Category Archives: Opinion

Recognitions, Budget, and Resolutions

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

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 School District 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 →

Priorities, Direction Set …To Break Public Education

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The elections came and went. For some it was a drama, but for most it was no event. During his re-election campaign, governor Cuomo publicized his priorities and direction for the second term. Let’s review what his priorities are in education. Cuomo “What I will have thus far: Marriage quality, gun safety, on a different level pension reform, fiscal reform and education reform, teacher evaluation, performance.”… “These things are profound changes that 50 years … Continue reading →

Why I Refuse

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

#whyirefuse “High-quality assessments are an integral part of teaching and learning,”[1] wrote New York State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. “They provide useful feedback to teachers, parents and students. In New York, we haven’t increased the number of tests the state administers, and virtually all of the tests we give are required by federal law. Unfortunately, due to various pressures at the federal, state and local level, local testing has increased in many … Continue reading →

Professional Development Not Only for Educators

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

The post was updated 9/15 for the reflections on the first EdCampLI. In 2013, I attended various educational venues on Long Island, NY, and one of them was a pro Common Core presentation. The New York State Parent Teacher Association (NYS PTA) was sending Dr. Robert Aloise around school districts to explain the Common Core Initiative to parents. As it is common with top-down presentations and parent academies about the Common Core, Dr. Aloise … Continue reading →

STEM Education and The “Other” Education

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

This post has been updated on 8/15. See information at the end of the post. STEM STEM is a ubiquitous term that is used in … everywhere. After it was mentioned at the MUFSD BOE meeting I wanted to learn more about the origins, general development, and what it means in our local environment. Both kids being at their camps allowed me to use my quiet time for some summer reading and data compilation. … Continue reading →

Stakeholder Proposes A Search Committee

Malverne School District Community Posted on by

In general, the residents are not engaged in public school issues. They accept matters presented by the board and administration as given facts. They view them as prescribed by a higher authority from Washington, DC, to Albany, NY (in our case), to local districts without room for a debate. When they, eventually, raise a question, they hear easy answers: “It’s a law.” “It’s a mandate.” The reality is different, though. Engaged residents together with … Continue reading →

Awards Marathon, A Little of Business

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June BOE Meeting The Malverne Union Free School District (MUFSD) school board meeting took place at the H.T. Herber middle school auditorium. It was an evening full of award ceremonies. Teams and individuals were called to the podium in such a fast sequence that the board members were standing put and waited for arrival of the next group to take picture together. It’s a common practice in MUFSD to combine the BOE meetings with … Continue reading →