The Mineola Board of Education’s Thursday, Dec. 4, workshop meeting was business as usual despite the ongoing investigation into the Build Your Own Grade program.
School trustees moved quickly through their agenda in front of an audience of about 30 parents and other community members, who, in some instances, interjected comments. Workshop meetings did not allow for public comment.
The Build Your Own Grade curriculum was implemented this semester in Mineola’s 8th-grade classrooms. It consisted of video-based learning and a new grading system. After public outcry and a petition for its withdrawal, the program was halted.
The program was run and maintained by a company called Quave, which was founded by Superintendent Michael Nagler and his 19-year-old son James. Quave was found to lack a data protection agreement with the school district, causing controversy among parents regarding the safety and privacy of their children.
An investigation by an external party, Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna, LLP, is currently underway. The Board of Education approved the investigation in October.
“We are almost at the tail-end of the investigation. We only have one more meeting, so we’re hoping that will be finalized soon,” said Board of Education President Cheryl Lampasona.
This was the only acknowledgment of the investigation during the meeting’s official minutes.
The board also addressed a suggestion from the public to add a section to their website for public comment. The board discussed logistics and concerns raised by the concept. Trustee Margaret Ballantyne-Mannion indicated that she will reach out to the Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association to further discuss the matter.
Other district business was attended to in Thursday’s meeting. The board approved field trips, student actions and leaves of absence, and addressed appointments and stipends within the district.
Several matters related to transportation were addressed, including the approval of an Inter-Municipal Agreement with the Floral Park-Bellrose Union Free School District and the disposal of three school buses.
Deputy Superintendent Catherine Fishman and Director of Instructional Technology & Assessment Whittney Smith presented the results of a school climate survey to the board.
The survey asked students, parents, and teachers about their perceptions of various aspects of school life, including academic and social support, leadership, and safety. The findings revealed a generally positive perception among community members, with mostly high levels of agreement among parents, teachers, and students.
Mineola Middle School principal Amy Trojanowski, Dean of Students Steve Benner and assistant principal Nickole DiFilippi gave a presentation to the board about the school’s new teaching program and its implementation of board values during this school year.
