The Observer 6

              EDITORIAL: i ft n c
Lets All Work Together
A District 22 Board of Education motion to
be ready in case the teachers decided to strike
was defeated by a narrow 4- 3 margin at Mon­day's
School Board meeting.
The motion, if passed, would serve no purpose
except to possibly make the teachers react es­pecially
since there have been no problems in the
past.
The proposal would seem to hit at the capa­bility
of the school administration.
It would appear that if anything could be done
in the case of such an eventuality, the three
board members who voted for the idea, didn't
reflect the kind of confidence in their superin­tendent
of schools that should exist.
We think that the administration should do
everything possible in such a situation.
Why rock the boat in what is admitted as a
good board- teacher relationship?
This editor and publisher would like to express
her gratitude for the many kindnesses and sound
business advice offered to the Observer publica­tions
by Joe Merendino and his fine staff at
Merlin Printing Co., 132 South Front Street,
Farmingdale, and for the generosity expressed
by the staff of the Farmingdale Post. The Farm­ingdale
Observer and the Massapequa Observer
were printed this week at Merlin Press in Farm­ingdale.
Beginning next week with the Thanksgiving issue,
our newspaper will be printed in Smithtown, which
is operated by Bernard Paley. This modern
printing plant is housed in a beautiful Colonial
building and stands high on a hill.
Our non- holiday schedule will require all copy
at Observer offices by Tuesday at 5 P. M. For
the special holiday issue of November 28, copy
deadline is Monday at 5 P. M.
Mrs. Naugle Retires; Library
Beard New Without Clerk
A split two to two vote by the
Farmingdale Library Board has
left the Board of Trustees with­out
a clerk to take notes and
transcribe minutes of future
meetings. Library Director Orrin
Dow's recommendation of Mrs.
Alice Schinina, to replace Mrs.
Mary A. Naugle who is retiring,
was defeated due to the lack of
a majority vote. Opposed to the
recommendation were Trustees
Carl Gorton and Warren Altmann,
both of whom objected to the pro­posed
salary of $ 70 a month.
Board president Robert Callahan
and trustee lone Musa voted for
Mrs. Schinina's appointment. The
fifth trustee, Dr. Albert Meyer-stein,
was not present.
Library Director Dow explain­ed
that the position requires more
responsibility than that of an
average stenographer, and point­ed
out that special meetings often
required extra work at no ad­ditional
salary.
A proposal by the Director to
continue the Public Affairs lec­ture
series was also defeated due
to the same deadlock. Gorton and
Altmann stated that the limited
attendance did not justify the cost.
Callahan and Mrs. Musa voted for
the proposal on the grounds that a
series of three lectures which had
just been completed were stim­ulating,
and that programs such
as these were a proper function
of the library. During the public
participation, many people in the
audience expressed their disap­pointment
at the loss of the series
since they had found the previous
series interesting and informa­tive.
Mrs. Lucille Rosen, a member
of the Citizens Advisory Commit­tee
to the library board, objected
to a statement in a flyer dis­tributed
by DEBT which con­tended
that the committee had
overwhelmingly r e j e c t e d the
mezzanine. She presented a peti­tion,
signed by six members of
the CAC, which stated that the
accusations in DEBT were false,
and asked for a public apology.
Board President Callahan stated
that he had sent a letter of thanks
to each member of the board. Two
DEBT officers, Guy Morrone and
Ray Parcels were in the audience,
but did not answer Mrs. Rosen's
charges.
CHRISTMAS SEALS
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Observer.
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
A recent issue of the DEBT •
flyer made several statements
regarding the library's citizens'
committee which had served to
consider the subject of the p r o ­posed
mezzanine construction at
the South Farmingdale branch.
S p e c i f i c a l l y , the publication
stated that the committee had r e ­jected
the proposed mezzanine.
It also stated that the commit­tee
was neither paid nor thanked
for i t s efforts. It further stated
that the committee was insulted
by the fact that the board had
subsequently hired a consultant
to study the matter of the mez­zanine
and other possible solu­tions
to our additional space r e ­quirements.
