Save New York Military Academy

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Copy of NYMA 2.0 Plan as developed and preented by NYMA 2.0 Plan located on Facebook

The NYMA 2.0 Plan as developed and presented by a group of NYMA ALUMNI, spearheaded by Richard Pezzullo and others.
Go to their Facebook page for continued updates at NYMA 2.0 on Facebook!!
I have copied and pasted it here to give any readers an update on the latest developments in the fight to Save NYMA!

"Yesterday at 5:35am
Working on a website for you to support the continuing operations of New York Military Academy.

For now, here's an overview:

At Alumni Weekend, May 16, 2010, an ad hoc group including alumni and parents presented a vision for the future which we have called NYMA 2.0, which will be developed into a business and financial plan to bring NYMA into a new phase of its history and change some of the past practices. The vision was well received with an outpouring of support from the parents and alumni present. They really believe that it can move us forward, and starting with the monetary support needed to begin the transformation and remain open next school year, we can build a sustainable school which will be the envy of the competition.

A group from Board of Trustees met with the group of alumni and parents that put
the plan together and proposed a committee empowered to conduct activities to continue the development and funding of NYMA 2.0. In addition, the Board group agreed to arrange for a new fund to be set up to capture donations segregated for the SOLE PURPOSE of funding an operating school with the intent of moving ahead in the future with NYMA 2.0. The group present also agreed to a transition of the current board as the exisiting business concerns are addressed with actual funding..

The committee and BOT have agreed to work to ensure that the transparency and control concerns
raised by several parties will be resolved. The money which will go into this fund will not be a part of the current operational accounts of the school - the intent is to keep this money set aside until enough has been raised to proceed with keeping the school open next year AND moving forward with advancing NYMA 2.0.

In the event that we are unable to meet this goal, with the appropriate changes that the committee is seeking relative to administration and controls, the money will be returned to the donors.

Yes, there are significant challenges ahead, but we feel that if we can keep the Academy open for the next two years and meet the financial goals that were presented in the plan, we can build a sustainable future that will make NYMA a model for other schools to emulate.

The Board of Trustees is VERY supportive of this plan and we believe that they desire as strongly as any of us that school remain open. Yes, there is a lot of disappointment and anger out there, and everyone's emotions are running strong, but we are hoping that we can turn those emotions into creative energy and a passion for completing our mission - restoring NYMA into a premier school set apart from anything else offered to our youth today.

Here's what our plan is about.

NYMA 2.0

Mission:

Restore NYMA to financial health within 2 years.

Set NYMA on track to become a premier military boarding school known for its outstanding commitment to academic excellence, character education and military identity and international recognition.

Immediate (Spring/Summer):

Administration
• Reorganization of board, to include NYMA 2.0 committee as interim board members.
• Appoint interim Superintendent
• Institution of processes that create transparency and fiscal responsibility.
• Define staff and faculty roles based on retention and new staff needs.
• Establish and develop specialty volunteer committees to provide research and proposals to the Board/Administration.
• Community outreach to identify opportunities in fund raising, discounted or donated services and volunteers.
• Evaluate current curriculum and start integrating International Baccalaureate Program with oversight from Academic
Administrators on the interim board in preparation for the 2010-2011 school year.

Finance

• Institute Promissory Note collections.
• Secure 2009-2010 annual alumni gifts and pledges.
• Bring operational costs to zero-balance budget.
• Finance the payables to creditors and service providers.
• Finance any unpaid spring operational costs.
• Finance the start up costs for a development office and fall 2010-2011.
• Finance the determined needs of the physical plant for beautification and repairs.

1-2 Year Plan:

Administration
• Reestablish trust in confidence in potential donors – alumni, parents and friends of NYMA.
• Revisit and edit by-laws and board processes to provide for board accountability and transparency, including specific guidelines to be set up to provide for financial checks and balances.
• Institute and elect permanent board members.
• Contract with independent grant writer for feasibility of grants

Academics

• Establish core curriculum for school next three school years using existing model to build on, with eye towards transitioning to International Baccalaureate Curriculum for grades 6-12 by year 2013.
• Implement character education plan
• Establish deep foreign language curriculum to “rebrand” educational experience at NYMA as one with an international focus
• Ensure excellence in ESL instruction to attract and maintain international cadets.
• Maintain minimum of 1:13 student-teacher ratio.
• Maintain NYMA’s brand as a premier military preparatory school.
• Establish relationships with Service Academies and Service Academy prep schools, as well as private military colleges for cadet mentorships.
• Reinstitute Summer Camps program with specialization additions.
• Design and implement a mentorship/apprenticeship program for cadets

Finance
• Restructure financial plan to reduce operational expenses and maintain “value” for tuition paid by cadet families.
• Annual giving plan to be established to increase giving percentage and amount by alumni, parents and friends of the academy.
• Secure financing and planning to return the horses to campus.
• Budget for asset management.
• Create fiscal, operational and strategic security for NYMA within 2 years.

