August 23, 2000

Bd of Ed Action Meeting Most Ill Attended In Years
Past Pres Grover Fed Up With Criticism

by Stewart Lilker

The August 23rd School Board action meeting was the most ill attended Board meeting in years. Most of those who can afford it have abandoned the district for private schools or moved out of Freeport to districts with better performing schools. The Board refuses to give up its secretive ways, refusing to realize that it is their Big Brother attitude that brought Freeport to be one of the worst performing districts in Nassau County.

At 7:30 p.m. on the dot, Board President Ellerbe gaveled the meeting to order. President Ellerbe told the public, "It’s a privilege to speak at a Board of Education meeting. All comments must be addressed to the president of the Board of Education president. If the meeting goes beyond 9:30 p.m. we will not allow the additional five minute at the end."

Resident Alan Jay was first to the microphone. Before Mr. Jay began to speak, Ellerbe twice reminded him that he was only to speak about agenda items. Mr. Jay gave his opinions about phonics. After inquiring about the Superintendent, the Board gave no explanation for her absence at yet another meeting, even though Superintendent Moffett is still on the payroll. Mr. Jay, not agreeing with the Board’s position that it was a privilege to speak at the conclusion of the meetings, said, "It’s a breech of the Constitution. We should be able to address the Board after the agenda."

Resident Lorna Lewis inquired about report cards. She voiced concerns, as she did last year, that the report cards were received to late after the conclusion of the marking periods.

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Tony Ciaglia responded, "The report cards will be out in a timely fashion, as well as interim reports. We’ve now redesigned our elementary report card. It’s going to be done manually in the buildings. We’ll have a faster turnaround in getting the information out. When the quarter closes, we will be able to get them out in a reasonable period of time.

Lewis said, "I would suggest that the Board define a reasonable period of time. A reasonable period of time is certainly not six weeks after the quarter ends, which is what happened at the high school."

Ciaglia replied, "I agree with you. We’re working to see that it is cut down dramatically."

Eloy Yndigoyen briefly addressed the Board, "I am disappointed by the fact that this Board is having so many meetings and yet the public is not notified. It is important to the community. Regarding the five minutes to speak at the end of the meeting. I think it is important that the Board reconsider its position."

After the Board breezed through the agenda, which as usual, was not made available the public before the meeting, Ellerbe read a prepared statement regarding the search for an interim superintendent and a permanent superintendent.

Board Attempts Another Round Table
Supporter Tells Residents To Leave

After Ellerbe completed reading the statement, which wasn’t made available to the handful of residents attending the meeting, he and the rest of the Board stood up as Ellerbe said, "We will now go into our roundtable forum." This format, which since its unannounced inception, has been largely criticized by the public, is clearly contrary to the intent of the NYS Open Meetings Law.

Board supporter Raab, stood up and told the few people who attended the meeting, "This is atrocious. I think we should all leave." When it appeared that the public was going to take Raab's lead and leave, the Board mumbled a few unintelligible words among themselves and sat back down in their seats, allowing Raab the "privilege" to address them. One of Raab's suggestions was to have the School Board newsletter, the Pride, translated into Spanish. Dr. Ciaglia said they would look into it. No member of the Board commented on this important issue.

Raab also inquired about the search for an advisor for the high school newspaper. Former Board President Renken, said, "In a county as large as this and a Village as large as Freeport, we should be able to find an advisor." Renken said that he thought the advisor could be a member of the public. Director of Personnel, Dr. Bediako said, "We do have people from the outside advising clubs."

When Raab inquired of the Board if there were any other meetings during the week, Bediako rushed to answer. She said, "There were meetings that took place which were emergency meetings. By law, the Board can call an emergency meeting and it should be public as much as possible, if you can." Even though Bediako's explanation flew in the face of New York State Open Meetings Law, the Board remained silent.

Board Begins Superintendent Search
Public Left Out Of The Loop

Eloy Yndigoyen came to the microphone and asked if Joyce Brown was looking for an interim superintendent or a permanent superintendent. Ellerbe responded that she was looking for both. Yndigoyen said, "You can't open the school without an interim superintendent. You're going to have to do a quick fix job. I think you're not telling us the truth. Perhaps, you already have somebody in mind for the job."

Board member Grover explained that the Board was accepting resumes from retired superintendents and the public would not have input in the process of that selection.

Employee Asks Board, "What Are Your Priorities?"

School employee, Robert McCallister, the head custodian of the Atkinson school addressed the Board. He explained that not only was he an employee of the district, but that he was also a resident. He said, "I would really like to know what the Boards priorities are for this district. I need to know, because I see major problems in buildings that are being neglected. I would like to know if you are aware of this?"

The Board sat in stunned silence, causing McCallister to ask again, "What are your priorities as a Board? I'm a resident also."

Ellerbe said, "You want to know what our priorities are? You are also making comments that there are other areas that we should be paying attention to?"

McCallister responded, "I feel that there are areas that need major attention, which are health and safety issues, that are not being attended to.

Ellerbe did not ask what those problems were. Instead, he asked, "Have you shared that information with anyone in the administration prior to tonight?"

McCallister said, "I put work orders in daily. I haven’t had a hot water heater in this building to heat water in the kitchen, since December. I really don’t think there is anything in the works for September. That means heating hot water with boilers. Putting teachers in hot rooms and having a major problem." McCallister suggested that the Board take some time and walk around the district's buildings to become familiar with the problems.

The Board remained mute. District Clerk Bediako said that this was the first time she was hearing this.

