Back to school: 5 things to know as 2024-25 school year begins on LI
Students arrive for the first day of classes Thursday at Moriches Elementary School. A handful of Long Island public schools opened this past week, and the rest will open after Labor Day. Credit: Rick Kopstein
This story was reported by Michael R. Ebert, John Hildebrand, Craig Schneider, Darwin Yanes and Dandan Zou.
The new school year opens in full force on Long Island over the coming week, with new programs, new leadership and some unique challenges for students, teachers and school officials.
As 420,000 students settle into classrooms in more than 120 districts Islandwide, some of them will take on new fields of study: in financial literacy, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, for example.
There are new faces in new places — and sometimes in familiar places: Sachem's new superintendent, one of at least a half-dozen new schools chiefs on the Island, is an alumna of that district and the first woman to lead that system.
Island schools are entering the 2024-25 school year as among the best financed in the nation. However, some districts could face a financial reckoning as federal pandemic relief runs out.
Against the backdrop of a presidential election year, teachers are anticipating more discussions about politics in classrooms. Some are adding lessons to help students learn to separate facts from misinformation, which one expert called “an investment in democracy.”
Potential changes to graduation requirements are looming as state officials continue to consider alternatives to Regents exams.
Amid all that's ahead, the goal remains the same.
“It’s always about challenging children to reach their fullest potential,” said longtime educator Gayle Steele, the new superintendent of Elwood schools.
Here is a look at what's coming this school year.
At least six districts Islandwide will begin the year with a new superintendent.
In Sachem, Patricia Trombetta was appointed to the top role, making her the district’s first female superintendent. The Sachem alumna succeeded Christopher Pellettieri, who retired at the end of last school year.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the school that I’ve known for such a long time,” she said. “I know how important and tight-knit the Sachem community is … and it pushes me to work harder.”
Trombetta has worked at the district since 2006, serving as principal, assistant superintendent for student support and administration, and most recently deputy superintendent. She will lead one of the largest districts on Long Island with more than 12,000 students.
In the Elwood district, Steele recently took over as superintendent. She replaced Kerry Fallon, who served as interim superintendent.
Steele most recently worked as South Huntington’s assistant superintendent for elementary education and held a variety of positions in New York City and Long Island schools.
“Coming into a new role and at the same time learning a new district can be challenging, but people here are making that part of it very smooth,” she said.
Other new district leaders include:
Roosevelt Superintendent Shawn K, Wightman took over for Deborah Wortham, who announced her retirement last fall, , The Sewanhaka Central High School District welcomed Regina Agrusa as its superintendent July 1, She replaced interim Superintendent Thomas Dolan, Joseph Monastero took over as Cold Spring Harbor’s superintendent, Jill Gierasch retired at the end of June, Fia Davis became Freeport’s superintendent last month, She replaced Kishore Kuncham, who after 15 years in the role retired in August,.
With budgeted spending averaging more than $37,000 per student, Long Island’s public schools enter the academic year as among the country's best financed, experts agree. Generous funding levels have been maintained with local voter-approved taxation and substantial help from Albany.
Regional gains have been uneven, however. ERASE Racism, a Long Island-based civil rights organization, recently observed that “foundation” aid — the state’s biggest assistance program — rose not at all or only marginally this year in several heavily minority districts.
“We have to continue to fight for equitable state funding for our students,” said Laura Harding, president of ERASE Racism.
Elsewhere across the Island, educational leaders see a couple other reasons to worry. For starters, federal money for COVID pandemic relief is running out. The program, though it was always meant to be temporary, has provided more than a half-billion dollars since 2022-23 to schools in Nassau and Suffolk for initiatives ranging from math tutoring to installation of air-ventilation systems.
Under federal law, local districts must commit the remainder of that money by Sept. 30. After that date, districts that do not obtain extension waivers must actually spend the balance by Jan. 28, 2025.
Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders agreed in April to change a key component in the formula used to distribute foundation aid. The switch lowered the formula’s inflation factor by substituting the annual consumer price index (then 3.4%) with a 10-year rolling average (2.8%).
Essentially, the effect was to provide $230 million less to districts than they would have received under the old formula, according to an analysis by the New York State School Boards Association.
Hochul has described the change as a move to “right-size” funding — to make sure future school-aid increases do not outstrip the state’s ability to pay.
Regional school leaders noted, on the other hand, that their systems face rising costs in areas such as security and mental health services. They added that the state needs to update its aid-distribution formula to help cover such costs.
Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said in a July statement that foundation aid requires updates to “address the pressing challenges faced by modern schools.”
Baldwin Superintendent Shari Camhi told her staff Thursday that when discussions of politics come up the next few months, she wanted teachers to guide the way by raising questions.
“Your opinion is irrelevant,” she said, standing in front of more than 150 K-5 teachers at the high school gym. “Your job is to ask them questions.”
Camhi’s remarks followed a two-hour presentation on news literacy by Howard Schneider, executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism, and a former Newsday editor.
Camhi is not alone in addressing politics in schools as the presidential campaign season intensifies ahead of the November election. Some educators have expressed concern over political rhetoric spilling into classrooms.
In the age of information overload, educators said it’s more relevant than ever to teach students the skills to discern misinformation. In recent years, interest in news literacy has grown in schools.
Since 2019, when Schneider’s group first partnered with Plainview-Old Bethpage schools, the Stony Brook organization has worked with six more “lighthouse districts” on Long Island, including Baldwin.
Tayla Plotke, who teaches College Civics & News Literacy at Baldwin High School, has bolstered her lessons on the election. Seniors will spend three to four weeks on it in late September and October.
“I see all the stuff on the election on TikTok. There's no way they haven't seen them,” she said. “They're going to want to talk about it.”
One technique she uses to temper heated rhetoric is “accountability talk,” a way to facilitate class discussions that separate disagreements from those who are expressing ideas.
“If I disagree with you, how can I disagree with your idea, and not you as a person?” she said.
As students learn about sourcing, fact-checking and comparing news coverage from different outlets, she sees a common framework for the teens to discuss any topic.
“News literacy is a great lens to look at some of these more controversial topics with because it centers us on a skill, rather than a person or an ideology,” she said.
By the end of the course in previous years, Plotke said, some students used their newly acquired skills against her. If she mentioned she had gone to the movies over the weekend, they would demand evidence to back up her statements — a joke she appreciated.
“It's a toolbox in their brain,” she said.
Beyond news literacy, students can explore a range of new offerings in districts.
In Commack, a financial literacy lab is expected to debut in October. All high school seniors will be required to take a financial literacy course that teaches them about credit card debt, investing in stocks and other skills. The lab will resemble a stock exchange trading floor, school officials said.
In Levittown, the district has established a financial literacy graduation requirement. The class will teach students money management skills, from budgeting to borrowing to investing.
“While our economics course has included elements of personal finance, and we’ve offered a financial literacy elective, we recognize the need for a dedicated course for every student before they pursue any postsecondary plans,” Levittown Superintendent Todd Winch said in a statement.
Some new courses elsewhere:
In Rocky Point, officials announced a full-year, [object Object], cybersecurity course that offers students a chance to earn industry credentials and college credits, , In West Hempstead, the district announced the launch of a state-approved Career and Technical Education pathway in Tourism and Hospitality, In Lindenhurst, new electives tackle artificial intelligence and computer science, And In Valley Stream District 24, educators themselves are beginning to use AI to enhance their own practices and help facilitate planning,.
The state’s controversial effort to de-emphasize the use of Regents exams and provide more options for students to obtain diplomas — an initiative launched more than five years ago — is due for a multiyear extension.
A detailed timetable is to be announced in early November at a monthly meeting of the state’s Board of Regents. The 17-member board, selected by state legislators, sets the state’s academic policy.
