Board here -- is that advocacy is huge. Even being on the school board, I can see that the way the state distributes money is inequitable. There are a lot of downstate districts that are not being affected to the same extent that our kids up here are being affected. And if you don't think that fighting for that is important because you don't like the way the system is, I'm not going to disagree with you that the system is broken; but those kids are suffering in the meanwhile. So I think the big thing for me with all the work I've done is learning how to be a solid advocate.

What made you want to run for the school board in the first place?

When Andy (Pedro) left, I was asked to come in and help out, so I threw my hat in the ring. There was a need, because (the school district is in) a really tough situation. The reason I'm asking to stay is that I know how bad it is, and I've seen what still needs to be done. We've got a lot of work to do, and it's far from being over. I know what it's going to take, and I just want the opportunity to help get us there. My big thing is and will continue to be to protect programs and to be equitable for all kids -- haves and have-nots. I'm not going to take away something from one youth that I wouldn't take away from another. But my main object is to not take anything away, and to do the things that need to be done to try to protect as many programs as we can.

I've been involved in the district for about seven years. I haven't always been on the board, but I've been involved. So I know what goes into (making a difference in the school district) and I know I can make a maximum impact.

Is there anything you would you like to change or see changed if you are reelected?

There's lots of things I'd like to continue to change. I think the biggest thing we need to work on right now in the district is our communication. I just think that we have to get better at expressing what we know and why we know it to everybody out there. That's an opportunity we've missed the ball on a lot. Some principles can't be explained simplistically, but it is our job to try and do that.

So one thing I would be pushing for from day one is more transparency, a clearer message, and just putting out there as much as we can.

How would you respond to people who express outrage that all other businesses and organizations are having to cut back and do more with less while the school district continues to propose tax increases? The implication is that the district thinks itself exempt from doing more with less.

I understand why they say things like that, and this goes back to the district not explaining things clearly enough. It's completely false. The district is doing a lot more with less. We're cutting programs. We're cutting positions. We've cut costs. We just closed a school. I think what's not being explained well enough is that these costs that keep pushing things up are not all controllable. Most of them out of our control -- they're coming down from the state. And at the state level, what they're doing is having their costs keep going up, and then they're pulling millions of dollars out of funding each year.

Imagine you have a job and a house budget. And every year, your costs are going to keep going up for whatever reason -- because of inflation or whatever it is. Then your employer comes in and says, "We're going to take eight-percent of your salary away each year for the next five years." So each year your costs are still going up, but you're losing an additional 8-percent of your income. If you're not making cuts, if you're not using your reserves, will you still be able to live in your house? Probably not.

My point is, of course we're cutting. Of course we're doing more with less. Because if we didn't, we wouldn't have a district. But we don't have control over all of our costs and expenditures. There is only so much you can cut, and there is only so much you have in reserve, before you start getting into these situations.

Just to be clear, before last year the board wasn't really raising the tax levy at all. It stayed pretty consistent. In the past couple of years, things have gotten really bad. You have a governor and a state legislature that has cut nearly 20 percent of your income over the past three years. So I would challenge anyone to show me how you can manage to not raise taxes in that situation -- as you're cutting positions and all this other stuff -- when 20 percent of your income goes away.

What are your thoughts on the proposed budget?

It's ugly -- I'm not in love with it, but because of the position we're in...I mean, I also didn't want to close Robert Morris School. My kids go there, and as a parent it was a hard thing to look my kids in the eyes and tell them I was closing their school. But it was a necessity. It was not a decision anybody wanted to make.

Do I think we could have lowered the taxes a little bit more? Yes, and I've already said that publicly. But overall, am I displeased with what we did to keep things going? No. It's not what I would want, and I don't think anyone on the school board wants it. I think everyone would love to deliver a zero-percent tax increase and still keep all the programs and all the schools open. But that's not the reality we live in right now.

What will happen if the budget gets voted down?

What happens is this: If it gets voted down two times, under the new tax cap law our ability to raise drops down to zero. So what that will mean, to put it plainly, is that all the programs we reinstated (with the consolidation) will go away -- for example, the ACE program, different music programs, and I'm sure more on top of that. Non-mandated programs will get looked at. These will get cut, because we're going to have to come up with an additional $500-$600. And plus we have other costs, too. So the people who vote "no" will get their zero-percent tax increase and kids will lose out on programs. It's that simple.

Can you comment on the house administrator position that is being created at Batavia Middle School?

This is another thing I don't think we're explaining well enough. The house administrator position is a re-purposed position. It's a new position as far as title goes, but it isn't a new hire kind of position.

What we did was take a model that is being used all across the country in larger schools. We're going to be adding a ton of kids to the middle school, so to make this really work we've re-purposed an assistant principal position, and we're making that person an in-house administrator; that means that this person is going to be in charge of the fifth and sixth grades. This person will be a direct point person for all parents, oversee all of the teachers, and stuff like that. Sandy Griffin is still in charge of the middle school, but because she is going to have over 800 kids in that school, we wanted to give her some additional support.

We understand that parents are nervous about the fifth-grade integration. We recognize that. And we wanted to make sure that next year and years into the future, that program is strong and the kids can go into the seventh grade with no problems. So all we did was utilize the resources we already had and the resources that we were going to have, and we're using them in a smarter way so that we can have a strong integration program with the fifth-graders coming into the middle school.