McCallister said that he had been putting in work orders since May, that explained that the hot water situation was a "health and safety factor because teachers were being cooked out of their rooms and we were wasting district money running boilers to heat hot water." McCallister then asked, "Will I have a hot water heater before school starts, so that I don’t have to heat the building to get water for the food supply?"

Bediako jumped in telling McCallister that this wasn’t the place to bring this up.

McCallister said, "It is, because I want to know if the Board is aware of what is taking place and I am a resident, so I have concerns." Bediako accused McCallister of not bringing the problem to the administration.

McCallister replied, "I’m very sorry to have to do this. Who is the school district? Is it the Board, or is it an individual?" McCallister then went silent and waited for an answer.

Shamed into speaking, Board President Ellerbe finally brushed McCallister off by saying, "Mr. McCallister is it? I appreciate you’re bringing this information to us. We’ll take this under advisement."

Board Member Grover, "I’m absolutely fed up."

Your reporter, who is also a resident of Freeport, then addressed the Board.

FNYN asked, "Can you tell me why you suddenly changed the meeting format." Ellerbe replied, "Excuse me." FNYN repeated the question. Ellerbe said, "The Board decided." Your reporter shared with Ellerbe that he couldn’t hear or see them speak about the change in format. Ellerbe said, "It was a decision of the Board." FNYN asked, did you speak among yourselves?" Ellerbe admitted a violation of the NYS Open Meetings Law when he said, "Yes we did."

Ellerbe then admitted that the notice for the August 21st, Monday night so called emergency meeting, wasn’t posted in a timely fashion. Both your reporter and a nearby resident inspected the windows of the district administration building on the 21st and were unable to find any posting. In spite of this, Ellerbe, claimed to have seen the notice.

It appears that the district is now seeing that the meeting notices are posted on all the district’s buildings.

FNYN asked, "Can you tell me why you are having trouble finding an in-house advisor for the school newspaper?"

Director of Personnel, Bediako replied, "I am not saying we are having trouble finding an in-house advisor. We have to advertise the position. We have a deadline. People are now applying. We will see if the people applying for the position are suitable."

FNYN asked, "Has anybody applied for the position?"

Bediako replied, "I have not received anything from the high school, yet. I’ll check."

Your reporter then asked the Board, "Has the Board discussed with Ms. Brown or anybody else, what you are looking for in an interim superintendent?"

Ellerbe replied, "In terms of what we are looking for, yes."

FNYN asked, "Where have you done that? I’ve been at the meetings. I’ve never heard the Board discuss what you are looking for. Not who, but what."

Ellerbe replied, "We have discussed it. In executive session."

It is clear from the opinions of the committee on open government, and well as the law itself, that the Board is required to discuss the "what" of what they are looking for in public. FNYN finds the secret discussions of the Board are particularly disheartening, in light of the fact that the newly elected Board member Coward, ran on a platform of compliance to the NYS Open Meetings Law.

Your reporter then suggested that the Board consider Dr. Robert Tucker, the newly retired principal of Lawrence Road Jr. High School in Uniondale, as interim superintendent. Later in the meeting, long time resident, Frank Tucker (not a relative), stating that he rarely agreed with your reporter, strongly seconded Tucker for the position.

Your reporter then asked what the Board was doing to straighten out the school district, particularly the high school, which has been in turmoil since the forced departure of former Principal, Mike Campbell. Your reporter shared with the Board the frustration of one high school junior who explained to FNYN that last year she had four guidance counselors; she’s been through three AP’s; she’s had three principals; five or six of her teachers have left; she said that the only person that was left who she trusted [AP Ernie Kite] was taken out of the high school.

At a previous Board meeting, your reporter mentioned that he had heard that Kite was being transferred out of the high school. Asst. Supt. Ciaglia, claimed at that time that Kite wasn't being transferred and then remarked, "Stew, stool pigeons have bad poop." Kite is now the AP at the Jr. High School.

The student also said that the whole office staff has changed; hall guards were hitting on the girls; the disciplinary system is not effective at the high school and she said that a lot of students went to the pond and came back into the high school, high.

Ellerbe answered that last year he met the dean at the pond and they are making frequent trips to that area and are monitoring the situation.

Your reporter said, "I just don’t want to know what you are doing at the pond, I want to know what you are doing to bring stability back to the district."

Grover, who has taken his child out of the public school, was somewhat agitated when he replied, "We now have a full time principal at the high school. Our security staff has increased. The security staff has gone through staff development. There is a district wide organizational chart for the security staff. There are a lot of new teachers in the district, but there will be evaluations for those teachers. This Board makes great efforts to make improvements to the schools."

Grover then said, "To tear us apart at every meeting and at every opportunity, I’m absolutely fed up with it."

Even though your reporter’s five minutes were up, Ellerbe allowed FNYN to respond to the remarks of Grover. "I don’t think I criticized anybody. I brought a list that a student gave me. I asked questions about the [Board’s] open meetings and the search [for the superintendent]. At times, somebody tried to respond to those questions. All I did was ask questions. I didn’t criticize you."

Meeting Ends On Light Note

Eloy Yndigoyen ended the meeting on a light note by recommending himself for superintendent. He thanked the Board for opening up the meeting for comments from the public and then implored them to act in an inclusive, rather than an exclusive manner.

Yndigoyen told FNYN that after the meeting, newly elected Board member Sunday Coward told him that the Board had already decided to go back to the old meeting format in September, that which allowed the public to address the Board after the agenda items.