By:Eileen Greco
Dr. Anthony Pecorale, the acting interim superintendent, will be turning the reins over to Freeley and the newly appointed deputy superintendent, Diane Scricca, on July 21. The Malverne school board recently announced that in its effort to attract and keep a permanent superintendent, it has raised the salary to $180,000 from $136,767.
The appointments of Freely and Scricca were announced on the same night the school board unanimously approved the 2004-05 budget and honored the achievements of several student teams, including the basketball team, the robotics team and bowling teams. At the same meeting, a slide show presented the new and much improved reading and math scores for grades 4 and 8.
Freeley noted that she was happy to be at Malverne High on such a positive night, and said she has high hopes for the school district in the coming years. She said that she thrives on activity, and believes in a "personalized, hands-on approach" for both students and staff members.
Freeley said she would like to form focus groups comprising students, staff and parents to suggest areas of improvement needed in the district.
In addition to her enthusiasm, Freeley brings impressive credentials to her position. Most recently, she served as the superintendent of the Glen Cove School District, where she and Scricca worked together. Prior to that, she was the superintendent of the Carle Place School District. She has also authored numerous publications dealing with early learning and improving the educational process in large systems.
"I am eager to begin," Freeley said. "This is an exciting school district, filled with much diversity, with a very involved community."
Freeley and Scricca say they work well together, sharing many ideas and the same basic philosophy. Theirs will be an open office, and they will be eager for new ideas and ready for the challenges that will come, they said.
