The TIMES of Middle Country
Serving CentereaCh
Volume 11, No. 7
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Selden
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northern lake grove
June 4, 2015
$1.00
New York native taking over top education seat MaryEllen Elia takes post on July 6 By viCtoria eSpinoza
Culper Spy Day draws near
Also, ‘The Producers’ at the Engeman, ‘Puss in Boots’ at Theatre Three
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MaryEllen Elia, a former Florida school superintendent, will succeed John B. King Jr., as New York’s next education commissioner, and local education leaders across the North Shore are anxiously waiting to see if she’ll pass the test. The New York State Board of Regents formed a sevenmember search committee in January to find a replacement for King, who announced he was leaving his seat after accepting a federal senior advisor position to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
For a decade, Elia served as the superintendent of Hillsborough County, Florida, and was named state superintendent of the year in 2015. She is credited with much success in Hillsborough, as her district won $100 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help develop a teacher evaluation system that used student standardized test scores as a key factor. In January, the Hillsborough school board terminated Elia’s contract in a 4-3 vote. According to reports, she was criticized for not doing enough for special ELIA continued on page A7
Photo from state education department
Maryellen elia succeeds John B. king Jr. as the state’s next education commissioner.
Singing to stomp out bullying
Anker announces winners of anti-bullying music video contest
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Demolished! Photo from Brookhaven Town
the town of Brookhaven department of Waste Management demolished a condemned house at 9 Callan lane in Centereach on May 2. the house had been vacant for nearly 20 years and was the site of numerous community complaints, according to a statement from the town.