A Message from Terrence Clark

Superintendent of Schools

There is a great deal of change occurring in education these days. New York State has adopted a new curriculum framework called the Common Core Standards in Math and English Language Arts. Teachers are being evaluated under a new plan just adopted by the state. New assessments are being introduced at all levels. Many of those assessments are designed to pinpoint student strengths and weaknesses and allow teachers and parents to focus on what students need to practice. Finally, new technologies are being deployed to further engage students in the learning process.

So you can imagine the stress for teachers these days! Teaching has definitely gotten harder, yet many people are blaming teachers for problems these days. In fact, if education is to change dramatically it will be teachers who lead the way. Let me point out some of the positive contributions of the Bethpage teaching staff:

•  Teachers volunteered all summer long with no pay to work on the new evaluation program. Bethpage was one of the first districts in Nassau County to fulfill the state’s evaluation requirement. Our program included a new set of rigorous assessments to be administered locally three times a year that will measure student academic growth. The growth measure will now factor into a teacher’s evaluation. In addition, teachers will be evaluated on a new more rigorous observation system, their ongoing communication with parents, a professional portfolio and the establishment of teaching goals. It is quite a change that impacts every teacher in the district, whether they have tenure or not.

•  Dozens of teachers worked this summer on curriculum projects that incorporate the new Common Core strategies into daily practice.

•  Teachers continue to dream of ways to engage students in our 21st Century Scholars’ Program and are doing activities after school, at night, on weekends and on vacations. These activities range from literature circles to visits to Manhattan.

•  Several teachers came forward to facilitate workshops in the Parent Academy intended to provide parents with a better understanding of the new expectations for students. The teacher workshops included strategies for reading at home, reducing stress, the 21st Century program and the use of technology in the classroom. The teachers’ union paid much of the cost for the evening.

•  The teachers’ union has donated significant funds to support district programs for students like TGIF, student mentoring and Challenge Day. They understand the importance of students having positive experiences in school. For that reason, many teachers volunteer to serve on our district’s successful Character Education Committee which is responsible for the many anti-bullying programs in our schools.

•  The teachers’ union has done all this and agreed to a zero percent contractual increase for the next school year.

I have said publicly many times that I am a big fan of the Bethpage faculty. I think they work very hard and have the best interests of your children as their highest priority. When I talk to colleagues in other districts I do not get the same sense of teachers as partners in the community. Teachers know that Bethpage is a special place and are doing everything they can to assist us in preserving that strong sense of community that sets us apart. I appreciate all they do.

Terrence Clark

Superintendent

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