Schools Supt. Proposes Major Administrative Restructuring

by Joan R. Simon

(February 1, 2007) After a year and a half as Mamaroneck’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Paul Fried has proposed his first major initiative: adding five administrators to the district and enhancing the position of two others, in a broad reorganization of supervisory and curriculum responsibilities. The new plan had been eliciting both excitement and anxiety in the district.

Department Directors

Specifically, Dr. Fried’s proposal provides for four “directors” of English, math, science, and social studies who will oversee the teaching staff and curriculum in grades 6-12. In addition, a Director of Cultural Arts would supervise music, art and theater arts from pre-K through grade 12. One motivation for the change comes from the increasing number of new teachers in the district who need support and guidance. “I look at it as support,” Dr. Fried said, so that “people can go ahead and do their work.”

Another job for the new directors will be to assist Annie Zimmer, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, in developing a “curriculum that is aligned and more consistent throughout specific content areas.” Dr. Fried anticipated that the change would allow Ms. Zimmer “to focus more on the elementary level.”

These new positions would replace most (although not all of) the department chairs in the high school. Dr. Fried suggested that the directors also teach one class a day to keep them “more current in their practice while providing a classroom that new teachers can visit for demonstration purposes.” Though new to Mamaroneck, it is an administrative system used in Ossining, where Dr. Fried was previously Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education. “These are not new concepts,” he explained, describing the director model as “pretty established.”

A New Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services

A second proposal would have major implications for special education and counseling. The Director of Special Education, a position currently held by Peter Berendt who is retiring this year, would become Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services. In addition to special education, the new post would oversee 504 plans (which cover children with disabilities who are not in special education) and health services (school nurses and the school doctor), both of which are now under the Director of Physical Education and Athletics.

The new assistant superintendent’s responsibilities would also include guidance services. In addition, Dr. Fried is recommending that the coordinator of guidance for the high school be replaced with a Director of Guidance, supervising both high school and Hommocks departments. The current guidance coordinator Paul Martin will retire in June.

One person who saw the new position as “a plus” for special education was Nancy Pierson, president of SEPTA, the special education PTA, and former PT Council and high school PTSA president. “I feel special education will gain something by having an assistant superintendent, which is something we haven’t had before.”

Cost of Changes

While there will undoubtedly be additional costs, Dr. Fried felt there would also be some cost-saving. He cited the elimination of release time for current department heads, additional teaching time by the new directors, and some streamlining of responsibilities. School Board President Cecilia Absher expected the proposal to be be worth it. “At this point we don’t really know exactly what the cost of the plan will be, but we do think based on what we’ve heard so far, the benefits are likely to outweigh the costs involved.”

Reactions to the New Administrative Plan

In addition to sending out letters to the teaching staff and parents, Dr. Fried has met with administrative groups, department chairs, building principals, the PT Council, and SEPTA, among others. How has the plan been received so far? “The reaction has been mixed,” Dr. Fried said, “but I think all of the interactions have been helpful for me.”

John Esposito, president of the teacher’s union, commented, “The MTA is always appreciative of the district's efforts to provide additional support for teachers and if this proves to be a worthwhile endeavor toward that goal, we will undoubtedly endorse it. However,” he added, “the devil is always in the details and there are lots of details that still need to be discussed.”

School Board member Linnet Tse, who is also a high school parent, noted that with “so many increasing demands at the high school, the increased enrolment at the secondary level and a lot more non-tenured new teachers, there is too much pressure on the teachers. They’re spread far too thin. We’re hoping it will be a win-win situation for everyone.”

In responding to questions about spending resources on administration rather than in the classroom, high school principal Mark Orfinger remarked, “I would hope that the plan is not implemented at the expense of maintaining a healthy teacher-student ratio in the high school. During preliminary budget meetings, I have already talked with Central Administration about particular classes and grade levels where class size is a concern to me.”

High school PTSA president Margaret Corbett said she felt the new plan “addresses concerns that parents in the community and even teachers have.” She thought it would help students in their “transitions from elementary school to Hommocks and from Hommocks to high school and give more cohesiveness to the way the departments are run.” “I think many good and positive things will come of this,” she concluded.

February 13th School Board Meeting

A formal outline of the administrative restructuring plan will be presented to the School Board and the community at the February 13th School Board meeting. In the meantime, the district plans to advertise the “anticipated” positions, a move Dr. Fried said was “necessary if we are to remain competitive with other districts in our search process.” Teachers with administrative certification are welcome to apply for any of the relevant openings. Dr. Fried plans to include teachers and staff from the appropriate departments in the interview process.

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