Change can be good and in some cases exceptional. This was the mantra that Dr. John A. Richman, Superintendent of Plainedge Public Schools, preached at the 2006 New York State School Boards Association Academy for Public Governance in a talk given on Friday, Oct. 27 in Albany.

His workshop, "Dysfunction to Distinction - A Better Way" was open to all NYSSBA attendees.

_"Sharing our story with other schools is such a great way to spread inspiration and hope to many districts facing high demands and declining resources," said Dr. Richman. "We are proud to do anything we can to help other districts rise above these pressures and succeed. After all, if we do what we always did, we will get what we always got."

Dr. Richman discussed how eight years ago Plainedge was a dysfunctional school district with a divided board and fighting administration. Because of this, the students in the district were affected and they were not working at their potential.

Today, he added, through dynamic reforms and philosophical changes, the district has moved from a closed autocratic organization to one that is open and shares responsibility. Plainedge School District is now among the top performing districts on Long Island, he said.

Dr. Richman spoke about the way in which this change was formulated through a PowerPoint presentation and offered attendees sample plans to tweak to their own districts' needs. _For more information on "Dysfunction to Distinction - A Better Way" or Dr. John A. Richman, please call 992-7455._