Development
• Targeted advertising and recruiting
• Increased enrollment

5 Year Plan

• Active, expeditionary learning model. NYMA cadets will be known as competent and broadly experienced to colleges and employers – highlighted by internships and mentorships
• Plan implemented for NYMA to become “go to” high school avenue for admittance to Service Academies and awards for ROTC scholarships.
• Targeted Scholarship Programs
• The military model as a key in the grooming of future leaders.
• Exclusive pairing of the IB curriculum with the military model
• Focused “track” program for individualized concentration
• Deep and broad foreign language curriculum for international focus.
• A self-sustaining troop program with the horses on campus.
• Highly developed ESL program and trained staff to attract international students.
• A “positive” and affirmative military culture of aspiration that will make NYMA stand head and shoulders at the top of the niche and as a first-tier choice for families looking at innovative education.
• An international presence and leader in education.
• Add civic responsibility component to curriculum requirements – community service projects.
• Increase staff salary scale to attract and retain highest quality educators at NYMA.
• Future administrative staffing to give preference to areas of operations that increase tuition (value to customer and increased visibility) and development income.
• Design zero-based operating budget around tuition income only
• Begin capital campaign to refurbish NYMA campus.

Alumni Relations

• Open “Alumni” relationships to include and involve former students who did not graduate.
• Redevelop outreach and involvement
• Defined roles and activation of class agents
• Increase and improve Communication
• Notify donors of the start up and completion of projects funded by restricted donations.
• Establish volunteer opportunities and innovative methods for involving alumni who do not reside locally.
o Mentorship Program
o Development/Recruiting participation
o Internship Programs with Alumni Owned Businesses
o Donations of goods and services
o Specialty based committees that will advise the Board and Superintendent on new and existing programs.
• Create networking program to open relations across generations and long distances.
• Provide a network for alumni owned or managed businesses.
• Set and reach annual gift goals.
• Provide alumni with updates on uses of unrestricted annual gifts and financial reports.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mothers Day

When my son was very young my husband asked me to look up information on New York Military Academy. He had heard Donald Trump graduated from NYMA and he wanted our son to attend school there. I found out it was located about an hour away from New York City. I gave him the information, realizing that it might mean our son might go to a boarding school and be separated from us on a daily basis in middle or high school.

When I began studying for the foreign service written exam, and later when I attended graduate school, I shared my keen interest in American History with my children, and my son began reading stories about Gen. George Washington. A general at my graduation suggested he read about more current generals, and he continued to read about Gen. Marshal. My son realized how important in society the military had been -- including the plan by Gen. Marshal to help rebuild Europe after WWII.

A few years ago, I decided to bring him to see the graduation ceremonies at West Point Military Academy. A very friendly young boy, he met one of the graduating cadets who allowed him to try on his hat. I explained to my son this was a great honor, because the young man had earned the right to wear his uniform.

The summer came, and my son attended for one week summer camp at NYMA. He learned navigation skills, military map reading, hiked, and made a friend in Maj. Torelli. Although we visited other academies, my son had a sense of loyalty for NYMA from his experiences that summer and he wanted to return as a full-time student. All year that was all he talked about. He proudly wore the NYMA t-shirt he received from camp.

For one year, in preparation for his application, he became more active in sports. He applied and was accepted at NYMA in September 2008. When I saw the smile on his face upon passing his initial tests to become a cadet I knew we had made the right decision to send him to boarding school at NYMA.

Throughout his two years he has learned to be more self-assured, more responsible. He is way ahead because he has had to learn to rely more and more on himself. But his learning curve, like other cadets who will have to leave, will be permanently altered, if NYMA suspends operations. While they are too young to know it yet, I am sure the entire corp will wonder someday what their life would have been like had they remained at NYMA.

Today is Mother's Day. It is a bittersweet day for me. You see what I loved about NYMA was embodied in the picture, on nyma's website, of a mother receiving flowers from her son. I would later learn that this happens on Mother's Day in a lovely ceremony for the leadership of the corp. Today, May 9th, 2010, the mothers of the leadership of the corp will miss getting flowers from their sons in this public ceremony because the event was cancelled due to lack of funds. It is a memory to cherish they will not have at NYMA, and chances are nor will I.

The qualities that NYMA possesses have tangible and intangible value. There is tangible value in the real estate that NYMA sits on, but the higher value is at serious risk of getting lost right now -- it is in the group of administrators especially Maj. Coverdale and Capt. Watts, in the TAC officers, especially Sgt. Brock, in the JROTC Program and Master Sgt. Bailey, in the teachers -- too many to name but I will mention Ms. Morhous and Maj. Morningfire because for me to leave them out would be inexcusable-- who care for my son as if he is their son too. I must stop here, because I will have to mention almost every person who works on the campus -- from the tailor, to the mess hall crew, to the business office. What a lovely group of people who have called NYMA their home and will now have to be dispersed! It is too sad for words!

But it is most sad for the Juniors who were poised to accept their earned leadership roles at NYMA, after listening, and learning, and doing the right thing -- they will not have a corp to help groom if things continue on the current path. And, there is so little time to make a difference. Soon, when the revenue stream has been halted there will be no going back. Cadets will need to register at another school for September and deposits will hold them unless an arrangement is made to refund their deposits if NYMA wins the battle to stay open. Teachers must grudgingly look for employment (and housing) somewhere else, and the entire orchestra of people at NYMA must separate.

Senior cadets are right now trying to pay attention to their studies as their school is under siege, with calls from interested real estate parties coming in. They must try to stay focused at a time when in their gut they probably realize that they would like nothing more but to contribute their energies to the fight to keep their alma mater open. As adults we must take up the fight for them now. For as they graduate from NYMA there is a distinct chance that they will be saying goodbye forever to the place where they called home -- their first home away from home in their lives. And it feels like a bittersweet victory. In just a few short weeks NYMA, as they know it, could disappear forever.

Doreen Denice Syed,
Parent of Cadet Ali Syed, 2014
Secretary of the Parents Auxiliary,
New York Military Academy