Much of the Regents’ plan, known as the Graduation Measures Initiative, already has been announced. Under the most debated provision, high school students no longer would be required to pass Regents exams in English, math, science and history in order to earn diplomas.
Students would be offered a variety of state-approved “alternative pathways” to demonstrate academic and technical proficiency. They would include such “performance-based” activities as completing a research project, performing community service, or training for an occupation.
One argument advanced by advocates of change is that students provided with additional options for graduation are more likely to pursue coursework they see as relevant.
“Our hope is to truly, truly ignite that learning spirit on behalf of our children,” said Betty Rosa, the state’s education commissioner.
Many skeptics ask whether the state can maintain uniform academic standards in a system where judgments on student achievement are left largely to hundreds of local districts.
A regional group, the Long Island Council for the Social Studies, is among those raising the uniformity question.
The council’s president, Gloria Sesso, said her organization hopes to persuade several Regents to appear at its annual conference in Melville on Oct. 25, so it can seek clearer answers on these issues. The council represents hundreds of social studies teachers and department chairs.
“It seems counterproductive that they’re getting rid of exams without a plan for measuring what students know and are able to do, especially in a uniform way,” Sesso said. “Without that, anything goes.”
Meanwhile, the state is moving to develop more “performance-based” assessments locally.
In May, the state Education Department named 23 high schools, middle schools and BOCES to field-test alternative ways of assessing student performance. Selected schools include three on the Island: Baldwin High School, Brentwood High School and Robert Moses Middle School in North Babylon.
Brentwood schools Superintendent Wanda Ortiz-Rivera, and Vincent Leone, project leader of the local pilot program, said they look forward to developing student options that can potentially serve as models for other districts statewide.
“It is a privilege — absolutely,” Ortiz-Rivera said.
The new school year opens in full force on Long Island over the coming week, with new programs, new leadership and some unique challenges for students, teachers and school officials.
As 420,000 students settle into classrooms in more than 120 districts Islandwide, some of them will take on new fields of study: in financial literacy, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, for example.
There are new faces in new places — and sometimes in familiar places: Sachem's new superintendent, one of at least a half-dozen new schools chiefs on the Island, is an alumna of that district and the first woman to lead that system.
Island schools are entering the 2024-25 school year as among the best financed in the nation. However, some districts could face a financial reckoning as federal pandemic relief runs out.
Against the backdrop of a presidential election year, teachers are anticipating more discussions about politics in classrooms. Some are adding lessons to help students learn to separate facts from misinformation, which one expert called “an investment in democracy.”
Potential changes to graduation requirements are looming as state officials continue to consider alternatives to Regents exams.
Amid all that's ahead, the goal remains the same.
“It’s always about challenging children to reach their fullest potential,” said longtime educator Gayle Steele, the new superintendent of Elwood schools.
Here is a look at what's coming this school year.
New leaders are in place across LI
New Sachem schools Superintendent Patricia Trombetta attended school in the district. Credit: Rick Kopstein
At least six districts Islandwide will begin the year with a new superintendent.
In Sachem, Patricia Trombetta was appointed to the top role, making her the district’s first female superintendent. The Sachem alumna succeeded Christopher Pellettieri, who retired at the end of last school year.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the school that I’ve known for such a long time,” she said. “I know how important and tight-knit the Sachem community is … and it pushes me to work harder.”
Trombetta has worked at the district since 2006, serving as principal, assistant superintendent for student support and administration, and most recently deputy superintendent. She will lead one of the largest districts on Long Island with more than 12,000 students.
In the Elwood district, Steele recently took over as superintendent. She replaced Kerry Fallon, who served as interim superintendent.
Gayle Steele, new superintendent of the Elwood school district. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Steele most recently worked as South Huntington’s assistant superintendent for elementary education and held a variety of positions in New York City and Long Island schools.
“Coming into a new role and at the same time learning a new district can be challenging, but people here are making that part of it very smooth,” she said.