Do you have any closing comments?

I'll just say this: I understand the frustration that's out there. I'm not blind to it. Every time I make a decision, I'm doing it with four voices in my head. I hear a retired grandmother who is on a fixed income, for whom a 2-percent increase is not just a simple thing. I hear a working, single mom who is struggling to pay her bills -- or even unemployed. I hear the parents -- and the parent that I am -- about protecting programs for their kids so that they have a good future. And then I hear the kids' voices. How many kids have shown up crying at meetings because we're taking away things that change their lives?

These are the voices you hear (when you're on a school board). These aren't easy decisions. Any person who has the courage to go onto a comment board and tell people to vote something down, but not the courage to hear all of those voices and know what goes into making these decisions is someone who doesn't understand fully what it takes to do this job. I do, I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I wish to continue to do it. I've been called crazy for this, but I know I have the right demeanor and the right approach to this...and I care. And I think you need all that in order to be successful.

Photo courtesty of the Batavia City School District.

Peter O'Brien

Phil,
I have respect for you but I am voting No.

I don't think that everyone should have to pay for the music lessons of a few. I wanted to join band when I was a kid and was denied with no later opportunity to try again. Those select few who make it get to ride that train to graduation if they choose.

Why can't they pay for their own music lessons from private companies and teachers? Why does the school need to provide that at my expense?

The same can be said of school sports. I was on the swim team in high school. Looking back at it, most of the swimmers who were going to get a scholarship out of it also swam for a local private club. Why did they need my parents funding the team at the school?
You can look at it the other way too. What about the kids that loves to play gaelic football. Most of you don't know what the sport is, but should that kid not have an opportunity to play what changes his life while a soccer player has a chance to represent his school?

Maybe if we get back to school being about preparing students for a career instead of everything but a career, this nation wouldn't have such a student loan issue because 18 year old kids don't know enough to succeed in a career.

Music and Sports are luxuries that don't need to be fought for. I understand the benefits involved, but they are available elsewhere at the participants cost. I know because I participate in several sports leagues and pay for it myself.

If we really cared about the kids, we would extend the school year to include summer and have more vocational opportunities.

You can still make a nice living without going to college. I am proof. You just need the right training.

May 15, 2012, 9:13am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

"Maybe if we get back to school being about preparing students for a career ..."

Any person who isn't well rounded with at least some understanding of the arts and prepared for life through the realities of competition isn't prepared for a career at all.

May 15, 2012, 9:31am Permalink
Peter O'Brien

People aren't going to stay anyways...

As for competition and the arts, they are capable of being learned outside the school.

Hell if it was my choice, all schools would be private, and for profit.

May 15, 2012, 5:25pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

School choice and privitization are different issues.

As long as schools are public, this is a no brainer -- the arts and sports are a vital and essential part of education. Any school that doesn't provide these activities is neglecting their educational responsibilities.

Music, art, theater, literature are just as vital to turning out top quality engineers, for example, as mathematics.

May 15, 2012, 5:46pm Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Peter, Batavia is a nice place to live, be thankful for what you have. Gutting the schools isn't going to solve your perceived problem.

May 15, 2012, 6:56pm Permalink
Bea McManis

It takes a special group of talented students who will devote nine of their school years to the music program. Yes, they ride the train from 4th grade to graduation, but it isn't an easy ride. It takes dedication; family cooperation; and determination to make it to their senior year. The benefits are many and we are fortunate to have a music program in our schools.
The Benefits of Being in Band
Some general statistics and facts:
• Students of the arts continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT,
according to reports by the College Entrance Examination Board. In 2002, SAT
takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher
on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than
students with no coursework or experience in the arts. - The College Board,
Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2000, 2001, and 2002.
• The arts provide young people with authentic learning experiences that engage
their minds, hearts, and bodies. Engagement in the arts nurtures the
development of cognitive, social, and personal competencies.
• While learning in other disciplines may often focus on development of a single
skill or talent, the arts regularly engage multiple skills and abilities. Music requires
the integration of eye-hand coordination, rhythm, tonality, symbol recognition and
interpretation, attention span, and other factors that represent synthetic aspects
of human intelligence. In addition, critical thinking, problem-solving, and learning
how to work cooperatively toward shared goals are all skills which are reinforced
through music education.
• Music is one of the seven intelligences identified in the brain and the only one
that utilizes all seven intelligences simultaneously. Thus, students who
participate in music courses exercise more of their brain than in any other course
they take in school.
• Band reinforces the skills of cooperation which are among the qualities now most
highly valued in business and industry, especially in high-tech contexts. Members
are required to shift from an I/Me focus to a We/Us focus. Instead of the logic
being, "what's in it for me," it becomes, "what's in it for us?" Band is a group effort
which focuses on group goals and the completion of those goals in each and
every rehearsal and performance.
The benefits conveyed by music education can be grouped into four categories
• Success in society
• Success in school
• Success in developing intelligence
• Success in life
http://www.lincoln.leon.k12.fl.us/classes/band/pdf/Benefits.pdf

May 16, 2012, 8:43am Permalink

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