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100303 Education commissioner reprimands district
Now Principal Robyn Lane
BY ABBY LUBY
State Commissioner of Education Richard Mills has formally dismissed an appeal filed last year regarding the administrative appointment of Robyn Lane as "teacher in charge" of West Patent Elementary School and the subsequent appointment of Bedford Central Schools Superintendent Bruce Dennis as principal of West Patent. The decision, based on the July 2002 appointment, comments on the Bedford Central school board's decision to appoint Dr. Dennis to the position of principal while maintaining his position as superintendent as well as the board's inability to assign "a fulltime principal holding the appropriate certification."
The commissioner's decision states: "Although I am compelled to dismiss this appeal, I must comment on the board's decision to appoint Dennis to the position of principal, while he maintained his position as superintendent. The board of education must employ and assign to each school "a full-time principal holding the appropriate certification" and alternative forms of administration may be employed only with the approval of the Commissioner. Obviously, Dennis cannot simultaneously serve as superintendent and a fulitime principal."
"The commissioner signed that decision on Sept. 17," said Jonathan Burman of the New York State Education Department. "It's official and the commissioner lets the decision speak for itself."
"I received the decision last Saturday from Commissioner Mills," said Joseph Giardina, who filed the appeal last summer when the Bedford Central school board appointed Mrs. Lane to the "teacher in charge". "I think the commissioner's added comment - which is very rare for him - about the superintendent not complying was really saying that the board did not comply with the law"
According to the July 12, 2002, minutes on the board's web site, the motion was made under a consent agenda.
"Usually a consent agenda is supposed to be for routine matters," said Mr. Giardina, of Mount Kisco. "Naming a principal or head administrator is not a routine matter. Also, they didn't list any resume information, which they usually do."
The district challenged the charges on the grounds that while Mrs. Lane had yet to achieve her certification, she was in the process of. doing so. "This is a time of dramatic shortage of people where districts are really scrambling to be able to fill key leadership positions," said Dr. Dennis. "We argued, although the commissioner didn't address it in his decision, that having accrued the number of credits prior to last year, Mrs. Lane was eligible to be serving in that capacity The board decided not to approach it that way and the board put me in charge. In the ruling the commissioner said you can't do that.
Dennis as principal of West Patent Elementary School in 2002. "After the board appointed Robyn Lane 'teacher in-charge' in July, at the Aug. 28 board meeting they designated Dr. Dennis as principal of West Patent," he said.
"The real question is how did the attorneys advise the board - to proceed or to do something else?" Mr. Christe said. "They could've gotten someone from the administration building to be principal - or hire somebody - they didn't even post the position. It shouldn't of had to happen and the only good thing that comes from this is that they won't do it again."