Coalition for Glen Cove Minutes

Monday, November 8, 2004

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 7:30 PM

Invited speaker Michael Grifin, Glen Cove Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Grants spoke on Investing in the Community and the School District

            If the school district succeeds then the community will benefit.

            Dr. Griffin met with the Interagency Council and was impressed.

            The Boys & Girls Club hired a Glen Cove teacher, Beth Wilding, for the After School Program.  This creates a level of communication from the school district to the Boys & Girls Club.  The children will be bused to the Boys & Girls Club.

Class sizes are too high – Dr. Griffin’s concerns are

            Lower the class size on secondary level.

            Lower the class size from PreK to 3^rd grade.

            Additional ESL and bilingual staffing.

Dr. Griffin is also concerned that there is no money in his budget for staff development.  He would also like to see a districtwide textbook code.

Administrative Goals

            Principals, Assistant Principals, Coordinators and Chairs have developed an Action Plan. The goal is to increase student achievement

21^st Century Grant - This grant includes both the school district and other community agencies.

            ESL Program – Saturdays for 20 weeks, 2 hours a day.

            ESL Summer School enhancement

The district’s Student Information System will track these students.

Question:  Can the parents be involved with the 21^st Century Grant program?  Dr. Griffin said that it would be considered.

Discussion:  Adult Education Program – Roslyn and Locust Valley Adult Ed Program does not cost taxpayers any money.  It brings the parents of our students into the schools and also brings in voters.

Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) – This program includes college course credits, a curriculum and site visits by professors.  Students could also take the AP Exam, for example, AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, etc. 

Fifth graders

            Have the fifth graders in the third/fourth grade elementary schools.

            The buildings will have permanent construction, rather than modules.

            Modules could be around the buildings but they might not be classrooms.  The modules could be music, offices, etc.

            The money will be used by Performance Contracting.

Discussion:  There were rumors about the fifth graders moving to a trailer park.  The district needs to discuss this with the community before the gossip gets out.

Middle school

            Seventh grade honor students will be taking Math A.

            Computer Literacy Program – only 1/3 of the students are in this program.  The other 2/3 are in music and chorus.  The program integrates technology with academics.

High school

Peer Mediation Program

Middle School

ELA BOCES coaches are excellent teachers who are retired.

Discussion:  AP classes do not have enough minority students

            Why minority students are not in AP classes?

            Is this a district philosophy?

                        It is the districts responsibility to bring in minority students to AP classes.

How do we change the philosophy?

It should be the objective of the administration to change the philosophy.

            Don Scarl asked Dr. Griffin that, if he had a meeting with administrators about not having enough minority students in AP classes, could Beverly Granger, Fred Moore and Sean Dwyer speak with the administrators.  He would consider it.

Submitted by Bob Desiano