Parents and students upset about the transfer of Michael Guido from middle school band teacher to primary school singing teacher attended the July 10 school board meeting to voice their concerns.

About 20 students played their instruments outside before the meeting. Delores Childs, a music teacher whose son is in eighth grade at the Garden City Middle School, led 20 music students in a performance in the Administration Building's parking lot prior to last Wednesday's 8:15 meeting.

Board President Kenneth Monaghan said the board would allow community members to share their thoughts on the matter but that it could not comment on personnel matters in public. "We are sitting here with open minds," he said. "Don't take the lack of response as close-mindedness."

"Mr. Guido has made an extremely positive impact on the Garden City Middle School band program, as well as on those students who have continued their band instrumental music careers at the high school and beyond," Childs said. "His teaching philosophy provides our children with self-esteem, whether an athlete, a scholar or an average child, there is a place for you in the band."

Margaret Griffin, a teacher of 43 years in the school district, read a statement encouraging the administration to keep Guido in the middle school. Parent Joe Snailer said Guido made learning fun.

"He helps the students to build and maintain self-confidence," Snailer said. "His absence is detrimental to the school and most importantly the children."

Childs added, "His special talent for teaching this most challenging age group, the middle school student, is a winning combination of warmth, humor and dedication, which not only enhances the student's confidence and mental well-being but, at the same time, makes it cool to be in the band."

Another parent said Guido is one of the most age-appropriate people the district could have teaching this age group. "He makes the students laugh, he gives out 'Guido bucks' and he dresses up like an angel during Christmas time and floats around the classroom," he said.

Parent Tom Butler said Garden City High School currently has four bands, when, two years ago, it only had two. "Mr. Guido had a lot to do with that," he said.

In other business, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stephen Leitman discussed his feelings about this year's Math A and Physics Regents.

The state chancellor has decided the Math A exam will not count for juniors and seniors but Dr. Leitman feels if it doesn't count for juniors and seniors, it should not count for freshmen and sophomores either. "They all took the same exam, there was not a different one for juniors and seniors," Dr. Leitman told parents.

He is recommending that the district not place the Math A Regents score on a student's permanent transcript and not have the score count as the final exam, 20 percent of a student's grade.

Dr. Leitman said this is the second year that the Physics Regents has caused a problem. It is not mandatory that students take physics in order to graduate with a Regents diploma.

He is also recommending that the school district not place this year's exam on a student's transcript and the exam not count toward a student's grade point average (GPA).

However, he said that because one or two students did benefit from the exam, it would count for them. Other districts in Nassau County are doing the same.

Dr. Leitman added that a group of physics teachers is developing a Nassau County physics final exam and he would like the district to participate. "We think the [Regents] exam is flawed and hurts students," he said. "If it hurts students, it shouldn't be done."