By Jesse Serwer
Brady, who was board president during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 school years, will serve her second term in the position, replacing Marcia Hirsch, who stepped down from the board after recently being appointed a judge on the New York Court of Claims.
"[Board member] Meg Koch was president years ago for two years, and the other board members are fairly new, [so] I think I was probably a natural person at this point, time and place," Brady said. "I believe it's a healthy thing to rotate the officers and the presidency. I'm very proud to serve on the school board in this school district, and I'm proud of what we have done academically. What makes it a challenge are the financial conditions - we're all aware of what a burden the taxes are on the residents."
Rockville Centre Schools Superintendent Dr. William Johnson praised the board's choice of Brady. "She did an outstanding job [the first time she was president], and I fully expect that she will again provide the leadership that we need," Johnson said. "Being president can be a very difficult and time-consuming job - not every board member has the time in their lives to devote to being the president."
Vivian Lewandowski will become secretary, and Meg Koch will serve as vice president.
Other school district news
Johnson announced that the Board of Education and the Rockville Centre teachers' association have come to an agreement on a contract that will take them through the 2009-10 school year. It will take effect on July 1, 2006, and will replace the current agreement, which has been in place since 1998.
Kathy Jaffa, a teacher's assistant who attended last week's meeting, raised concerns about the policy of requiring teacher's assistants to work in the district for eight years before they are eligible for its health insurance plan. Under the guidelines of the previous contract, T.A.s were not eligible for health insurance at all - but, Jaffa said, other area school districts do not require them to wait so long for health insurance.
"Our perspective is that it is a fair settlement," Johnson said. "It is not going to provide every employee what they expected, but that often is part of the tug of what goes on."
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Delia Garrity told the board that she is researching the possibility of bringing a Mandarin Chinese language program to Rockville Centre schools. Citing programs in the Plainview-Old Bethpage and Syosset districts as well as the growing prevalence of Mandarin Chinese in the world marketplace, Garrity suggested the possibility of introducing the language at the elementary school level.
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