By Marley Seaman
At the end of June, Dinkoff went to Albany for his first meeting as a member of the State Education Department's Committee for Standards and Practices.
In the past, he served for 33 years on the Board of Valley Stream 13, which includes parts of Valley Stream, Malverne, Franklin Square and Elmont. He also spent 24 years on the Valley Stream Central High School Board, and was President of the New York State School Board Association.
The Committee for Standards and Practices established by the Board of Regents. It advises the Regents on a wide range of issues, including teacher certification, retention, and training, and ethics. At the moment, Dinkoff says, he thinks the most important issue is
"Trying to get good teachers into the schools... and how do we get education into the schools if we have trouble getting the teachers to each them."
The Committee meets ten times a year, usually in Albany, for two days at a time. At first, Dinkoff says he intends to say little and focus on listening and becoming informed and acclimated to the new setting. He thinks he has been well-prepared by his years on the local Boards.
"I couldn't think of a better contribution one can make," Dinkoff says. "I dealt with some very dedicated people in that time, both on the Board and administrators and staff. People are very dedicated."