A majority of the members
of this committee signed and
presented to the board a state­ment
which denied every claim
made by DEBT except one— the
members agreed that they had not
been paid for their service. One
reason that not all members
signed the statements was that
while they agreed with i t ' s allega­tions
there was a minority feel­ing
that the statement was un­necessary.
The sentiment was
expressed that the board had
only to point out that when com­pared
with DEBT'S claims that
the report of the committee pro­vided
a complete contradiction
of the DEBT statement except
for the matter of payment to the
members.
The statement from a majority
of the members who had served
on the committee was presented
to the library board at its meet­ing
on November 12. A fact com­mented
upon by several at this
meeting was that there were
two officers of DEBT at the
meeting but that neither posed
any defense of their publication.
Logically, it could only be a s ­sumed
that no defense was pos­sible.
It is indeed regrettable that
the people responsible for DEBT
find it necessary to rely upon
such misrepresentations in order
to create opposition to our l i ­brary
and school boards. Con­structive
and honest criticism
are to be encouraged at all times.
Untrue and unfair criticism can
only be deplored by all fair
minded citizens.
As Mr. Callahan, president
of the library board observed,
the DEBT writers could have
ascertained the facts so easily
that their failure to do so is
inexplicable if one is to assume
that their motivation was sin­cere.
This DEBT flyer exemplified
the type of reporting which was
exploited last spring in regard
to the Wyandanch busing claims
and which were made prior to
our school board and library
elections. As soon as their can­didates
had been elected to the
boards they allowed the " issue"
to undergo an instant and ig­nominious
demise.
We believe that Farmingdale
voters have learned a lesson
and will be more wary in the
future. Just because some thing
is in print does not make it
true. It still has to be weighed
and evaluated. Unless citizens
do so weigh and so evaluate they
will find their emotions more
readily being aroused than they
will find their intelligences being
challenged.
Paul Tilford
161 Aster St.
Massapequa Park. N. Y.
AS WE SEE IT
By Sandra and Charles Gerston
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
RADIO SERIES
WNEW
WVNJ
Sundays
1130 kc
1620 kc
6: 45 a. m.
9: 45 a. m.
Page 6 FARMI
Few school issues arouse
greater parental interest than the
adequacy of the school district's
reading program. In District 22,
the administration has initiated
several innovative programs.
Among these are:
1. An extended readiness pro­gram.
2. A corrective reading pro­gram.
3. The Level III program for
the slower learner.
4. Reading consultants.
5. The MAL program for the
advanced learner.
6. The Prep program.
7. The materials center.
The extended readiness pro­gram
evaluates the child's read­iness
to begin formal reading in
grade 1. Under this program,
children from kindergarten to
first grade are grouped accord­ing
to ability and special help is
given where needed. In cases
where deficiencies exist, small
classes are formed so that spe­cial
consideration can be given
to the child.
The district is beginning its
third year in the corrective read­ing
program. This program
affords the student who is in need
of additional help an opportunity
to receive this assistance during
regular school hours. Previous­ly,
this assistance was only offer­ed
before the regular school day
began.
The Level III program has been
developed to assist the slower
learner by maintaining class
sizes of less than 20 students.
There is also a re- evaluation
process every six weeks when the
records of the children and their
performance are reviewed by ad­ministration
and staff.
Three reading consultants are
employed to work with the dis­tricts
teachers,. It has been found
that the greatest benefit can be
obtained by placing the priority
on these consultant's services in
the area of workingwith teachers
through whom the greatest num­ber
of children can be reached.
The More Able Learner pro­gram
provides the more advanced
student with special materials
and programs intended to create
challenge and inspire interest.
On the Jr. high school level the
district has initiated a prep pro­gram
which stresses reading
through specially selected sub­ject
matter in the areas of
science, social studies, etc. It
is hoped that this specially sel­ected
material will motivate
children to read.
A materials centerhasbeen set
up to provide for the increased
use of materials. Academic e-quipment
is available on loan
from the center, in a manner sim­ilar
to that of a lending library.
