District 15 Tidbits

A few little points that came up over the weekend in the continuing saga of District #15:

1. Superintendent John Fitzsimons published a letter in Lawrence Express. a monthly publication put out by the Lawrence Public schools. An excerpt:

Another pressing issue is the need to consolidate our schools. Our public school enrollment has declined, thus, a proactive plan to educate our students efficiently and more economically in less space seems warranted. However, the consolidation process is complicated, and once underway, permanent. So we must act wisely, with our students' educational, physical, and social needs, along with staff and faculty requirements, as priorities.

All quite reasonable. Of course, a while back, when I posted about the need to consolidate, I was met with comments that accused the private school community of having all sorts of ulterior motives beyond the obvious reality of dealing with schools that are operating at well below capacity. Maybe now that Dr. Fitzsimons has raised the issue in a reasonable and logical fashion, it can be discussed with some clarity and calmness, instead of the hysterical accusations that the private school community is looking to "take over" the public schools that have been the response to any airing of the issue in the past.

2. Outgoing Lawrence Teacher's Association president Stephen Clements just can't leave well enough alone, can he. I criticized him here after in a letter to the editor in the Nassau Herald, he essentially called the Lawrence High School Valedictorian Ilana Yurkiewicz a liar for speaking out against injustices she had witnessed in her schools. He was subsequently lambasted by several district residents in letters they wrote in response to his reprehensible statements. Well, this week he came back for more. He chose, apparently, to defend himself in the following letter:

To the Editor:

The letters written by Nathan Begelman, Michael Brenner and Abel Feldhammer in your June 15 edition are among the most distorted you have ever printed,. It is clear that their agenda is one of both personal and professional destruction, evidenced by what they purported that I wrote in my letter to the editor regarding Ilana Yurkeiwicz’s column. Their letters are a compilation of mistruths and distortions.

For example, Mr. Feldhammer charges that I "vilify" Ilana Yurkiewicz. This is what I wrote:

"Ilana Yurkiewicz is one of the finest students who has ever walked the halls of Lawrence high School. We are proud of her accomplishments and find joy in her success. However, even the best students sometimes make mistakes …"

For Feldhammer to use the word "vilifies" is outrageous. This is just one of the many examples of distortion that is written in the letters from these three men. I would urge your readers to re-read my letter regarding Ilana Yurkeiwicz’s column.

Frankly, it is ill advised that accusations of anti-Semitism are continually used in attempt to stifle legitimate debate in this community. The three men imply that the faculty of Lawrence is anti-Semitic and blind to the issues of race, religious, national origin and gender. That’s because they don’t know this outstanding faculty. And that’s because they don’t send their kids to the public schools. How can they make such outlandish charges against tan entire faculty based on the word of just one student? Parents who send their children to the public schools know that the entire public schools system has done a great deal to teach about diversity and tolerance.

Every time someone in this community disagrees with private school parents, some people such as these three men charge the rest of us with anti-Semitism. There is a real danger in that. It is like the "boy who cried wolf" because when anti-Semitism really does occur, people wont recognize it. And then, all of us, will be in trouble.

In the YMHA that I belong to in Commack, there is a sign that states that the word "community" ends with the word "unity." Perhaps these three men should examine the role they have played in creating division in this community which, when I started working here 33 years ago, was filled with peace, respect and harmony.

STEPHEN CLEMENTS

President

Lawrence Teachers Association

First of all, when he accuses three men that wrote letters against him of "crying wolf" on charges of anti-Semitism, he seems to forget that these men were not the originators of this charge. The charge came from a student, a remarkable student and person who he declined to treat as a reliable witness. He is so dismissive of her dependability that he says this:

How can they make such outlandish charges against an entire faculty based on the word of just one student?

The word of just one student? How many students' allegations does it take for Mr. Clements to pay attention? And this "just one student" is the selfsame student, mind you, that this month's issue of Lawrence Express lauds as being, in addition to Valedictorian:

One of twenty high school seniors nation-wide to join [the] All-Usa High School Academics First Team...a semifinalist in the Siemens Westinghouse Science competition and the Intel Science Search, along with the Yale Science and Engineering Award and a second place finish at both the New York State and Long Island Science and Engineering Fairs...a National Merit Finalist, Advanced Placement Scholar, and National Honor Society member...a cellist since age seven, a varsity gymnast, and a member and co-captain of the varsity badminton team.

Now, I don't personally think that a teacher ever has any right to publicly call a student a liar, but to dismiss the reports and allegations of this particularly stellar student is an especially galling action. And when he claims not to have "vilified" Ms. Yurkiewicz, it seems that he must not be fully apprised of the word's definition.

It is patently clear that though Mr. Clements is a teacher, he first and foremost views himself a union leader. That he prioritizes his union members before his students in every way is far too evident.

Good riddance to Mr. Clements. I couldn't be happier to see him go.