Nyack Public Schools

Board Meeting Minutes

February 4, 2003

Public Workshop Meeting

Nyack High School Auditorium

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Members Present:

• Dr. Don Hammond, President
• Bryan Burrell, Vice President
• Pierre Davis, Trustee
• Claudette Clarke, Trustee
• Vic Czajkowski, Trustee
• Michael Mark, Trustee
• Fletcher Johnson, M.D., Trustee (joined the meeting at 9:00 PM)
• Erin Straw, Student Representative

Members Absent:              None

Others Present:

• Roberta Zampolin, Superintendent of Schools
• Dr. Linda Greene, Dir. of Pupil Personnel Services
• Carleen Millsaps, Ass’t Supt. for Business
• Gail Fleur, District Clerk
• Community Members

President Hammond called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM.  It began with the Pledge of Allegiance.

President’s Report

President Hammond told the audience where the exits and bathrooms were in the High School.  He said the Indian Usage Committee had spent a great deal of time on the issue it was reporting on that evening.  He said the ground rules for public comments after the report were that there was going to be 90 minutes devoted to audience comments.  Each speaker would get three minutes with a 30 second time-ending warning.

Student Representative’s Report

Erin Straw reported that:

• The SOS feast was very successful with over 200 people.  She thanked all who attended.

• The Soul Food Dinner is on February 11.

Superintendent’s Report

• Mid-year graduation is that week.

• Districtwide kindergarten registration has begun.

• The County is losing $15m in aid and the District is losing $1,100,000 in the Governor’s proposed budget.  The loss in aid is devasting to the Districts

Board of Education Reports

Trustee Czajkowski said the Rockland County School Board Association’s legislative breakfast was that week.

Trustee Burrell was just back from participating in the Federal Legislative Network meeting.  IDEA is ups for reauthorization.  If the District received what Congress had promised it would receive $220,000.

Trustee Davis said it would be essential for everyone to voice their deep concern about the Governor’s budget to legislators.  All events with the legislators should be attended.

Committee on Indian Usage Recommendation and Report:  Deven Black, Committee member and the group’s facilitator, read the Introduction to the Report (see attached).  The nineteen member committee was divided on its recommendations as follows:  Out of the nineteen members (seventeen voting members) nine wanted to eliminate the use of the Indian name and logo, four wanted to maintain the name and logo as modified in 1995 and four offered a compromise position maintaining the name Nyack Indians, but changing the logo.  He and the Committee members were thanked for their time and diligence.

Public Comments:  About 60 people offered their viewpoints on the subject within the 90 minute framework.

Board Comments: 

Erin Straw:  She presented the opinions of the student body.  During the formal debate held a few weeks before, four students, two for each side of the issue, debated with about 100 students present.  A vote at the end of the debate resulted in 53 students voting to keep the name and logo and 49 voting against keeping it.  In a schoolwide student poll taken the previous week, 60% of the student body voted in homerooms.  Teachers read the two sides of the issue and the resulting vote was 409 students for keeping the name and logo, 95 for eliminating them and 66 for a compromise.  The second poll was taken because students felt too few students were at the debate to properly reflect student opinion.  Perhaps the vote outcome percentages were so different because the debate audience was better informed.  She added that the Board decision should not be based on any threat of the budget being defeated, since that contradicts the Nyack spirit.

Michael Mark: He thanked everyone for coming and the thoughtfulness that has gone into the issue, realizing how difficult a conversation it is.  He further acknowledged how long the Indian has been a Nyack tradition, how uncomfortable change is, and how difficult it is to make a decision on an emotional, not quantifiable matter.  He said Commissioner Mills brought up the issue, but it is one that has been here.  The Board has received all the material that the committee has received and is not making a decision that evening rashly.  He has to question whether it is the Indian that the community has pride in or the achievements of the students.  Changing the name and/or logo will not diminish Nyack’s pride in its students or schools and if the Indian is offending anyone, it is in everyone’s best interest to change it.  Knowing how difficult that will be for the community, he is willing to keep the Indian name and just change the logo

Claudette Clarke:  She commented on what an emotional community Nyack is, with community members now not saying hello to her because she is on the Board that opened up this discussion and Mrs. Zampolin’s house being vandalized this weekend for the first time in the 34 years she has lived here.  She hears the threats that people will vote down the budget if the name/logo is eliminated and that she won’t be re-elected.  She is distraught that the people would hurt the children by voting no on the budget because of the issue.  She would continue to work for the District, as she did before she was a Board member, if she wasn’t re-elected.  Her daughter was an Indianette, and the pride and spirit for the students and District will be there with or without the name and logo.  If it is offensive to even one person, we must stop and discuss it and we are being selfish if we don’t care about the offense to others.  She would support changing the name and logo.

