Category Archives: Opinion

Parents in process of realizing their stakes in public schools

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

  Public meeting of parents A group of parents (PTA) met to chat about issues related to Davison Ave school on January 17th. The meeting attracted about 20 parents and two administrators—no teacher was present. At the opening, the speaker recalled past events, expressed compliments on how the SEPTA holiday event was organized (in December at DAV), praized their committee on the movies selection, and their new idea to invite families to take holiday … Continue reading →

Conferences are for growth I (NYSSBA)

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

NYS School Board Association conference This post consists of bits of info shared at the annual NYSSBA conference October 14th, 2017. One always learns something new or delves deeper into something already known at a conference. The conferences are for growth. If attending is not possible, one can follow the conference online and read reflections of bloggers. The presenters, educators, administrators, and school board members share their thoughts on issues they are facing at … Continue reading →

How to engage parents in public schools

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

School leaders who are genuinely trying to engage parents always find an opportunity to do so. They learn at conferences, seminars and professional developments. They understand that by engaging parents they engage the entire community of stakeholders. Parents assigned to various tasks at their schools create a collaborative school culture and share school practices with the general public. The previous post revealed how school leaders can use PTA meetings to evaluate how parents perceive … Continue reading →

Weekend rich in events, EdCampLI October 14, 2017

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

The weekend of October 14th was extremely rich in events. On Saturday, the crowds participated in the Malverne HS homecoming parade and/or in the October festival that took place at the Crossroad farm. Some residents also visited an open house at the Kellenberg HS. On Sunday, the Malverne Educational and Fitness Foundation held its 13th annual Malverne 5K run for education. In addition to preparations for the Malverne 5K run, I found time for … Continue reading →

School Board Committees—Publicly Accessible for A Reason

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

Every year at the beginning of the school, parents and school staff ask themselves how the new year will go. The parents ask where they can help and the administrators ask how to get more parents involved in the life of the schools. Where there is a will there is a way. Both groups can find answers in the form of shared decision-making (also called site-based) and board committees. Although public schools have been … Continue reading →

July, Start of A New School Budget Cycle

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

The abridged version of the following post, titled “The school budgeting process needs public input,” appeared in LI Herald on August 10th, 2017. (In print only). Here is the full text of the article, including references. Every year, school district communities across the New York State develop budgets for the public schools. Their efforts culminate in winter by a series of workshops before the budget vote in May. At the end of June, adjustments … Continue reading →

Comparing Ethical Norms of Public School Communities

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

Under the influence of the current accountability trend, The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) aligned its methodology of evaluating superintendents and school boards to the HEDI matrix. (A sample of the matrix as used by NYSED is pictured). The 18-page evaluation guidelines are available on the association’s website. The NYSSBA guidelines evaluate more aspects than the matrix. The association added fields dedicated to the quality of the community-school board relationship and the … Continue reading →

NYS ESSA Plan comments

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

On Saturday, June 10th, I attended a public hearing on the NYS ESSA plan. Next to the last of the 13 hearings scheduled across the state. Each state has to submit to the federal DOE how they envision to meet the federal requirements. The plans have to be submitted by September 18th. The NYSED worked out a 159-page draft. The first draft at this time. I did my part as a parent participating in … Continue reading →

School Board Committees—the “public” in public education

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

At the beginning of February, I reposted in our local FB group dedicated to schools a picture from a vigil held in Port Washington. Some time passed by until a couple of days ago I read an article entitled “Have We Lost Sight of the Promise of Public Schools?,” by Nikole Hannah-Jones, published in the New York Times. The article enticed me to develop the facts I learned behind the picture into a story … Continue reading →

Spotlight Public and Peers

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

The January Malverne school board meeting brought two presentations. One informed the school board members about the school district facilities, the other depicted how Malverne teachers collaborate and organize their work. Any presentations are always welcome entertainment, as they cut the boredom of the school board reading sessions. First. Spiro Colaitis, the assistant superintendent, reported on facilities upkeep, bathroom upgrades, aerial (drone) surveillance, commemorative bricks, and the new fence in front of the high … Continue reading →