Petition to Superintendent Grishman and the Jericho Board of Education to  Withdraw the Premature Proposal to Rename Cantiague Elementary School to Henry L. Grishman Elementary School or any variation During Active Employment

We, the parents and community members of the Jericho School District, call for the immediate withdrawal of the current proposal to rename Cantiague Elementary School to Henry L. Grishman Elementary School. This petition addresses serious concerns about both the timing of this proposal during active employment and the concerning process through which it has emerged.

The fundamental issue of proposing to name a school facility after a currently employed superintendent creates inherent ethical concerns and questions about proper governance. Such decisions should maintain clear separation from active service to ensure they are based on demonstrated long-term impact rather than current position.

On January 23, 2024, PTA Council President Aileen Gingold and Jericho Educational Foundation Director Lynn Wiseman presented a coordinated proposal to rename Cantiague Elementary School while our superintendent remains in active service. Board Member Jill Citron, Vice President of the Jericho Board of Education, immediately moved to add this matter to the February agenda without established criteria, proper community consultation, or appropriate procedural safeguards.

The organizational structure behind this proposal raises additional significant concerns. Denise Nash, the district's Director of Public Information & Community Relations, serves on the Jericho Educational Foundation Advisory Board, creating an inherent conflict when the Foundation participates in advancing administrative proposals. This arrangement compromises the independence required of organizations purporting to represent community interests.

 

 

The timing and process raise several critical issues:

1. Proposing to name a facility after an actively employed superintendent creates an appearance of impropriety and raises questions about proper separation between recognition and current service.
2. The coordinated proposal emerged through the merged interests of the PTA Council, Jericho Educational Foundation, and district administration, bypassing proper channels for community input.
3. The Jericho Educational Foundation's participation while maintaining a district administrator on its Advisory Board creates serious questions about organizational independence.
4. The PTA Council's involvement follows Mrs. Gingold's concerning attempt to regulate community discourse at the December board meeting, where she expressed disappointment in community "tone," raising fundamental questions about proper representation of parent voices.
5. The rushed timeline and immediate board response suggest pre-arranged coordination rather than genuine community process.

We call for:

1. Immediate withdrawal of the current renaming proposal from the February agenda
2. Establishment of proper separation between any naming considerations and active employment
3. Review of organizational relationships to ensure proper independence
4. Development of clear procedures and criteria for considering facility naming decisions
5. Implementation of safeguards to protect community input and prevent coordinated administrative action through supposedly independent organizations

Any consideration of facility naming must follow established procedures, maintain proper organizational boundaries, and emerge from genuine community consultation. Furthermore, such decisions must maintain clear separation from active employment to ensure they serve legitimate educational purposes rather than creating appearances of improper benefit or influence.

The current proposal, advanced through concerning coordination between Mrs. Gingold, Mrs. Wiseman, and Mrs. Nash's interconnected roles, and proposed during active employment, fails to meet these essential standards of proper governance.

By signing this petition, we assert our right to proper process and meaningful community input in decisions that permanently affect our district's educational institutions.

This petition reflects our commitment to maintaining high standards of governance and ensuring that significant decisions in our district follow appropriate procedures with genuine community participation.

Sign this petition to protect proper process, ethical standards, and community voice in the Jericho School District.

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