This morning 2 notices were sent by the BOE. One announcing an executive session being held at 9am tomorrow – a Saturday morning of the February break. The second announcing that 9 year BOE member, and prior President, Wendy Gargiulo has resigned from her BOE seat.
Wendy has been a tireless advocate for the residents of North Merrick and our children. Over the years, Wendy has held numerous leadership positions in the community. She worked through the ranks of the Camp Ave PTA, serving as president for two years. She was a girl scout leader for seven years, boy scout leader, baseball coach on League of YES for special needs children; served on the Lay Budget Committee, SNAC committee, SAVE committee, and Wellness Committee; and has been consistently attending board meetings for the past 17 years. She was recently appointed by NYSSBA (New York State School Board Association) as an adjunct facilitator on their Leadership Development Team. Her extensive knowledge through training and experience was utilized to train other school boards in New York State. She was in her eighth year of service on the North Merrick Board of Education, and her fourth year of service on the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board. As we were writing this post, we received a letter written by Wendy explaining the reason for her resignation and shedding more light as to the basis for tomorrow's meeting. We are posting this letter below. Please read it and share it. We need to get as many North Merrick residents aware of the dysfunctional mess that has become our Board of Education. It just shameful.
If residents were previously not concerned about the effect of an endorsement of a board trustee by a Non-Resident Organization; you should be now. This letter only fortifies CRONM'S fears about trustees endorsed by the North Merrick Faculty Association and their ability to maintain neutrality and uphold their fiduciary responsibilities, obligations and duties towards North Merrick residents and our children. Based on the political circus that happened during Tuesday’s Board meeting and the reason for Wendy's resignation, our concerns have now become reality.
For those who were not able to make it to the February 12, 2019 Board meeting, you can view the video here and it will be refenced below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1APvImJY64
During the last public session portion, Suzanne Winkel, the president of the North Merrick Faculty Association, and a non-resident of North Merrick, was permitted to read a letter publicly shaming Wendy Garguilo, a sitting Board Trustee, for giving her reasons as to why she voted "No" in approving the teacher contract. It’s important to note that Wendy voiced those concerns only after being asked at the January meeting by Board member Michelle Gordon (at the 35 minute mark of the January video which can be viewed here
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=y1APvImJY64
why she did not think the contract was fiscally responsible. Her comments were in regard to that question, not planned. Wendy responded by saying she objected to how the Board as a whole, negotiated the teacher contract. Wendy did not object to the contract being passed or our teachers receiving their well-deserved raises. The reason she voted "No" lay with Board not negotiating more in relation to extra help being provided to our children which is a benefit provided in the Bellmore and South Merrick school districts. She also questioned the money being given in exchange for health insurance buy-outs. When Wendy gave her position she was answering a question posed to her by a sitting board trustee and acting in her fiduciary role to represent and protect the interests of the North Merrick residents.
On a side note, before the start of last Tuesday's meeting Ms. Winkel, along with approximately 60 of our North Merrick teachers, all dressed in black union t-shirts, came in as one group at the start of the meeting. We know this felt intimidating to Residents that attended the meeting. Some even equated it to bullying Residents so that they would not speak during Public Comments.
At the 39 min/29 second mark of the vide (approximately 8:55pm and 52 second time stamp) you can see Board President Hyland sort thru the comment card basket and place Ms. Winkel’s card at the top of the pile ahead of resident cards. Ms. Winkel speaks at the 40 min/30 second mark of the video. In Ms. Winkel's opinion, Wendy was being a "bully." In addition to objecting to Wendy standing up for the North Merrick residents, Ms. Winkel publicly shamed a North Merrick Resident, Mary Keene, for questioning how this current teacher contract benefited our children. When Mary asked her question, she was not attacking the teachers or objecting to the teacher contract being passed, she was simply trying to understand, why something as basic as extra help, was not included in the current teacher contract. After Ms. Winkel finished shaming Wendy for upholding her fiduciary obligations and Mary for being a responsible resident, Board President Hyland thanked Ms. Winkel for her letter and then said "the Board, as a unit, has expressed how we feel and the Board, as a unit, appreciates you.” Before any public session is held, the Board President reads the rules listed in the meeting agenda which say; “Questions are to be addressed to the Board President, not to individual board members. Personal attacks on individual board members, administrators and staff will not be tolerated and may be cause to adjourn the meeting.”
Does anyone else find it upsetting that the Board President permitted a non resident, not to mention a teacher employed in our district, to publicly attack a sitting Board Trustee and North Merrick parent for questioning how the Board as a whole, negotiated the teacher contract? Since the North Merrick taxpayers are not permitted access to the negotiations, all we are allowed to do is question. When did questioning why the Board did not negotiate for extra help turn into something nefarious, negative or constitute "bullying"?
Board Policy #1120 makes it clear that only North Merrick Residents and representatives of local business are permitted to address the Board during the public session portion of the meeting. An exception exists permitting Union Presidents to address the Board on "District related matters." Since the teacher contract was passed and was no longer a District issue, it remains unclear why and how Ms. Winkel was permitted to address the Board. How is attacking a parent for exercising their constitutional right to find out more information as to why the contract was negotiated the way it was, a District Related matter? Given the Board president's comments and actions in taking Ms. Winkel's comment card from the bottom and putting it first to permit her to be the first person to speak; this was clearly a premeditated and coordinated act. After reading Wendy's letter of resignation, it was clear that Ms. Winkel, with the help of the Board President, was their to carry out a personal matter, not a District related matter.
Both Ms. Winkel's and the Board's actions in permitting her to attack Wendy and publicly shame Mary for exercising their constitutional right was a political move that used our teachers and residents as political pawns. Both Lentini and Gordon ran their campaign on unifying our community and promoting healing. Tuesday's events exposed their promises as hollow. We thought the Board was on its’ way with how they chose to fill the vacant Board seat in September. However, when the Board President orchestrated Tuesday's circus, she was no longer acting as fiduciary to the district, our kids or the residents.
As to Wendy, CRONM thanks her for having the strength to speak up and resign so that the current Board does not waste taxpayer money paying an individual to determine whether owning an investment property in another district disqualifies you from sitting on as a board trustee. Remember, you only need to be 18, registered voter, and reside in North Merrick for a year, to run for a trustee position. Her allegations of harassment and malice should be extremely troubling to everyone.
At the past four BOE meetings Wendy has publicly questioned BOE activities, decisions, and contracts. You can view these videos on the CRONM YouTube channel. She has challenged the use of comment cards and questioned the way taxpayer money has been spent. Wendy was also the ONLY BOE member who was not endorsed by the NFMA when she ran for election. With the exception of Megan Smith, who was appointed in September, all other BOE members received both $ and endorsements from the NFMA.
With Wendy gone, we are left with a Board who has a COMBINED 6 years of sitting Board experience. Three seats are now up for grabs for the upcoming May 21, 2019 BOE election. What has happened the past week with our Board of Education is despicable but perhaps it will wake-up our Residents to realize what is happening and get out to vote in May.