By Robert Remler
High school administrators work without contract
The morale of Valley Stream High School District administrators is low, according to Dr. Robert Alden, principal at North High School and spokesperson for a 12-member group seeking a new contract.
According to Dr. Alden, members of the Valley Stream Secondary School Administrators Association are working for the second consecutive year without a new contract.
Reading a statement at the September 12 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Alden said: "This past school year and this summer in particular have been most trying for us. We've had to endure major disruptions in the form of bomb threats and construction work associated with the bond issue. ... Our morale is the lowest I've seen for our group. ... Virtually every other bargaining group in the district has received a new contract."
A spokesperson for the Valley Stream Teachers Association said their bargaining unit's contract runs from February 1999 through June 2001.
Valley Stream's new top administrator, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ronald Valenti, took his oath of office during the September 12 meeting. He later told the Herald he was aware of the Association's pending contract talks when he had interviewed for the position. "I indicated that, once appointed, I would be most willing to meet with all the parties and provide whatever assistance I could to resolve the contract issues," said Dr. Valenti.
Dr. Valenti said he did not know the administrators would make their statement concerning the negotiations at the meeting. Dr. Valenti said he is "committed to resolving this matter so that we can address the serious challenges of improving student achievement and school academic success."
High School District Board President Frank Nuara responded immediately to Dr. Alden's remarks. Mr. Nuara said the board was "well aware" that the Association was working without a contract. The Board president told Association members that he hoped an agreement could be reached shortly.
There have been only four negotiating sessions between the Association and the District, Dr. Alden said.
Gregory Guercio, attorney for the district and lone negotiator, declined to respond to requests for comment on either the status of the negotiations or Dr. Alden's statement.
Dr. Alden would not tell the Herald what his group was seeking in terms of salary increases and fringe benefits. "We don't want to negotiate through the press, so we're not willing to answer your questions at this time," said Dr. Alden. He said that the group asked him to read a statement at the meeting "to speed up the process in the hope that we can reach a settlement."
William P. Stris, former high school board president and a trustee would not comment on any specific negotiations. "The board doesn't negotiate in public and the president speaks for the Board," said Mr. Stris. "We have always treated our administrators well," he said. The administrators are well paid and their working conditions are good, according to Mr. Stris. "It is a shame that they want to do negotiations in public," he said.
Dr. Robert Kaufold, principal of Memorial Junior High School and member of the Association, said the group was eager to resolve the contract issue. "It wasn't our purpose the other night [Sept. 12] to create any animosity or to put the Board in a difficult position. All we want is the opportunity to meet with the Board and finalize this process," he said.
Anne Marie Konzet, PTA co-president, said she would like to see the administrators have a contract. Ms. Konzet said that the delay in finalizing a contract with the Association might have been due to the Board's preoccupation with the bond issue and construction projects. Ms. Konzet said it was appropriate for Dr. Alden to read the statement at the meeting. "I hope that something will be worked out in the near future," said Ms. Konzet.
Her opinion was supported by Liz Shaw, co-president of the PTA with Ms. Konzet. "They deserve a contract just like everybody else does," said Ms. Shaw.
Former Elementary School District trustee Michael Belfiore, a critic of student academic performance as revealed through standardized test results in Valley Stream, said the pending contract talks were an opportunity to hold administrators accountable for test results. "Make it part of the contract so that their pay would be connected to school performance. We must demand accountability at the supervisor's level. They are key players," said Mr. Belfiore.
