School Bond Issue Vote Jan. 21

By Wendy K. Kreitzman

Great Neck's board of education voted unanimously to adopt a resolution calling for a public vote on the proposed $26.8 million bond issue on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998.

The bond issue focuses mainly on work to be done at the elementary schools, although the secondary schools and other district-owned buildings would also benefit. The secondary schools were addressed with major consideration in the last bond issue.

If this proposed bond issue passes, the tax impact on homeowners will be minimal, as the district will soon retire the debt on the previous bond. Except for about $34 more per year for the years 2002 to 2005, when there will be payment on both debts, the tax amount is the same as currently being paid for the old bond debt. The $34 figure is based on the ''average house'' in Great Neck, a house assessed at $10,000.

Voting for the referendum at the board's Nov. 24 meeting, each member voiced support for the bond issue and the benefits and flexibility it will provide. Trustee Barbara Berkowitz spoke of the ''tremendous amount of time and energy'' expended on behalf of this issue, and she noted that the board had listened to every aspect of the community. ''Without a bond issue we couldn't even begin the first project---the replacement of the Baker annex,'' she said. Ms. Berkowitz also assured that the board will still discuss other proposals outside of those already in the bond issue, for the regular budget process.

Trustee Larry Gross is ''very pleased'' that the concerns that arose when the elementary schools consolidated years ago (concerns over flexibility), will now be addressed. ''This takes us a long step towards solving some of the problems that came from consolidation,'' he said.

Vice President Judi Bosworth spoke of the ''collaborative effort'' involved in bringing forth this proposal---she spoke of the input from the administration, the parents, the teachers, and the students. ''We kept the community aware of every step of the process,'' she added.

Board President Mona Fuchs said that the board would be available to work with any school or PTA that wants an in-person report on the bond issue proposal. ''We'll bring our little traveling road show to any school,'' she said.

UPTC President Diane Leyden expressed the ''over whelming'' support from the United Parent Teachers Council.

Ms. Fuchs then moved the resolution ''with great pleasure,'' and it was approved unanimously.

Special Education Response

Also at this Nov. 24 board meeting, the board and the administration addressed a recent Newsday series on special education, with head of Pupil Personnel, Jack Kamins presenting a response.

First, Dr. Kamins gave a brief history of the law, both federal, state, and school district, that applies to children in the special education category, or students with disabilities. He noted that, though there is a proposal for an April 1998 enactment of new law, the school district had to already implement laws as of July 1997.

Next, Dr. Kamins offered a thorough explanation of the process used to classify children (identifying a child as having a learning disability and specifying remediation). And, he said, even though the documents that the school is mandated to use set up an ''adversarial'' situation between the school and the parent, in Great Neck there is a 98 percent satisfaction rate. Rarely, he said, does the school district or a parent have to go any further.

Addressing some of the Newsday statements, Dr. Kamins first tackled that newspaper's statement that, in the field of special education, there is a cycle of low expectation and poor achievement. In Great Neck, said Dr. Kamins, over the last three years, 90 percent of these students received diplomas.

As for the Newsday statistic that minorities are overrepresented in special education programs, Dr. Kamins said this is not true. And in addition, he reported that, over the last three years, the district has given only two IEP (individualized education plan) diplomas, the rest being either a local Great Neck diploma or a Regents diploma.

As for the dropout rate of students in special education programs, Dr. Kamins said that the dropout rate in Great Neck is very small. While Newsday reported a 100 percent dropout rate for black students in special ed. in Great Neck, Dr. Kamins reported that this statistic represents just one black student who dropped out.

In Great Neck, for 1997, in the special ed. area, there were two Regents Honors diplomas, seven Regents diplomas, 44 local diplomas---no IEP diplomas, and only one dropout.

Addressing the issue of mainstreaming special ed. students, Dr. Kamins emphasized that Great Neck stresses mainstreaming---with 50 percent of these students (in high school) having no more than two periods a day in self-contained classrooms.

The comment that school districts place more children in special education to get more funding is false, too, said Dr. Kamins, explaining that last year Great Neck spent $13 million for the special ed. budget, and they will only get back about $2 million. ''This is an expensive system that serves the children well,'' he stated.

Funding was again broached when Dr. Kamins firmly stated that never in Great Neck would any program be cut or eliminated to fund special ed.

He was particularly sensitive to a claim that the IEP diploma, specially tailored for a specific student, was called a ''worthless graduation document.'' The few Great Neck students who do receive such a diploma, he said, have strived for 13, 14, or 15 years for that diploma.

Next, Dr. Kamins diminished the claim that testing modifications are used to provide an uneven playing field. ''Testing modifications are there for specific reasons,'' he said, ''to even the playing field.''

With the attack on special ed., claiming that students are funneled into special ed. when they only need remediation, Dr. Kamins explained the long process prior to classification---and Great Neck always tries remedial services first.

As a whole, Great Neck exceeds the national average of special ed. students in least restrictive surroundings. And, in Great Neck, special ed. students do well on standardized tests, with a large number (90 percent) taking such tests, instead of being exempt as in many other districts.

Commenting on the Newsday article, Ms. Fuchs said that, ''They should have dealt with the law, not the districts.''

Superintendent of Schools William Shine said that it is important for everyone to realize the wide range within the special ed. community. ''Special education is all about individual children,'' he said, ''and throwing around numbers relating to children really is bordering on the edge of irresponsibility.''

New Regents Requirements

Following the special education discussion, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Arlette Sanders presented a report on the new Regents requirements, which will be phased in. The total requirements will affect the students who enter the ninth grade in 2000.

There will only be Regents diplomas, with 22 units necessary instead of the previous 20.5. There will be an Advanced Regents diploma, but no longer any local diplomas.

Although, said Dr. Sanders, ''the advanced diploma reflects very much what Great Neck has done all along,'' there is concern over the at-risk population, including the special education students. She explained that some of these students do work so hard, but would not be able to achieve a Regents diploma.

Dr. Sanders did say that there has been some talk about ''safety nets,'' and the Village School is working with a coalition of other such schools to communicate with the State for an appeal.

The one area still in question is the foreign language requirement of three years of study. Dr. Sanders said that there is talk that this might be abandoned in favor of foreign language taught in the elementary schools, as Great Neck is considering right now.

Dr. Shine stressed the tremendous effort in Great Neck to help children achieve a Regents diploma---good teachers, small class size, study skills centers, extra help---but he is still somewhat concerned that every student will not be able to meet the new challenges.

Dr. Shine believes that, ''with major effort,'' the present student body (of which 70 percent receive a Regents diploma) could raise its Regents diploma rate to 80 percent, with possibly 70 percent receiving an advanced diploma.

However, again he stressed that there are some students who just ''cannot now deal with high stakes testing and the degradation of failure.'' And he does not see anyone addressing this issue, which could possibly be dealt with via alternative assessments. ''This borders on the theater of the absurd,'' said Dr. Shine.

Dr. Shine said that Great Neck would like to develop models for alternative assessments: ''It's too brutal (standard tests) for some children and that has to be recognized.''

He did note, though, that one possibility is that the state will change the Regents, watering it down, and then showing that so many can pass.

''We have to look to make common cause with other school districts,'' said Dr. Shine.

Ms. Fuchs added that the district also has a '''genuine interest'' in other school districts that ''can't make the grade.''