NHP Herald Courier 4.24.15

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Serving New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, Floral Park

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Friday, April 24, 2015

Vol. 64, No. 17

N E W H Y D E PA R K

Troupe, station to do radio play

TULLY PARK GETS FEMA FUNDING

G.N. SOUTH GRAD KILLED IN CRASH

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CUTS FOR CASH

North Shore students join opt-out movement Over 15 percent of area students sit out ELA exams B Y B ILL SAN AN T ONIO North Shore school district officials said students who recently opted out of the state assessment in English Language Arts reflect the concerns of parents and school administrators with a teacher evaluation system that relies heavily on student test scores and a fumbled rollout of the Common Core standards. About 15.7 percent of students eligible to take the exam in the East Williston, Herricks, Manhasset, Mineola, New

Hyde Park-Garden City Park and Roslyn school districts refused to take the exam, according to figures obtained by Blank Slate Media, joining more than 65,000 students on Long Island and more than 100,000 throughout New York, according to various published reports. “What we need to see are substantive changes in the assessment and teacher evaluation system that allow for local districts to play a more prominent role in what needs to be done in those areas. Right now, we’re working with

a very top-down approach,” said Manhasset school Superintendent Charles Cardillo, whose district had 56 of 1,554 eligible students (3.6 percent) opt out of the exam. Of the North Shore districts that reported students opting out of the English-Language Arts assessment, Roslyn had the highest percentage — 32.5 percent ­— with 480 of the eligible 1,475 students choosing not to sit for the exam. Less than 20 percent of eligible Herricks students (228 of Continued on Page 52

Competing calls for change as feds investigate Skelos Inquiry into senate leader raises questions on county bids New Hyde Park Memorial High School students had their heads shaved last month as they raised nearly $2,000 for St. Baldrick’s foundation. See story on Page 43.

By Ja m es G a l l o w ay News that a federal investigation into state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Center) centers on a county public works contract sent shockwaves through Nassau County last week as officials scrambled to plug pro-

cedural loopholes and uncover what went wrong. Acting District Attorney Madeline Singas opened an investigation Thursday into the county’s contracting practices. And on Tuesday, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, a Republican, and Democratic members of the county Legislature introduced competing

legislation to increase transparency in the process. The New York Times reported last Wednesday that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office is investigating Skelos and his son Adam’s potential role in securing a storm-water treatment contract for a company that employed Adam Continued on Page 52

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