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spotlight on schools ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ NOVEMBER 2007NY Botanical Garden CelebratesGrand Opening of theEverett Children’s Garden GateCarolyn Everett celebrateswith her mother Edith EverettBy Liza YoungEdith Everett, her grandchildren Ethan& Hannelora & son DavidA ceremony celebrating the opening of theEverett Garden Gate at the NY Botanical Gardenwas recently held with expressions of excitementand gratitude by key members of the BotanicalGarden and governmental officials.The brainchild of Gregory Long, President ofthe NY Botanical Garden, the Everett Gardencame to fruition through the philanthropic supportand dedication of Edith and Henry Everett,opening approximately ten years ago. The 12-acreGarden is a nurturing and rich science learningenvironment for children. The newly designedgate provides a more accommodating passage forentrance and exit, easing congestion, and includesadditionally needed restrooms.The celebration of the opening of the gate fittinglybegan with the singing of “America theBeautiful” by Karen Everett, daughter-in-law ofEdith Everett.Speaking at the ceremony, Bronx BoroughPresident Adolfo Carrion, Jr. underscored theopening of the Everett Garden Gate as culturallyand economically beneficial for the city. It willattract residents and tourists, aligning with therecent campaign announced by the mayor, togetherwith NYC & Company, to increase tourism toNYC. NY City Council member David Weprin,who is also Chairman of the NYC Council FinanceCommittee, shared President Carrion’s view on thevalue the Everett Garden will bring to the city.Julie Sakellariadis, Chairperson of the EducationCommittee of the NY Botanical Garden, highlightedthe work of the Everett family in buildingthe garden into a “wildly successful and highlyacclaimed program loved by NYC school teachersand school children and many families whovisit on their own.” She recalled her visits tothe Garden with her four children, and attributesher daughter’s—a college sophomore—choiceto major in environmental science to visits to theGarden. Her daughter came to “love everythinggreen.”Edith Everett, currently Honorary Chairpersonof the Education Committee of the NY BotanicalGarden, is also a former school teacher and successfulWall Street businesswoman. Eloquentlyspeaking at the ceremony, she described thegarden as a “place of beauty where children arelearning some of the basic lessons of science,engage in wonderful interactive lessons, and alsohave a great time.” The lessons learned at the gardenare in fact based on the NY State mandatedscience curriculum. Three thousand teachers aretrained each year at the Garden to improve scienceteaching in the classroom. The gate is dedicated toEdith’s husband, Henry Everett, who passed awayseveral years ago, and was truly dedicated to theenhancement of the Garden.Senator Jose Serrano current chair for theDemocratic Task Force on the Arts and Culturalaffairs, and a lifelong resident of the Bronx,described the garden as “something more thanaesthetically pleasing, but crucial to the vibrancyof our city and future of our economy.”#When the Police RuleSchool CorridorsBy Ernest Logan, President, CSALast month, we once again faced a most disturbingissue regarding our members and the NewYork Police Department. It is unfortunate that theDepartment of Education and NYPD have failedto develop the protocols necessary for schoolleaders—Principals and Assistant Principals—toeffectively coexist with school safety agents.We all want safe and secure schools and donot question the need for some type of schoolsecurity as much to protect our students fromcrazed individuals as to maintain an appropriateenvironment for learning. But it is imperativethat someone be in control of a school. And itis imperative that we work this out now beforeanother Principal is arrested and embarrassed infront of his students, parents and community fordoing his job – protecting his students.The Principal has traditionally been in chargeof his building, and in this time of increasedaccountability is, in fact, charged with thatresponsibility. If school leaders are accountable,and will pay a price if found to be derelict intheir duties, then I strongly urge the Chancellorto talk to us now about how school safety agentsperform their duties, how schools are staffed,and how SSA are evaluated. Principals must beaccorded respect. We should not have to demandit; it should come with the responsibility investedin the position. School safety agents should not bearresting Principals. They work with the Principalin keeping the school a safe place. The Principalcannot perform his mandated responsibility if hehas to worry about being handcuffed and draggedfrom a building.I have begun talks with the DOE’s Bureau ofSchool Safety and have the firm belief that wewill be able to work through our issues. Theseconversations will just be part of the collaborativerelationship CSA is developing with theDOE, a relationship I have faith will continue togrow for the benefit of our children, our schoolsand the people who run those schools.E R R A T AAn Innovative PlanIn that spirit of continued collaboration, theDOE and the Mayor announced the most innovativeplan, perhaps in the nation, for teacher payincentives. The availability of additional financialawards or incentives for schools and teachers hasbeen cheered and denounced. At CSA, we havealready had this discussion, and the concept ofpay for performance is, and has been for sometime, fact for CSA members. I look forward tonegotiations with the DOE to determine whatadditional compensation is available for supervisorsin high-need schools. We will continue toexplore how we can improve the program, as wellas how to develop a mutually-agreed upon instrumentthrough which to evaluate our members.For now, the Principals Performance Reviewremains in effect, and remains the reviewinginstrument to date.The discussion continues with the DOE on howto effectively assist and support our membersand their schools. There needs to be genuineand effective support given to schools. No longercan the DOE or anyone else decide that ourmembers can sail alone on the choppy waters ofthis system.#What is yourfavorite sectioninEducation Update?LYCÉE FRANÇAIS DE NEW YORK505 EAST 75th STREET, NEW YORK, NY1002170 years experience in French-American EducationThis is the correct photo of Chuck Cahnthat was to appear in the October issue ofEducation Upate.Email us atednews1@aol.com. Multicultural and bilingual Private school,. Graduates attend the most prestigious North Americancolleges and universities as well as French institutionsof higher learning,. New York High School Diploma and Preparation forthe Baccalaureat,. Mandarin Chinese classes from 3 rd grade and 6 th grade,. More than 60 nationalities represented from nurseryto 12 th gradeInformation andadmissions1 212 439 3834admissions@lfny.orgwww.lfny.org