This eliminates unnecessary du­plication
of materials and in turn
reduces expenditures. Regarding
innovative programs, Dr. Acina-puro,
the Assistant Superintend-ant
of Schools said, " There must
be those in the profession who are
willing to try something new. If
there were not innovative people
in the past, perhaps we would still
be using the sickle to reap grain.
When a new idea is presented to
a teacher, the teacher is inspired
and the child usually catches the
spirit of being singled out for
something special, and responds
accordingly."
In our school system, there are
regularly scheduled conferences
on the K through 3 level at the
first marking period. However,
parents can have a conference
with the teacher at any time there
seems to be a need, and do not
have to wait to be called to school.
To seek better methods of
teaching, we must experiment
with different means of group­ing
students, with new electronic
methods, and must continue to ex­periment
with self- teaching ma­terials.
Programs must be peri­odically
reviewed to determine
their strengths and weaknesses,
and modified accordingly. In
order for these innovative pro­grams
to be understood, the lines
of communication between staff,
administration and parent body
must be kept open - and used.
District 22 Meeting
The Winter Semester Adult
E d u c a t i o n brochure was
approved. It was learned that
1280 were enrolled in the Fall
program.
In other matters before the
Board, Paul Harabedian was
appointed to the Guidance depart­ment
at the Senior High School
at a salary of $ 11,369. George
Hiller was appointed to the
Citizens Advisory Committee on
Finance.
A report on Special Education
classes was given. Three classes
are held in the elementary
schools, one at the Junior High
and one class at the Senior High
School are held in the program
for the disadvantaged.
During the public participation
portion of the meeting a taxpayer
asked whether the Board or ad­ministration
had taken steps for
the contingency in the event of
a teacher's strike.
Board President Mrs. Lucille
Goulding said ' no, we haven't.
Both the Board and the teachers
negotiate in good faith and we
see no reason to plan for a
strike. We take the optimistic,
not a pessimistic view regarding
the Board- teacher relationship.'
Trustee Roy Spinetta then made
a motion for the Board to take
measures to a teacher work
stoppage or teacher strike. Board
member Mrs. Florence DeHaan
seconded the motion. Consider­able
discussion followed. Trustee
Thomas Lavan stated that the
motion would serve no purpose,
especially if the conditions do
not exist. ' If the motion is passed,
it could well make the teachers
react,' he said.
Mrs. DeHaan stated that it is
rumor that Farmingdale teachers
are next to strike. ' Teachers
are being conditioned to some­thing,'
she said.
Superintendent of Schools Wil­liam
Klnzler requested that the
Board have confidence in a super­intendent
' to prepare for any
eventuality.' Trustee Robert
Campbell asked that the Spinetta
motion be taken off the floor
or be tabled. Spinetta replied
that his motion will stay.
Trustee A. Terry Weathers
asked to table the motion so
that the wording could be
reviewed.
Mrs. DeHaan then stated that
she had not heard the wording
of the motion and would vote
to table the Spinetta motion.
Mrs. Lucille Goulding said she
was not in favor of tabling the
motion. The motion to table was
defeated 4- 3.
The Spinetta motion on the plan
of action to prevent the disrup­tion
of education because of a
possible teacher's strike was
defeated 4- 3 with Weathers, Mrs.
Goulding, Campbell and Lavan
voting against and Mrs. DeHaan
Spinetta and LeRoy Mollineaux
voting for the motion.
Carl Gorton asked the Board
if they had considered a school
policy for the Society For Dem­ocratic
Action? ' Briefly,' was
the reply.
Dr. Kinzler said that organi­zations
in school must be
approved and must also have a
moderator. This group would not
be given approval, he said. Gorton
also said the Board should be
prepared for a teacher strike
threat.
A taxpayer asked trustee Mol­lineaux
if he intended to run
for reelection. Mollineaux r e ­plied,
' an incumbent is always
running until he says he isn't.'
In answer to a question on
how much was spent for trans­portation,
it was pointed out that
$ 611,328 was spent for regular
transportation and $ 128,000 for
out of district transportation and
75% of the gross amount was
state aided.
NGDALE OBSERVER - Thursday, November 21, 1968