Other new district leaders include:
- Roosevelt Superintendent Shawn K. Wightman took over for Deborah Wortham, who announced her retirement last fall.
- The Sewanhaka Central High School District welcomed Regina Agrusa as its superintendent July 1. She replaced interim Superintendent Thomas Dolan.
- Joseph Monastero took over as Cold Spring Harbor’s superintendent. Jill Gierasch retired at the end of June.
- Fia Davis became Freeport’s superintendent last month. She replaced Kishore Kuncham, who after 15 years in the role retired in August.
Funding is generous but uneven
While Gov. Kathy Hochul seeks to "right-size" school funding, school leaders want more state help to cover rising costs in areas such as security and mental health services. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
With budgeted spending averaging more than $37,000 per student, Long Island’s public schools enter the academic year as among the country's best financed, experts agree. Generous funding levels have been maintained with local voter-approved taxation and substantial help from Albany.
Regional gains have been uneven, however. ERASE Racism, a Long Island-based civil rights organization, recently observed that “foundation” aid — the state’s biggest assistance program — rose not at all or only marginally this year in several heavily minority districts.
“We have to continue to fight for equitable state funding for our students,” said Laura Harding, president of ERASE Racism.
Elsewhere across the Island, educational leaders see a couple other reasons to worry. For starters, federal money for COVID pandemic relief is running out. The program, though it was always meant to be temporary, has provided more than a half-billion dollars since 2022-23 to schools in Nassau and Suffolk for initiatives ranging from math tutoring to installation of air-ventilation systems.
Under federal law, local districts must commit the remainder of that money by Sept. 30. After that date, districts that do not obtain extension waivers must actually spend the balance by Jan. 28, 2025.
Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders agreed in April to change a key component in the formula used to distribute foundation aid. The switch lowered the formula’s inflation factor by substituting the annual consumer price index (then 3.4%) with a 10-year rolling average (2.8%).
Essentially, the effect was to provide $230 million less to districts than they would have received under the old formula, according to an analysis by the New York State School Boards Association.
Hochul has described the change as a move to “right-size” funding — to make sure future school-aid increases do not outstrip the state’s ability to pay.
Regional school leaders noted, on the other hand, that their systems face rising costs in areas such as security and mental health services. They added that the state needs to update its aid-distribution formula to help cover such costs.
Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said in a July statement that foundation aid requires updates to “address the pressing challenges faced by modern schools.”
Teachers are preparing for the election
Howard Schneider, executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism, gives a presentation to Baldwin schools staff on Thursday.
Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Baldwin Superintendent Shari Camhi told her staff Thursday that when discussions of politics come up the next few months, she wanted teachers to guide the way by raising questions.
“Your opinion is irrelevant,” she said, standing in front of more than 150 K-5 teachers at the high school gym. “Your job is to ask them questions.”
Camhi’s remarks followed a two-hour presentation on news literacy by Howard Schneider, executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism, and a former Newsday editor.
Camhi is not alone in addressing politics in schools as the presidential campaign season intensifies ahead of the November election. Some educators have expressed concern over political rhetoric spilling into classrooms.
In the age of information overload, educators said it’s more relevant than ever to teach students the skills to discern misinformation. In recent years, interest in news literacy has grown in schools.
Since 2019, when Schneider’s group first partnered with Plainview-Old Bethpage schools, the Stony Brook organization has worked with six more “lighthouse districts” on Long Island, including Baldwin.
Tayla Plotke, who teaches College Civics & News Literacy at Baldwin High School, has bolstered her lessons on the election. Seniors will spend three to four weeks on it in late September and October.
“I see all the stuff on the election on TikTok. There's no way they haven't seen them,” she said. “They're going to want to talk about it.”
One technique she uses to temper heated rhetoric is “accountability talk,” a way to facilitate class discussions that separate disagreements from those who are expressing ideas.
“If I disagree with you, how can I disagree with your idea, and not you as a person?” she said.
