The August 8th meeting of the Coalition for Glen Cove was held at Glen Cove City Hall. It was called to order by Donald Scarl. The meeting was attended by approximately 45 concerned community members--many current Coalition members and many interested and prospective members.
I. Guest Speaker:
Dr. Mary Ellen Freeley, Superintendent of the Glen Cove Schools, was invited to share her goals for our district, to answer questions and to listen to the concerns of members of the community.
Goals Dr. Freeley wants to work with the Coalition for the good of the community and for the good of the children of Glen Cove. Her immediate goals are as follows:
to bring positive news about our schools to the community on a regular basis. (Dr. Freeley has spoken to the editors of the two local newspapers about publishing a monthly letter in a Superintendent’s column.)
to ensure that our school budget is passed next May
Dr. Freeley reported that she has met with many staff and community members throughout the summer. She has listened to various "wish list" concerns, and looks forward to building and maintaining a strong bond between the school district and the citizens of Glen Cove. Dr. Freeley eagerly awaits the school opening when she will meet the entire staff and begin to regularly visit each building in order to become familiar with the student body.
Dr. Freeley agreed to answer questions and listen to concerns. The following represents a general summary of topics discussed.
General Discussion:
It was suggested that School Board meetings be televised in order for more people to be informed. Dr. Freeley reported that she is familiar with this policy upstate where it is more difficult for people to physically attend meetings. She stated that Board meetings belong to the Board, but that she would ask Board members to voice their feelings about this matter.
Citizens voiced a strong concern for understanding the reason(s) for the Budget defeat last May. Donald Scarl said that at this point the Coalition has not drawn any conclusions, but is carefully examining specific possibilities for the defeat, such as the accuracy of information sent to homes, number of registered voters who did not vote, the need for voter registration and apathy among voters. It was stressed that community members must be further educated as to the voting process itself. The Coalition feels that the community at large must have a vested interest in passing the budget.
Some participants expressed concern that our annual budget vote not be centered exclusively around the tax issue; it was explained that Proposition 13 in California has destroyed the school system by maintaining a lid on tax increases. It was stated that a thriving secure educational system must be paid for. Coalition members do not want to see a Tax-Pac issue in Glen Cove.
Concerns were heard regarding the increase in administrative salaries. Dr. Freeley suggested that the Glen Cove administrative salaries are average in comparison to salaries in Nassau County. Mike Swirnoff, a recently retired administrator, gave a brief history of this raise to clarify how it became part of the 1999 budget. Mike agreed to write up a response to the public’s concern about these raises.
The topic of School Board meetings was raised, as some participants felt that meetings are at times difficult to follow; much Board business is held during Executive Session which further detracts from the public’s understanding of the decisions made at meetings. People felt that the Board must be more frank and open with the public, and must listen more sincerely to the public’s concerns in order to gain and maintain trust. A suggestion was made to invite the School Board to an upcoming Coalition meeting to hear concerns. Additionally, it was suggested that the School Board Agenda be published on the district web site previous to each meeting.
Many participants voiced concern that a concerted effort be made to raise the awareness of the Glen Cove community in regard to the fine achievements of students at all levels. This could be achieved by:
1. welcoming visitors regularly to our schools
2. asking coordinators to make presentations at public meetings
3. communication with real estate companies in order to promote a positive image of our schools (Leslie Whitley has spoken with the Real Estate Board and Dr. Freeley intends follow up on this matter as well.)
4. organizing an Educational Forum in the community in conjunction with the city government (Janet Bates-Wilkins has agreed to work on developing this idea. Dr. Freeley has mentioned an Educational Forum to Mayor Suozzi as well. Dr. Freeley is also willing to speak to as many community groups as possible to promote further understanding of our schools and educational goals.)
5. continuing to publicize that our students are involved in community service; that they are learning important "people skills" as an important component of their education.
6. networking with important Glen Cove organizations such as AARP, Senior Center, La Fuerza Unida, etc. to promote accomplishments throughout the school year and to disseminate Coalition information
7. televising videos which showcase our schools, as was done during Dr. Murphy’s tenure as Superintendent
II. Organizational and related issues:
A. Membership: At this point the Coalition has 101 members. Chuck Kutruff has been sending thank you notes to members who have made donations.
B. Incorporation and Non-Profit Postal Status: Donald reported that he is still following up on these two issues and will report on them at the next meeting.
C. Charter Schools: The "Coalition Against Charter Schools" has met under the leadership of Gloria Wagner. It will meet again on August 10th.
D. Website: The Coalition website is almost ready to open. Scott Goldberg has been working on its organization.
E. Public Relations: Phyllis Spector has agreed to interview school personnel to publicize school activities in our local papers.
F. Voter Registration: Janet Bates-Wilkins reported that a voter registration drive will take place in September, and that Pat Blanco of La Fuerza will help coordinate this effort with NAACP, AAAC, EOC, and the Interagency Council.
The next meeting of the Coalition for Glen Cove will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12th at City Hall in the City Council Chambers.
The Glen Cove Board of Education will meet at 8 p.m. on Monday, August 28th. The meeting will be held in the library at the high school.
Respectfully submitted,
Ronnie Lavine