Here’s the New York Times earlier this week with two of its four suggestions for New York State’s public education system:

Personnel costs are skyrocketing. Outside New York City, the cost of pensions, health insurance and others benefits for workers has been increasing about 10 percent a year since 1998, according to the State Department of Education. The Legislature over the years has sweetened benefit packages as a way of rewarding teachers or other workers. Mr. Cuomo should push for regional collective bargaining instead of district by district. The goal should be pensions and health care systems for government workers that are more like those in the private sector…

There are too many separate school districts — about 700 ranging from New York City, with 1,700 schools, to others that have fewer than 200 students. Consolidation could save money and even enhance curriculum.

Wow. When the New York Times advocates emulating private industry for pension and health care costs, you know times are a changin’. And that school consolidation suggestion? NY State has 2.74 million kids in about 700 school districts. NJ has 1.38 million kids in about 600 school districts. No need for the Garden State and the Empire State to play “biggest loser,” but New York is smoking us in the efficiency department. Time for some educational New Year’s resolutions…

Meanwhile, have a great one and I’ll be back next week.