Teachers on both ends of their careers were celebrated at Westbury Free Union School District’s meeting on Tuesday night.
The Board of Education unanimously voted to tenure Noelle Bowman and Jessica Gombar, both elementary education teachers at Drexel Avenue School. Their tenures are effective March 21 and March 4, respectively.
The board also unanimously voted to retire Karen Dolsky, an elementary education teacher at Westbury Middle School, Craig Steyer, a music teacher at Westbury Middle School, Melanie Zecchini, an elementary education teacher at Powells Lane School, and Chief Richard Immarigeon, a naval science instructor at Westbury High School. All retirements are effective on June 30.
Superintendent Tahira A. DuPree Chase said Immarigeon helped start the district’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.
Present and former students of the teachers up for tenure and retirement came out to support them at the meeting, including 10 of Immarigeon’s ROTC students. When it was time for his retirement vote, they jokingly signaled to the board to vote no, not wanting to lose their mentor.
The board also used the meeting to update the community on the district’s progress toward its goals, which are centered on student achievement.
Brendan Gallivan, assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum and instruction, said the district projects 85 more students will achieve a seal of biliteracy and 101 more students will achieve a state seal of civic readiness this June. There will also be an increase in students taking International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.
Across K-5 schools and grade levels, reading proficiency has increased an average of 8.2% over the past two years, Robin Barnett, the assistant superintendent for elementary curriculum and instruction, added.
Additionally, the district is making progress toward achieving a PLC Model School designation, taking steps to increase professional development, implementing new security measures, and starting a dinner program for students.
The board ended the meeting by block voting to approve all other items on the agenda.