As students learn about sourcing, fact-checking and comparing news coverage from different outlets, she sees a common framework for the teens to discuss any topic.
“News literacy is a great lens to look at some of these more controversial topics with because it centers us on a skill, rather than a person or an ideology,” she said.
By the end of the course in previous years, Plotke said, some students used their newly acquired skills against her. If she mentioned she had gone to the movies over the weekend, they would demand evidence to back up her statements — a joke she appreciated.
“It's a toolbox in their brain,” she said.
A rendering of the financial lab set to debut at Commack High School this fall. Credit: Commack School District
New courses focus on financial literacy and more
Beyond news literacy, students can explore a range of new offerings in districts.
In Commack, a financial literacy lab is expected to debut in October. All high school seniors will be required to take a financial literacy course that teaches them about credit card debt, investing in stocks and other skills. The lab will resemble a stock exchange trading floor, school officials said.
In Levittown, the district has established a financial literacy graduation requirement. The class will teach students money management skills, from budgeting to borrowing to investing.
“While our economics course has included elements of personal finance, and we’ve offered a financial literacy elective, we recognize the need for a dedicated course for every student before they pursue any postsecondary plans,” Levittown Superintendent Todd Winch said in a statement.
Some new courses elsewhere:
- In Rocky Point, officials announced a full-year cybersecurity course that offers students a chance to earn industry credentials and college credits.
- In West Hempstead, the district announced the launch of a state-approved Career and Technical Education pathway in Tourism and Hospitality.
- In Lindenhurst, new electives tackle artificial intelligence and computer science. And In Valley Stream District 24, educators themselves are beginning to use AI to enhance their own practices and help facilitate planning.
Other pathways to graduation are in the works
Brentwood schools Superintendent Wanda Ortiz-Rivera is among local officials exploring alternative ways of measuring student proficiency. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
The state’s controversial effort to de-emphasize the use of Regents exams and provide more options for students to obtain diplomas — an initiative launched more than five years ago — is due for a multiyear extension.
A detailed timetable is to be announced in early November at a monthly meeting of the state’s Board of Regents. The 17-member board, selected by state legislators, sets the state’s academic policy.
Much of the Regents’ plan, known as the Graduation Measures Initiative, already has been announced. Under the most debated provision, high school students no longer would be required to pass Regents exams in English, math, science and history in order to earn diplomas.
Students would be offered a variety of state-approved “alternative pathways” to demonstrate academic and technical proficiency. They would include such “performance-based” activities as completing a research project, performing community service, or training for an occupation.
One argument advanced by advocates of change is that students provided with additional options for graduation are more likely to pursue coursework they see as relevant.
“Our hope is to truly, truly ignite that learning spirit on behalf of our children,” said Betty Rosa, the state’s education commissioner.
Many skeptics ask whether the state can maintain uniform academic standards in a system where judgments on student achievement are left largely to hundreds of local districts.
A regional group, the Long Island Council for the Social Studies, is among those raising the uniformity question.
The council’s president, Gloria Sesso, said her organization hopes to persuade several Regents to appear at its annual conference in Melville on Oct. 25, so it can seek clearer answers on these issues. The council represents hundreds of social studies teachers and department chairs.
“It seems counterproductive that they’re getting rid of exams without a plan for measuring what students know and are able to do, especially in a uniform way,” Sesso said. “Without that, anything goes.”
Meanwhile, the state is moving to develop more “performance-based” assessments locally.
In May, the state Education Department named 23 high schools, middle schools and BOCES to field-test alternative ways of assessing student performance. Selected schools include three on the Island: Baldwin High School, Brentwood High School and Robert Moses Middle School in North Babylon.
Brentwood schools Superintendent Wanda Ortiz-Rivera, and Vincent Leone, project leader of the local pilot program, said they look forward to developing student options that can potentially serve as models for other districts statewide.
“It is a privilege — absolutely,” Ortiz-Rivera said.