Pierre Davis:  He thanked the Committee and Deven Black for facilitating and all those in and outside the community for sharing information.  It was enlightening.  What his other two colleagues said was true;  This is an issue bigger that this community and difficult to discuss something we all hold dear.  Also, it is shameful when threats are made and there is no intention of offending or insulting anyone.  Based on the information and input received, he doesn’t see what is offensive about the name and logo and when race is used to intimidate or incite the point is missed.  Perhaps it needs more discussion.  His opinion is to increase education about the Native Americans in this region and improve the curriculum with help from the Native Americans who offered input.  Our children are proud of the name.  He supports keeping both.

Bryan Burrell:  He thanked the Committee for abiding by the Board’s resolution and struggling with this challenging issue.  He also has read all the research given to the Board and done his own as well.  He went on Dr. Yeagley’s website and watched the PBS video “In Whose Honor,” and was overwhelmed by it.  In the video the sale of Indian heads is discussed.  His research also revealed the many prominent organizations that have come out against the use of Indian names and, mascots and logos.  He sees this as an evolving discussion in which the community must participate.  He recommends addressing the issue in degrees.  He will recommend formally eliminating the logo.  He hopes that although the community does not see eye to eye, it will walk hand in hand. 

Vic Czajkowski:  He too read all the literature, attended most of the Committee’s meetings, and attended Dr. Yeagley’s lecture the previous evening where about 100 people were present.  He stressed that Board members are elected to represent their community.  At the January 13 forum it was obvious that most there were in favor of keeping both the logo and name.  77% of the High School students that voted said to keep both and only 16% said to eliminate both and 11% to compromise.  The Commissioner’s statement said to resolve this locally and to study the issue with consensus form school community.  There was no reference for all others to be part of the discussion.  There is historical reference to the Nyack Indians.  He supports keeping the Indian name and logo, including more information in the curriculum on the Native Americans who lived here.

Dr. Fletcher Johnson:  This very complex, sensitive problem should be decided by the community through a vote. Thus If there is a vote tonight, he will abstain.  He said this was a complicated Board made of different, distinct people with different backgrounds, such as the rest of the community.  There are twenty thousand people that the Board has not heard from.  He feels that the Indian was never used here in a derogatory manner and we are held hostage by things that happened centuries ago.

Don Hammond:  He thanked the Nyack mayor, John Shield, for his comments about all coming to the table to resolve this issue in a diplomatic, non- confrontational manner.  He acknowledged the fine efforts of the Committee, on which he served as a non-voting member.  The result of the Committee’s learning process and level of discussion resulted in a number of members’ minds being changed, which was reflected in the Committee vote.  This showed how an educational process could influence people.  Comments and harassments he has heard in the community do not reflect the pride that we have in the District.  He hopes all can be brought back to an educational context.  He commented that he had visited Dr. Yeagley’s website, and read some remarks made about him personally and felt a bit abused himself.  He personally feels that both the name and the logo should be eliminated, and others created that better represent Nyack’s pride, but believes the community is not ready for that decision.  The community should undergo more of a process, involving education.   Thus, he is willing to vote for the elimination of the logo.  He hopes that the community will come together and realize that everyone’s goals are the same:  caring for one another and providing the best education for our children, which means supporting the budget.

Action

Indian Usage Resolutions:  The following are resolutions brought forth by the Board on the issue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel

Trustee Burrell moved and Trustee Davis seconded to take the following resolutions as one motion.

Motion Approved (7-0)

Trustee Mark moved and Trustee Clarke seconded to approve the following:

RESOLVED, on the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools that REYNA MOLINA be appointed to the position of Spanish Teacher on a Probationary basis effective February 3, 2003 through February 3, 2005, Step 15, Scale 10 $89,548 pro-rated 2/3/03 - $40,296.

RESOLVED, on the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools that CHERYL EGLIN be appointed to the position of Special Education Teacher at Nyack Middle School on a Leave Replacement basis effective February 3, 2003 through June 30, 2003, Step 4 Scale 2, $45,814 pro-rated 2/3/03 - $20,617.   ,

Resolved, that CHRISTINA R. DUNCAN, a Teaching Assistant at Upper Nyack elementary school be granted a continued unpaid leave of absence effective February 3, 2003 through June 30, 2003.

Motions Approved (5-0)

Trustee Czajkowski voiced concerned about the salary being given to Reyna Molina. Mrs. Zampolin explained how difficult it was to find a Spanish Teacher.

Trustee Mark called the question on personnel. 

Motions Approved (5-1-1)

Trustee Czajkowski No and Trustee Johnson Abstained

Trustee Clarke moved and Trustee Burrell seconded to adjourn to Executive Session for discussion of personnel matters at 11:15 PM PM. 

Motion Approved (7-0)

Trustee Mark moved and Trustee Czajkowski seconded to reconvene to Public Session and adjourn at 11:45 PM.

Motion Approved (7-0)

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Respectfully submitted,

Gail Fleur, District Clerk