Chicken Lickin' West Prep

Just before Christmas of 1995, The Village Times wrote of panic amongst school district staff. Then, the Three Village Herald picked up the torch. Soon, as expected by the perpetrators, the panic consumed effected parents.



Allegedly at risk, according to the articles, was the "West Prep," later renamed "Instar," program at Ward Melville High School.

Long recognized as a program fostering and supporting local talent in various science competitions, including the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, "newspeak" wrote of presumed efforts to dump the course. On the bold face of the announcement, this was sad news. But, there were still two sadder points: first, some district administrative folk think the rest of the world is brain dead; and second, the media bought in on this well orchestrated hysteria designed to over-dramatize the necessary affects of needed budget reform.

Suppose we take a moment or two to review the "facts", not only those provided by the media but those understood to exist.

Let's see now; the school district has an incredible fiscal crisis. The Board of Ed tells the Superintendent, "Draw up a budget equal to this year's, for 1996-1997." Decision-making requires information. The Superintendent of Schools, Mary F. Barter, wanting "room to maneuver," directed her staff to "Prepare budgets that are five percent smaller than at present, for each of your fiefdoms." Well, as life would have it in the District's world of the tenured egalitarian masses, Robert McKean - Ward Melville Principal, chose to be Oh,-my-God!-uncooperative. Instead, he would perform the superlative. Ignoring the requested and, apparently to him, mere "foolish-five" percent cut, Mr. McKean developed a "nincompoop-nine."

"Harrumph! Excellent move, Bob. Way to go!" said no one.

Thereupon, Melanie Krieger, director of the West Prep course, decided to contact the media, giving attention to something that should have never occurred. Principal McKean disobeyed an administrative directive, choosing instead to make known what appears to be is his own dissatisfaction with Board of Education and Administration policies and his unwillingness to abide by decisions not his own. In doing so, he has increased public fear of dire consequences unlikely to occur, avoided the responsibility of making the tough decisions he is paid to make, and flaunted his irresponsibility in the media as though he were doing the right thing.

Who's in Charge??? McKean's failure should not have gone unnoticed - as it did - by the Board of Ed and provides an excellant example of why tenure should be abolished.

In the end, Barter had her "room to maneuver" and West Prep survived. Had it not, heads higher than McKean's would have rolled. There is a lot in real need of watching in the Three Village Central School District. This is not part of it, only a media enhanced blip.

Saddest of all is it to see just how easily our local newspapers were persuaded to give vent to such nonsense.


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