NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
Vol. 9, No.1, November, 1992
Townsend Harris High SChool at Queens College
PAID
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PermIt No; 163 Commack. N.Y.
75-40 Parsons Boulevard. Flushing, NY 11366
Harris named in equipment 'rip-off':
Educational policy accounts for 'missing' computers by Stacey Gluck, Sally Magdi, and Diana Tuite Allegations ofmissing and inappropiately used computers in a recen t Daily News article (l0/27/ 92) rocked the Towns end Harris community last week. Auditors representing City Controller Elizabeth Holtzman's office charged Townsend Harris with depriving students of a crucial educational resource when the auditors learned that 16 "missing" compu ters were in the homes of faculty members. Howev er, the article failed to mention that lending computers to teachers is part of the school's educ ational policy . Since the re-establishment of Townsend Harris High School in 1984, computers have been incorporated into the school's curriculum . Principal Malcolm Largmann explained, "I t' s been my policy to encourage teachers to borrow computers and
become computer literate." Dr. Largmann also addressed the charges that this practice deprives students by saying that the school building was only able to accommodate 56 of the computers donated by mM when the school first re-opened in 1984. "Because we had...extra computers and we had no place to . store them, I encouraged teachers to borrow 16 computers," he said, noting that the policy was permitted under the mM grant. One of the teachers who borrowed acomputerwas art teacher Anthony Morales. "I developed my exams and wrote lessons on the computer. I also used Computer Aide Drawing (CAD) to enh ance my lessons," he said. Other schools targeted in the article were Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, Curtis High School on Staten Island, South Shore High School in Brooklyn and Adlai Stevenson and Hostos Lincoln Academy in the Bronx. A total of
649 computers, valued at $289,000, was allegedly missing from the six audited schools. Technical and bureaucratic discrepancies also led to the auditors' accusations againstTownsend Harris . Rather than using the Board of Education 's lease agreements, schoo l administrators wrote their own form . Chemistry teacher and licensed lawyer Michael Anzel was consulted to verify the legality of the form. Problems also resulted when the administrators did not document the location ofcomputer peripherals, which were sometimes switched. Machines that needed to be repaired were occasionally replaced by the Queens Repair Center with other computers with different serial numbers, transactions which the school failed to record. The Daily News article stated that the auditors vis ited the six schools "up to" five times; in actuality, the visits to Townsend Harris numbered only two. On their second visit, "the auditors came to Townsend Harris during late May/ early June, which was an inconvenient ti.!ne since students and teachers were so concerned with Regents examinations," Assistant Principal of , Organization Malcolm Rossman said . In agreement with Mr . Rossman,' Assistant Principal of In the meantime, SPE is writing letters to John Mathematics Harry Rattien said, "Students' Cho, Townsend Harris liaison from the Depar t- . Regents exams had to take top priority," so ment of Sanitation. "We are writing letters to thank Mr. Cho for helping us start the paper recycling program last year . We hope that maybe he will help us again this year, so we are not forced to wait for the by Aleema Bacchus Board of Ed," said Becky. Founders' Day, a tradition of Townsend Harris This is not SPE's first attempt at a letter-writing since its re-establishment in 1984, is celebrated campaign. Last year, the group wrote letters pro - every year as a tribute to the alumni who helped testing the building of a new incinerator in to re-open the school. This year, Founders' Day is scheduled for Friday, November 13. Brooklyn. Among the many activities similar to those of However, according to "Plan on Garbage Backed By Council in New York City " (N.Y. las t year is the assembly at Parsons Junior High, Times, 8/28/92), the bu ilding of the new incin- where freshmen and incoming sophomores will erator in the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been ap- take the Ephebic Oath. Classes educating students on the history of Townsend Harris, the proved. The city 's long-range plan calls for intensified mandatory dance , and many workshops will be recycling in every borough, the closing of an in- held once again. However, there will be changes this year. cinerator on Betts Avenue in Maspeth, Queens, and the building of the new incinerator in Faculty members planning the event organized student inpu t sessions, which have been held durBrooklyn. "I think [Mayor David] Dinkins is only insti tut- ing lunch on Fridays in the libr ary. The group has ing this intensified recycling pro gram to make up resol ved to make more of the workshops student for building an incinerator which puts unneces- run . Possible workshops include origami, tap sary pollutants and cancer-causing agents in the dancing, ethnic dress and dances, and crafts. air," Becky said. Also new this year is the "Founders' Day Construction of the new incinerator will begin Challenge." Through their English classes, soin 1996 and is schedu led to be completed by the phomores, juniors, and seniors will write something about the school. Those organizing the day year 2000.
Paper recycling postponed by Alison Gab r iele Students for the Preservation ofthe Earth (SPE) is dealing with a lot of garbage. Tons of paper (l000 pounds a week) which would have beenrecycled last year have been discarded with the rest ofthe school's trash since September because the Board of Education's plan to take over schoolwide recyc ling has halted SPE's usual paper recycling procedure. Due to budget difficulties, the Department of Sanitation canno t afford to distribute the blue recycling pails to the schools of New York City . Th e Board of Education is therefore instituting its own plan. Under this plan, the Department of Sanitation will still be in charge ofcollection. However, the Board of Educat ion has decided that schools will use blue plastic bags to dispose of the paper. The Schools will have to supply the bags on their own. This will be an additional costforTownsend Harris. According to Becky Lee, President of SPE, the paper recycling program will be continued this year. "We are waiting to receive a letter from the Board of Ed which will tell us exactly what the new recycling procedures will be. We will have to comply with whatev er standards they set," said Becky.
New Building
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teachers may not have been as attentive to the auditors as they would have been at a less hectic time . After the first audit, the controller's office sent back report which stated that 14% of the school's computers were missing. Upon receiving the report, Mr. Rattien located all but two percent of the missing equipment. But Mr. Rattien 's report was completely disregarded. "This appeared to be an attempt for publicity at the expense of educators. We have the equipment that we say we have," said Mr Rattien. "After the auditors' second and fmal visit, we asked to have a copy of their discrepancies list. Their terse reply was, 'You can read it in the reports,' which showed their unwill ingness to work with us in clearing up the discrepancies," added Mr. Rattien. 'They are just trying to dump on one of the best schools in the city," Mr. Rossman said . "It's just an article to damage people." "For nine years we have struggled. We are viewed now along with Stuyvesant and Bronx Science as a school to be emulated. Those are things we should be known for," Program Coordinator Arthur Boulanger said. "It's obvious they are not interested in making sure the equipment is there. They are interested in making someone a victim, " said Dr. Largmann.
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Founders' Day honors alumni hope that this passing down of work from the upperclassmen to the freshmen will mark the beginning ofa tradition. The best submissions will be read aloud at the assembly on Founders' Day and their authors given prizes. Others that are also good might be made into a magazine or put on displ ay in the libr ary. However, as a part of a multi-cultural theme, outside talent will also be showcased. 0 Samba Dance Theater, a professional dance troupe, will perform some traditional dances of African slaves in the gymn asium . Capoeira, a "martial arts" dance , and Maculele, a stick dance originally from the sugar fields of Brazil, highlight the program. Although it is not definite yet, teachers have <cons idered various spirit activities for that whole week, such as a Charity Day, a School-ColorsDay, and a Food Drive Day. ,Coordinator of Student Activities Judy Biener said, 'The purpose of Found ers ' Day is to thank the alumni for giving something to the students, and for students to give something to the community."