As a Port resident, a former high school English teacher, and the parent of a recent Schreiber High School graduate, I found the process to select Dr. Michael J. Hynes as superintendent of schools transparent and participatory and recent school board election debates multi-issue focused.
I disagree with the premise of letter writer Judith Sloan that the “success” of the school district will decline if education leaders do not uncritically embrace state testing mandates and national competitions.
First, the writer assumes that outcomes measured by the Next Gen (Common Core) examinations are an accurate reflection of student and school district success, defining success as elite college admissions and awards in national competitions including some based on PSAT scores, but she presents no evidence to support this view.
Many prominent education leaders, including Dr. Hynes and Ms. Brooks, have presented evidence that the Common Core examinations as designed and implemented are not an accurate measure of student ability, are not always developmentally appropriate and are not available to educators as results that can be used to inform instruction.
Both Dr. Hynes and Ms. Brooks have also participated with other educators to improve the implementation. Does education research demonstrate that these tests correlate to the elite college admissions process or to awards presented in national competitions?
Current university-based education research demonstrates that criteria such as success on standardized testing and awards in national competitions are heavily impacted by socio-economic status. Many elite colleges have dropped the SAT as an admission criteria.
Second, the writer implies that the hiring of Dr. Hynes was made in isolation by the school board, which is not accurate.
The school board hired an executive search firm that held public meetings with community stakeholders, opened an online survey for those unable to attend those meetings, and conducted a search based on the criteria established by the stakeholders.
The search firm presented multiple candidates to the hiring committee for recommendation to the school board for appointment.
Dr. Hynes stood out as a candidate because of his robust educational leadership career. Retiring Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Mooney consistently articulated a whole-child educational philosophy. As do Dr. Hynes, Ms. Abramson-Brooks and Ms. Beys.
Rather than being pessimistic about the future of Port schools, I am optimistic that our present and in-coming leaders are poised to deliver best-practice vision to every student in the district.
Barbara Cohen
Port Washington
