The Theodore Newsletter

The East Williston School District has a Superintendent named Lorna Lewis.  I have repeatedly referred to Lewis as incompetent, unqualified, a liar, a sweet-talking con artist (just like Kamberg), untrustworthy, a liability to the EWSD education process, an embarrassment to our community, a person who has adversely affected our school’s ranking, reduced the likelihood of Wheatley seniors’ acceptance into the school of their choice, who’s policies has senselessly increased property taxes which has reduced property values, etc.  What a mouthful!  Could an administrator be this bad?  To answer this question, I went back to my “Lewis” file and came up with the following:

• Allowed the School Board to abuse Huhn
• Allowed community members to abuse Huhn
• Refused to have the teachers’ contract typed for viewing by the entire community
• Refused to put the teachers’ contract on the District’s website
• Did nothing about 22 secretaries.  (That’s right!  There are still 22 secretaries on the staff.)
• Did nothing about excess administrators
• Compared me to the Gestapo
• Attempted to intimidate an auditor
• Provided blanket support of the teachers at the expense of the schoolchildren, senior citizens, and taxpayers
• Did nothing about teachers wearing black shirts
• Did nothing about anti-Christian activities in the District
• Continues to claim there is no waste
• Has done absolutely nothing about the rampant teacher absenteeism;  keep in mind that teachers have UNLIMITED sick days, and have they mercilessly exploited this giveaway over the years
• Has ignored the effect of teacher absenteeism on the schoolchildren (particularly at Wheatley)
• Provided support (with her silence) of a sham Board election instituted by Kamberg
• Was described an an individual with “limited capabilities,” “did nothing to improve the quality of education,” and was instead “an advocate for the teachers” by a former school board member at Three Villages
• Was rejected at her own school (prior to coming to EWSD)
• Was initially unanimously rejected by the EWSD Search Committee
• Applied elsewhere while Superintendent at EWSD
• Despite the documented massive administrative waste, continues to attempt to hire more administrators
• Provided inflated numbers of  students per class
• Denies the fact that the student:teacher ratio is 9.75:1
•  Denies the fact that the EWSD cost per student is in excess of $30,000/year
• Apparently approved an illegal banner to be placed at the school (having refused to provide information on who approved and paid for the banner)
• Subsequently, refused to allow my banner to be placed at the school
• Despite massive administrative assistance, never acknowledged receipt of three applications for my involvement in school activities (this was true with others)
• Despite massive administrative assistance, I (as well as others) never received a notification of rejection
• Despite being acknowledged as an international expert in the environmental field, allowed Finklestein, a Wheatley science teacher,  to ignore my offer to provide the students with a fair and balanced (as apposed to a totally biased) analysis of environmental issues
• Also allowed Finklestein to ignore former Board member John O’Kelly’s offer to provide another viewpoint
• Deceived the community regarding the true raises granted the teachers by the Board
• Provided prejudicial and disrespectful remarks, as reported in the May 21, 2010 Williston Times, of the inordinate turnout of elderly people at the May 2010 vote grouping them all as voters against the budget; true to form, she later claimed the remarks were misinterpreted
• Do you keep score?  Wheatley had no Intel semi-finalists this year . . . andThreeVillagesSchool District(where Lewis came from before EWSD) had FIVE?  Our neighbors,JerichoandRoslynSchool Districtsalso had seven and four semi-finalists, respectively.  Two finalists emerged from this group.  Again, we didn’t even have a semifinalist!  Who’s to blame?  It’s your call, but not surprisingly, there has been no comment from Lewis

Of course, there is more.  What does the reader think?  I have leveled these labels and facts at Lewis in the past with no response.  After all, I’d be in trouble if the above statements could not be supported.  There has also been  no response in her defense on my statements by Entine, Bergtraum, Kamberg, Freier, any Principals, any teachers, community members, and, of course, the hapless PTO (who I will discuss next month).

One more thing about Lewis:  she has no professional pride.  If she did, she would respond to these accusations made by me and others.  I know I would defend myself if these accusations were leveled against me.

Just a couple of weeks ago (December 20^th),  I requested District information on contracts, personnel, class sizes, teacher assignments, absenteeism, etc. As part of the Freedom of Information requirements, I am entitled to receive this information within a month.  The next day I received a letter from Ms. Fitzpatrick, Assistant Superintendent of Business.  How’s that for an administrative title?  (One can only wonder what the Superintendent of Business does.)  I was told the charge would be 25 cents/page when the material was prepared.  I’ve yet to hear from her as of the posting of this article (January31st).  I guess she’s too busy to help a taxpayer who pays her salary.

How did we ever get stuck with someone like Lewis?  Ask Kamberg.  He recently inexplicably provided her with a multi-year contract extension. There is no way that could be justified given my comments above.  And, please get back to me if I have misrepresented and/or distorted any of the information provided.  Hopefully, every reader read Newsday’s January 29^th front page article titled “LI School Administrators Pension Spike.”