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Category Archives: Opinion

Prep and Testing Cycles Parents Have to Deal with

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

Earlier today, I sent the following email letter to parents whose children attend M.W. Downing school, Malverne, NY. Since it’s an elementary school hosting grades K–2 only, the children are not yet exposed to the NYS high-stakes tests. But it’s the prime time to be discussing, #parentcamp-style, how parents envision the future education of their children. Dear Parents, The preparation cycle comes to an abrupt end today. The contracts of the test prep services … Continue reading →

Parent at The Long Island Connected Educators Summit

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

At the entrance to the Howitt Middle School in Farmingdale, students welcomed the attendees to the free 2nd annual Long Island Connected Educators Summit (Twitter #CELI15) and ushered them to the tables with pre-printed badges. A table serving as an info booth and registration for EdCampLI that will take place on October 3rd was next. Tables around the corner offered typical morning refreshments, bagels, spreads, coffee, and hot water for tea. It was an … Continue reading →

My Blog Is Two Years Old

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

I launched this blog on March 22nd, 2013. I was inspired by a website launched in spring of 2012 by an anonymous group of Malverne UFSD activists in support of two candidates running for the board of education that year. Their site is now defunct. First, I paid attention to local matters only. My first post was “District 12 Information for 2013 Election.” In my naïveté, I thought that my perception of the school … Continue reading →

Low Participation in The Rally to Protect Our Schools

A handful of parents and teachers gathered next to the H.T. Herber school in Malverne, NY. They wanted to express their opposition to excessive testing, teacher evaluations tied to test scores, GEA, and schools privatization and closings.

Similar rallies took place across New York State in response to the action call by NYS Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE), entitled “Protect Our School.” But spontaneous rallies are being organized on a daily basis by parents without affiliation to any group. Parents gradually, one by one, come to realize that something is “fishy” about the “accountability” and “failing schools” slogans, especially here on Long Island. Then, it takes just few minutes of research to find out that multinational corporations together with “philanthropists” are funding the politicians of both leading factions and heavily “advertising” in media. Continue reading →

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Budgeting for The Race to The Top Instruction

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Increases vs. Cuts At the Malverne UFSD budget meeting, the administration presented to the BOE members and two residents in attendance the “instructional” part of the budget. There are approximately 200 line-items, A2010 through A2855, in this part, but only few will fit into this post. The selected line-items deal with test prep, test administration, equipment and supplies cuts, and data collection. There are many more interesting lines in the budget. For example the … Continue reading →

Recognitions, Budget, and Resolutions

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These were the topics of the Malverne school district BOE at their meeting in public on February 10th. Mrs. Shannon Kelley, HS teacher, and a group of staff were recognized for their grant request efforts to fund various programs. Kudos to them. Last year, they secured approximately $1 million and, this year, the grants could reach a similar amount. The administrative team presented a preliminary budget. It’s available on the district website. The district … Continue reading →

You May Suggest …Now

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After one month hiatus, the Malverne UFSD BOE held its meeting in public on January 13th. Certificates of recognition were awarded to athletes representing the district schools in various disciplines, followed by the music awards. Mr. Gilhuley, HT Herber middle school principal, presented the progress on the “K-12 SAT success”, program the district introduced last year. The presentation is available on the district’s website. The BOE approved an employee termination after a disciplinary hearing, … Continue reading →

I Have A Dream

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

Facebook is a convenient, readily available communication tool. But, unless the participants set a specific time for their session and a specific topic, it also can be a very frustrating and confusing tool that opens window to many misunderstandings. The closest simulation to a collaborative environment is a video conference, but individual speakers still may be plagued by technical problems or distracted by their surroundings. A couple days ago, a resident asked a few … Continue reading →

Malverne UFSD Investment Plan for 21st Century

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

Introduction In January, New York governor Cuomo announced the Bond School Technology Act and, in November, the $2 billion bond passed. It’s supposed to provide capacity for schools and classrooms to meet the demands of the 21st century, help students achieve and teachers teach, and ensure that New York’s students graduate with the skills they need to thrive. The bond focuses on high-speed broadband, STEM skills, high-quality, continuous professional development to teachers and principals. … Continue reading →

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