Coalition presents plaques to Laurence Aronstein and Richard Tortorici

The Coalition presented plaques to Dr. Laurence Aronstein and to Richard Tortorici at the June 21st, 2010, school board meeting.

Richard Tortorici has been a school board member for twelve years, many of them as board president. He and his fellow board members have kept the district’s finances sound and honest. We are not saddled with excessive debt and our financial administration has never been on the front page of Newsday. He has led us through difficult budget decisions and difficult budget votes. He has been a school administrator and understands education from the inside. His fairness, respect for audience members, and sense of humor have calmed board meetings and facilitated decision making. We appreciate that he was a member of the board that hired Dr. Aronstein and supported his major innovations. His devotion to the Glen Cove public schools has set an example for all of us.

Dr. Aronstein, in his five years as superintendent of the Glen Cove Schools, has assembled and led an excellent team of administrators and teachers. With the support of school board members and involved parents, he has improved every aspect of the schools.

Despite frugal annual budgets that left little money for the improvement of buildings and fields, he has managed to install new roofs, carpets, student desks, window blinds, and bathrooms as well as much needed painting and landscaping, a fine new running track, and new playing-field lighting. New school-building boilers, windows, and lighting have improved the district’s energy efficiency.

Under the leadership of Dr Aronstein and his team, student scores on standardized tests have risen steadily because of curriculum improvements, new programs, and teacher training. They have instituted a new student registration and attendance system that provides accurate information about how many students are actually enrolled.

They have greatly reduced the number of students who behave badly enough to require Superintendent’s hearings or suspensions.

Dr. Aronstein has overseen and encouraged new programs in Chinese language, string teaching in the elementary schools, dance in physical education classes, a new radio station, and an expanded district website.

We thank him for his five years of leadership and accomplishments that will benefit the Glen Cove Schools far into the future.