Here's the scoop on what readers were discussing and debating on Patch this week. You can click the links to the particular Sound Off to leave a comment on a topic. You can also vote in all of this week's polls at the bottom of this article.

Monday: Should School Funding Be Linked to Teacher Evaluations?

The Daily News reported Monday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo, under pressure from the feds, is considering tying a portion of school state aid to implementation of a new teacher evaluation system. We asked if you agreed with that move and 59 percent of readers voted "No." 

Reader comment: "Remember how another Cuomo said he was going to fix things by creating LIPA. That worked out really well. Look out for this guy, despite cutting funding for health care, they find money for funny projects. The politicos will attack anyone to divert attention from there failures. The reason some schools fail is a lot more complex then just teaching. Kicking disruptive students out for one. One bad apple can wreck a class learning envirorment.- William Swiskey Sr.

Tuesday: What's Your Cat's Name?

Last week we had readers tell us about their dogs and share photos of their beloved pooches with us. This week, it was all about the cats as readers posted the names of their furry friends and uploaded photos to our gallery. 

Reader comment: "My Puddie Van Gogh is a rescued kitty. He is the most affectionate cat I ever had. His eyes reflect that love. He greets me in the morning by watching to see my eyes open. His left ear was quite clipped, hence the second part of his name."- paintsflowers

Wednesday: What Do You Think of the Blackout Protest Over Anti-Piracy Bills?

Many popular websites, including Wikipedia and Reddit, went black on Wednesday to protest two bills proposed in Congress: the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). 

Both SOPA and PIPA are meant to attack the problem of foreign websites that sell pirated or counterfeit goods, according to The Washington Post. We asked readers what they thought of the bills and 83 percent voted "This legislation goes too far."

Reader comment: "While content theft is a legitimate issue, neither SOPA nor PIPA are the solution. I fully support Wikipedia and other sites, as both pieces of legislation would put an unfair burden on internet businesses and service providers, damage the structure and security of the internet, and develop a web censorship system controlled by the United States government. None of these effects are conducive to the ideals of liberty or prosperity, and to that end the legislation must be shot down."- Jacob Henner

Thursday: Giants or 49ers?

The New York Giants are a win away from the Super Bowl. 

After barely sneaking into the playoffs, Big Blue has hit its stride at the right time and a victory this Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers will give the Giants a shot for their second Super Bowl title in the past five years. We asked readers to pick the winner of this weekend's big game and voters took the Giants by a margin of 56-43 percent. 

Reader comment: "I think it's going to be a real close game I live in NY but it's San Fran baby!!!!"- PNC