Bethpage-Tribune_1974-03-14

              BETHB»GE
OLD BETHBOGE
usam
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also serving ISLAND TREES
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORO
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KNIGHT'S GUEST: District Attorney William Cahn was the guest
speaker at a Communion Supper of the Knights of Columbus Rev.
Michael J. Hartigan Council No. 5033 held March 3. (L to R) Grand
Knight William J. Pinto, D.A. Cahn, Father Eugene McManus, ass't
pastor of St. Martin of Tours Church; Father Matthew Vanissery.
Plainview decides
The Board of Education in the
Plainview-Old Bethpage School
District finalized plans Monday
night, March 11, for the closing of -
four elementary schools in the
next five years. This cutback of
schools is the largest reduction to
date on Longlsland, and climaxes
two years of study of alter­natives
by the Board, Superin­tendent
of Schools, staff and
community.
The school closings were
prompted by a projected
enrollment decline from the
present 9,333 to approximately
6,709 in 1978-79. Plainview School
District presently has 8
elementary schools, 2 junior high
schools and 2 senior high schools.
The action by the Plainview
Board followed closely recom­mendations
made earlier by Dr.
Robert F. Savitt, Superintendent
of Schools. By the fifth year, all
Plainview schools will be
organized on a K-4 elementary, 5-
8middle school and 9-12 high
school pattern,. replacing the
present K-3,4-6,7-9,10-12 pattern.
Timetable for the closing of the
schools is: Fern Place, July 1,
1974; Oak Drive and Central Park
Road, July i; 1976; and Joyce
Road, July 1978. The recom­mendations
of the Superintendent
of Schools were identical, except
that Dr. Savitt had suggested the
closing of the Central Park Road
School in 1978 rather than in 1976.
At Monday nights meeting, the
Board voted.-to make the Fern
Place School available on July 1
for leasing to BOCES or some
other educational organization .
The Board indicated that
decisions relative to use of other
vacated buildings would be made
by the end of the calendar year
preceding the planned closing.
Based on the Roper Community
Attitudinal Study, priority will be
given to using vacated buildings
for a comprehensive community
center serving youth and adults,
for lease and sale and for
alternate educational use.
, Board President Jay M.
Bernstein estimate that "for each
year a school building is closed,
there is approximately a $250,000
savings plus additional income if
a school is leased. For example,
by closing Fern Place in 1974-75,
savings of approximately
$1,250,000 can be realized in the
next five years. Depending upon
the use of the four buildings no
longer required for regular
educational purposes, it is
possible the community can save
a total of three million dollars
over the five year period. These
monies could be used to minimize
tax increases resulting from
spiraling operational and in­structional
costs and to support
and expand educational
programs."
Dr. Savitt stated that the long
range plan approved, provides
many opportunities for im­proving
curriculum and services
for students. "Class sizes would
be in keeping with existing
practice and plans call for con­tinuation
and expansion of
smaller classes in Extended
Readiness in the elementary
schools. Also, desirable Facilities
and spaces will be available in
the elementary schools for art,
music, learning disabilities and
instructional resources. The five
year reorganization, plan was
designed to make full use of the
facilities in the two junior and
senior highschools."
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Bethpage School Board Report
By Mary McCutcheon and Lorraine Carley
The regular monthly meeting
of the Bethpage Board of
Education was held Tuesday,
February 19, with all board
members present with the ex­ception
of Mr. Iannello. (Lee
Hilton was appointed by the
Board of Education in January to
fill the vacant seat of the late Mr.
Herman Slavin, until June 30)
Board President Anthony J.
LoFaso called the meeting to
order at 8:15 PM. The first order
of business was the approval of
the minutes of January 17 and
January 24. -
Psychological Testing
Board member Elizabeth
Regan questioned the validity of
a psychological test that had been
conducted recently in the junior
high,
. The psychological; teste From
California were given by a
psychological intern working in
the district. Two groups of
students were involved — the
first group included any student
who had been retained for a year,
from kindergarten to 8th grade;
the second group consisted of
students never retained and they
were matched to the first group
by I.Q., age and sex.
The purpose of the testing was
to gain a deeper insight into why
some students fail and are left
back. Students names were not
used on the tests.
Mrs. Regan took exception to
many of the questions involved in
the 480 questionnaire, spe­cifically
questions pertaining to
sexuality, morality and home
life. Many questions were in the
past tense and were geared for an
older student. She .questioned
also, why the parents whose
children were retained received
only a letter advising them of the
testing, with no permission slip to
be returned to Mr. O'Connell,
while the parents of the second
group received a similar letter
but with a permission slip to be
returned.
