To the Editor:
Riverhead Central School District’s budget will be presented for approval next Tuesday to voters, who will also choose three candidates to represent the community on the Board of Education. We are fortunate in this community to have a number of candidates who are willing to take the time to run for such an important position and all should be commended for their desire to serve the public. READ
The Riverhead School District is expected to save at least $1.5 million in the 2016-17 budget now that 15 teachers have agreed to take new retirement incentives.
It didn’t matter what the scoreboard said when Riverhead teachers, staff and administrators took on the Harlem Wizards basketball team Thursday night: it was the Riverhead Central Faculty Association’s scholarship fund that was the real winner. READ
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices in Riverhead. (Credit: Liz Person)
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices in Riverhead and the Riverhead Central Faculty Association are teaming up Sunday to raise money for the arts programs at Riverhead elementary schools. (more…)
The Harlem Wizards pose with Riverhead faculty members at last year’s game. (Credit: Riverhead School District)
The Harlem Wizards basketball team will return to Riverhead High School Nov. 19 and the Riverhead Central Faculty Association is currently seeking sponsorships for the event that attracted more than 1,000 people last year. (more…)
The Riverhead Charter School in Calverton.
To the editor:
As educators, few would argue that one’s primary responsibility is to the children entrusted to your care. In order to best meet that massive responsibility, one must come to rely on a team that consists of parents, colleagues, administrators, and the students themselves. (more…)
JENNIFER GUSTAVSON FILE PHOTO | Riverhead School Board president Ann Cotten-DeGrasse confirmed that the district made a contract offer to its teachers.
The Riverhead Board of Education may vote on a new teacher’s contract at its Tuesday meeting after the district made an offer to its teachers, who have been without a contract for just over a year.
Board of Education president Ann Cotten-DeGrasse confirmed today that an offer has been made.
“It’s my understanding that the teachers will ratify it,” she said. “But nothing has been formalized yet.”
She said the leadership of the teachers’ union held meetings with teachers in various school buildings Thursday and Friday. Another meeting is set for Monday.
Ms. Cotten-DeGrasse said that if the teachers’ union ratifies the agreement, it will likely be voted on at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.
Lisa Goulding, the new president of the Riverhead Central Faculty Association, which represents district teachers, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Ms. Cotten-DeGrasse said that while the district has made an offer, she is not at liberty to disclose any details.
The district’s last teacher contract ran from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012. (The school’s fiscal year starts in July.)
That contract gave teachers a one percent increase for the first six months of both years with no step/increment increases, and another one percent increase for the second six months of both years, with step/increment increases.
The step/increment raises are in addition to the base salary raises teachers get annually according to the terms of their contract and are based on experience and other factors, such as whether they have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and how many graduate credits they have.
The last Riverhead teachers’ contract had a salary scale with 30 steps.
JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | Riverhead Central Faculty Association’s newest president, Lisa Goulding, at the union’s downtown office on Roanoke Avenue with middle school social studies teacher Chris Butterfield (left) and Roanoke Elementary School third-grade teacher Gary Karlson, who were elected co-vice presidents in May.
Riverhead High School social studies teacher Lisa Goulding is very familiar with the Riverhead Central Faculty Association’s downtown office on Roanoke Avenue. She’s become even cozier there since settling into her new desk for the first time last Monday.
After serving for six years as vice president of the district’s teachers union, Ms. Goulding, 51, was elected its newest leader in May.
The school district hired her right out of college 26 years ago and she’s worked in Riverhead ever since. The Shirley parent has a daughter in high school and a son in college.
Ms. Goulding replaces former union president and physical education teacher Barbara Barosa, who retired last month after nearly two decades as RCFA leader. The union also elected Middle School social studies teacher Chris Butterfield and Roanoke Elementary School third-grade teacher Gary Karlson as its vice presidents.
The trio is expected to take turns attending school board meetings, Ms. Goulding said.
“I am really excited to lead the RCFA,” she said. “I am fortunate to be able to do this, working side-by-side with Chris and Gary, who both have a lot to offer.”
As for addressing concerns inside the classroom, Ms. Goulding said she’s up to the challenge of working with the administration to come up with ways to help the district’s current 375 teachers handle rising class sizes. She said the district has shed about 70 positions since the economic downturn during the 2008-09 school year, all as student enrollment has increased to more than 5,000 students.
Another task she’s working on is helping to negotiate a new teachers contract to replace the one that expired June 30, 2012. Although teachers have been working without a contract for the past year, she said the matter hasn’t yet been referred to the state’s Public Employment Relations Board, or PERB, because she believes both parties are confident they’ll be able to strike a deal.
We recently sat down with Ms. Goulding at her office. The following was excerpted from our conversation:
Q: Why did you want to become union president?
A: I knew Barbara was retiring and, as vice president, I was working closely with her and learning the ropes of the position. We’ve got great teachers and I’m looking forward to representing them. It’s a great opportunity to work with the district’s administration to develop something that works for the kids and teachers. We’ve done a lot of work with the APPR [Annual Professional Performance Review] and teacher evaluation system. One of our goals is to find out what our teachers’ specific needs are and encourage them to become more involved with the RCFA.
Q: What are your other goals as union president?
A: Education faces so many challenges today in New York and throughout the country, especially testing. The RCFA plans to help teachers by providing them with the tools they need to adapt to the state Education Department’s changes in curriculum. We will be working with the district to ensure that children continue to receive a great education and continue to lobby for our fair share of state aid.
Q: What are your thoughts about the state Common Core Standards Initiative?
A: I think there are very few people who would argue that the overall goals of the Common Core standards are bad. Who wouldn’t advocate that high school graduates should be college and career ready? The problem lies with the implementation of the Common Core standards in New York. Districts throughout the state were given a very limited time in which to implement the Common Core standards. Teachers have been given very limited professional development on Common Core instruction, and yet students were given assessments based on the Common Core. Not only is the problem with teacher evaluation being based on the Common Core, the hours and hours of testing is very unfair to kids. I’m not sure who was more frustrated — students, teachers, parents or administrators. We want to focus on more Common Core professional development for our teachers.