50.0°,
Overcast Good grades for Dist. 15 board but room to improve
By Michael Orbach
Issue of May 15, 2009 / 21 Iyar 5769
So really, how is the school board doing?
According to two school principals The Jewish Star spoke to, Geoffrey Touretz of Lawrence High School and George Akst of Lawrence Middle School, the school board received a B-minus to a B-plus.
Dr. Ann Pederson, Principal of the Number Four school declined to give a grade.
”We’re an early education center, we don’t give grades,” Pederson said with a good-natured laugh. Instead, she said the board should be judged by their accomplishments and pointed out that the Lawrence school system provides an full day pre-K program, far beyond the New York State mandate of only two and a half hours a day.
“I see the value and its impact is enormous,” explained Pederson. “It’s such a wonderful decision and I see 150 four-year olds benefit from that daily. In an emotionally charged environment you look to what the facts are.”
All three principals praised the school board’s activities and the support they’ve received from its members. Each principal spoke about how the school board members make themselves available, but use a hands-off approach that does not include micro-management.
Outward signs indicate that the Lawrence school system is doing exceedingly well. The scores of the English Language Arts test for the middle school increased 18 percent, nearly double the statewide increase of nine percent. The graduation rate in the high school increased from 77 to 89 percent. The budget has also remained stable, whereas neighboring Hewlett-Woodmere's budget has recently jumped close to 20 percent.
“It’s hard for me to say that the high school has been successful and the board hasn’t been a part of it," said Touretz.
The principals credited the board for the capital improvement initiative that will spend $17 million on capital improvements — proceeds from the sale of the Number One school building, the first renovation the school buildings have seen in the last twenty years. The capital improvements will include buildings ramps and elevators, upgrading audio visual equipment in the auditoriums, and installing all weather turf and lighting for the football field, among other projects. Despite tight finances, Touretz said that they haven’t had to cut any athletics and that they’ve increased the number of clubs available to students. While the budgets have passed, the principals collectively noted that finances are strict.
“The budgets are modest but they’ve passed and I think as the board becomes more comfortable with the public schools, they’ll realize we’re a good investment and we’ve done well with the funding we received and that we’ve watched costs, been prudent, and there may be opportunities to expand the horizons,” said Touretz.
All three principals agreed that the area that needs the most improvement is communication.
“Maintaining open communication is what’s critical to preventing miscommunication,” said Pederson, who was a conflict resolution trainer before her position as a principal.
George Akst, who has worked in the district for nine years, first as the head of math and science before becoming principal, said that he believes communication is the heart of the conflict between the school board and some parents.
“It hasn’t been the greatest in terms of communications. And because you don’t communicate you have all these misperceptions and there is no trust.
Once you lack trust everything is shot to heck,” Akst explained.
In addition, there are many individuals who do not attend board meetings who are very concerned.
“Just because they don’t show up at a board meeting and yell into a microphone doesn’t mean they’re not concerned,” Akst said.
Touretz said that the extreme nature of the opposition occassionally blocks any possibility of dialogue, though he added that “the board can do a far better job in communicating its mission and demonstrating its concern.”
He suggested that having a board based on demographics may be helpful.
“What would be best is for the Board of Education to be made up of a diverse group of trustees who truly reflect the total diversity of our community,” said Touretz.
Though, in the words of one principal, one thing seemed to be certain.
“The only way that our schools and communities will move forward is if this rift can heal.”
Related stories:
District 15 Candidate Profiles