Mrs. Regan stated that- any
student involved in any type of
testing should have a permission
slip from the parent, since the
letters to the parents indicated
the testing was for the good of the
student.
She claimed that the slips used,
however, failed to inform the
parents that the psychological
intern was conducting the testing
to complete a paper for her
masters degree. Mrs. Regan
argued that many of Our students
are being used as guinea pigs and
some without their- parents
consent -- "Some parents are
extremely naive — they trust the
administration completely, for
the, good of their child. jpar.
should be awaire'tbalt they have
every right to say *nd'to this type
of testing," she said.
Dr. Larsen, Superintendent of
Schools, answering some of Mrs.
Regan's questions said he was
not aware.O'Connell had sent out
any letters without permission
slips. Regarding the testing, Dr.
Larsen noted that the school psy­chologist
approved them and
supervised the intern using them.
Dr. Larsen claimed that the
school district gains information
as to why some students fail in
relation to why another group of
students strive to achieve suc­cess.
He said the district,
routinely trys to .cooperate with
the psychologist's tests and has
done so for years.
LoFaso indicated that the
problem here was whether the
testing produced negative or
positive value to the educational
system and also> if these tests^
were^inadequate, perhaps other"
tests would give more
meaningful information.
An input was received by the
Board of Education from a
taxpayer in the audience, who
claimed to be a certified
psychologist, working both in a
school district in a clinic. He
stated that the 480 psychological
questionnaire is designed for an
age group of 13 and over. He
proceeded to read from compiled
data that was critical of the test,
indicating that most of the Cali­fornia
psychological test scales
are poor scales.
He strongly emphasized that
permission should have been
received from all parents of
students participating. Although
he found nothing wrong with the
intern, conducting the test, he
emphasized the need to utilize the
information and extend it, noting,
"you have to do something with
the results for the benefit of the
in the test concerning Sexuality,
morality, can be risky, if you are
dealing with some younger stu­dents
who's stability is
questionable.:.some of these
questions are open-ended." He
felt that if this type of testing is to
be done properly, it should be
done on a one-to-one basis. An
older student may not be affected
by this particular testing, he
added.
Mr. Gorman felt this school
district is fast to throw students
into testing but would never
consider subjecting members of
the administration or teaching
staff to these tests.
Dr. Larsen informed the Board
that under the Education Law,
the administration can run tests
for any students who are con­sidered
under achievers.
Discussion continued regard­ing
the concern of parents of both
under and over achievers. The
self-professed psychologist in the
audience contended that parents
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Mid-Island Girl Scouts celebrate 20th anniversary
County Executive- Ralph G.
Caso has designated this week
March 10-16, as Girl Scout Week
in Nassau County. In recent
ceremonies at his office he noted
that 1974 marks the 62nd An­niversary
of the founding of Girl
Scouts of the U.S.A., and lauded
Girl Scout efforts over the years
to "build better relationships
among persons of all ages,
religions, races, and
nationalities".
Yesterday, March 13, Mid-
Island Council Girl Scouts, their
friends, and county officials
inaugurate "New Directions
74". This four phase program
will engage Girl Scouts in im­portant
civic projects, give
needed services to members of
the community, and allow Scouts
to create new climate of un­derstanding
about some of the
"Now" issues facing women in
the next decade, said a GirlScout
spokesman.
There is also causes for local
celebration,; all during the year,
Mid-Island scouts will observe
the 20th anniversary of their
Council's incorporation. "Bring a
Friend to Scouting", Com­memorative
Scrapbooks,
Recognition Day,, and a special
cocktail party in December will
highlight this "Twenty Years at.
Mid-Island Council" celebration":
"Young girls, young adults,
and all our members and
potential members have the need
to understand their own image;
to develop self-awareness, and
interpersonal awareness.
Realizing that women want to
know and be exposed to more,
Mid-Island Council is offering a
series of seminars beginning the
week of March 18, and running
con-currently at the Bethpage
Methodist Church, and the
Plainedge and Jericho Libraries.
These seminars are open to any
and all interested persons, free of
charge. Topics include Women in
Politics, New Careers, and
Identity Crisis.Because we live in
a time of radical transition and
changing values, we believe
these seminars will be of interest
to all women aneh bring many
more exiting and interesting
*people into Girl Scouting," added
spokesman Mrs. Howard
Rosenberg.
An integral part of Scouting is
giving service to the community.
-Mid-Island Council is now
actively engaged in seeking out
new service areas for our Scouts
with the Burwood Home For the
Blind, Nassau County Blood
Bank, the St. Joseph Indian
School and Tackapausha
Preserve.