Oceanside School District reacts to governor’s budget

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget, which would link increased aid for education to the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems, will not change Oceanside School district’s strategy in the coming years.

The budget proposal, if passed, will require school districts to put in place a new evaluation system by Jan. 17, 2013 or the districts will not receive their portion of the four percent increase in state spending.

“Even if there were no aid tied to [teacher evaluations], we would be working toward an evaluation plan that meets the standards set by the state and Race to the Top,” said Louis Frontario, assistant superintendent for business in Oceanside. “Even if [Cuomo] wants to tie it to more state aid, we’ve been working for a while now to come up with a plan to implement evaluations.”

The Oceanside School District’s contract with teachers runs until June, 2014, meaning the evaluations would have to be implemented earlier to receive the extra aid.

“We’re not always formally meeting with union officials about it, but we are discussing it whenever possible,” Frontario said. “Our contract goes until 2014, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be looking for ways to find a model that works for Oceanside and that is in compliance.”

Richard Roschelle, the president of the Oceanside Federation of Teachers, said the governor’s decision wrongly endangers those who matter most.

“The problem with the governor and the State Education Department is that they don’t have any idea what they want to be included in the system of the evaluation of teachers,” Roschelle said. “They are flying the plane without an engine in it, and they are putting many people at risk, especially the students.”

Roschelle agreed with Frontario that the current discussions on an evaluation system would comply with state regulations and meet with the needs of the community.

As of press time, representatives of the Island Park School District had not returned calls for comment.