Bethpage-Tribune_1973-07-19

              BETHB^GE rattWUBMW
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BtTHPAGt Lia
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B E T M P A G t NY I 1714
OLDfiErtiWCE
also serving ISLAND TREES
PtAINVIEW PLMh€DGE *** SEAFORD
WS#NO;35 Thursday, July 19,1973 10 cents per copy
Truancy Major Problem at Plainedg e
EAST MEETS WEST: Senator John V. Tunney of California (left)
receives a hardy welcome from BUI Deeley, Democratic Candidate
for County Executive (center), and Town of Oyster Bay Councilman
PRODUCTIVITY... Nassau County Executive Ralph G. Caso (stan­ding,
second from right) looks over the program of productivity
seminar conducted by Cornell University in cooperation with Nassau
County's productivity project team. The seminar was held in
Salisbury Restaurant. With Caso (seated, left) are Robert McKersie,
dean of the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations
at Cornell, Vincent Macri, the project director (standing), and Basil
Whiting, the program officer for the Ford Foundation. Nassau
County is the first county in the nation to get state, federal and Ford
Foundation grants for a special productivity study. Caso said that,
"simply put, productivity is the better use of resources to achieve
Edith C. Ialeggio of Plainview (left) is congratulated on her
reelection to the Board of Directors of the Long Island Public
Relations Association by State Senator John D. Caemmerer (cen­ter),
East Williston, and LIPRA's incoming President Howard
Blankman, Port Washington.
Caemmerer administered the oath of office to LIPRA's newly
elected officers and directors at the organization's annual in­stallation
dinner at the Fox Hollow Inn, Woodbury.
Mrs. Ialeggio is Director of Community Relations for channel 21
(WL1W-TV), the Long Island public television station.
Discipline at Plainedge High
School was the principal matter
of discussion at the July 12, 1973
meeting of the Plainedge Board
of Education.
Stating that "the discipline
policies of the High School have
been very effective," a remark
greeted with reactions bordering
on disbelief, Dr. Brown, Prin­cipal
of Plainedge High went on
to create a paradox by
simultaneously admitting that
"more flexibility" and "con­structive
alternatives to
suspension" were urgently
required to solve present
problems.
Dr. Brown, Who met with the
board in a twenty-minute closed
door session prior to making a
comment, said that he
s in policy"
^^^^^^^^^^ ore" beneficial.
to students."
According to Or.- Brown, the
top penaltytor-nabitual offenders
of school policy; is suspension,
which he said has "proven to be a
vacation" for some. He said he
was speaking specifically of
"illegal absences' and that it was
solely this "particular area" that
he was stressing.
When asked what the "alter­natives"
to suspension would be,
Brown, sitting at the head table
with the board members,
responded by saying that the
specific alternatives "were not
yet set."
However, he hinted that it
might be the loss of academic
credit.
Frank Corrado, an un­successful
candidate for the
Plainedge Board in last month's
election, challanged Brown'
statement on existing
disciplinary policies being ef­fective
with the fact that the
police are often present at the
High School.
"The police come for various
reasons," said Brown, "but that
doesn't indicate lack of
discipline...Many •times it's due to
the kids popping a lot of pills."
Acting School Superintendent
Gerald Bretton emphasized that
there is "less vandalism this year
than in the year prior."
Nevertheless, in cases of
habitual truancy or excessive
illegal absences, Brown told the
35-member audience that district
taxpayers were "being taken for
a ride" as illegal absences
translated into a considerable.,,
loss in state aid. At present, said'
Brown, there are one to two
suspensions in force each school
day out of a high school
population of 1,700 students.
Asked to comment on the
concept of instituting seminars
rather than relying on the use of
substitute teachers, as higi schools
students traditionally "cut,v
classes more often when they are
aware of the presence of sub­stitutes,
Brown said that such
programs have their "pros and
cons and are very hard to set up
and administer, -although a
by Rkhard Wood
monetary savings is often in­volved."
Acting Superintendent
Bretton added that no matter
what new system is adopted, the
burdens and associated
responsibilities will now be
placed on the teachers and
central administration as well as
students. There will be pressure
on the teachers and ad­ministrators,
said Bretton, "to
report absences...which in many
cases is not being done now."
MATHEMATICS, CONTRACTS
AND COMMITTEES
In other matters,' the board
approved the creation of a
"General Mathematics II"
course, for the High School. The
new course is designed primarily
for students previously enrolled
in the shop and business math
„. courses. The course, whieh-wi«-
inclode pre-migebra and solid
geometry, will be an "improved
second year course for students
in non-regents programs" ac­cording
to Mr. Bretton.
The board also tabled a motion
for a change in the contract of ex-
School Superintendent John
Rinehart. The board wished to
obtain legal advice prior to
disposing of ' possible
modifications to his contract. No
further explanations were of­fered
at the time.
Additionally, the board said it
was actively soliciting volunteers
for the district's, three citizens
committees. The recruitment
action, announced by Trustee
Russ Weber, victor over in­cumbent
James Walsh in last
month's elections, involved the
Public Relations, Finance, and
Curriculum Committees.
New School Board President
Franklin J. McGrath added that
consideration would be given to
past volunteers who were not-previously
nominated.
McGrath's ascendancy to the
board's presidency occurred on
July 5, 1973, the result of
Dominick Gagliardo's surprise
and inexplicable withdrawal of
his own nomination. McGrath
and Gagliardo have been at odds
with each other, leading at least-two
members of the audience to
whisper suspicions that perhaps
a McGrath-Gagliardo deal was
made oyer the vacant Superin-tendent's
position.
GRADUATION: WHERE ART
THOU?
At the board's next public
session, to be held on Thursday
evening, August 16th, discussion
will center on the physical
location for next year's senior
class graduation.
It was more than apparent that
the Plainedge Board wasn't
giving much thought to asking
the seniors for their opinions until
"a number of parents strongly
recommended that the young
men and women be at least
consulted, if not let solely decide
themselves.
It appears that the board leans
towards holding next year's
ceremonies in an outside, air-conditioned
facility to make,
according to Dominick
Gagliardo, the exercise "a more
memorable occasion." However,
a questionnaire distributed to last
year's junior and senior classes
indicated that the students
favored holding commencement
exercises at the High School by a
2-1 vote.
It appears to be primarily a
'generation gap' problem as the
board seems to favor protection
against the elements, com­fortable
air-conditioning, in­creased
seating capacity for
guests and avoidance of any
inconvenience.
The kids on the other hand, as
evident by the results of the
' questionnaire, seem to favor
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add fives.
As one woman said in response
to Gagliardo's comment, "who
should it be more memorable'
for? The board and parents or the
children themselves? After all,
its their graduation, not ours'
We've all had ours."
Nevertheless, the August 16th
meeting will introduce the
graduation topic only in the
context of whether or not the
seniors will be consulted, as if—
that shouldn't have already been
a foregone conclusion.
As another woman said, "Don't
be surprised if none of the kids
show up for next year's
graduation. It just might happen
if you fail to consult them first."
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