Letters

Still wondering about A.P. Kenny

Posted

To the Editor:

For the past five weeks, rumors about the removal of an assistant principal, John Kenny, from Carey High School have yet to be confirmed or denied. 

I have personally emailed the Board of Education on numerous occasions, met with the superintendent and principal, phoned the Franklin Square board members, and spoken at every budget meeting and bond referendum meeting regarding this radical decision.

Other parents and students have addressed the board with their concerns and affections for Mr. Kenny. Student letters were written on his behalf. Over 1,100 signatures were collected in just a week’s time, showing community support for Mr. Kenny.  The response from the board: none.

This lack of a response leaves the Franklin Square community lingering and causes us to speculate why this is happening. Why? Why Carey? Why Mr. Kenny? Who came up with this idea and why? Continuous questions were raised to the board. We even offered alternative solutions.

First possible option: remove the current A.P. position of the CTE Program at Sewanhaka, which currently only oversees 462 students — 249 in the morning and 213 in the afternoon — and return it to a director’s position, as it was in years past.

Second possible option: rethink the current 11 dean positions throughout the district. Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Carey only have two deans in each building. Sewanhaka has three and Elmont has four. These positions are held by teachers who teach three classes, not five, and assist the A.P.s with disciplinary issues in the buildings. 

Third possible option: remove an A.P. from Carey H.S., leaving us with only two to oversee over 1700 children daily. If this must be the case, the two strongest A.P.s should be left to carry the responsibility of our children. The two that are most capable, with the most seniority and who are the most respected and needed by our children, should be kept. The last man in should be the first man out!

We could only hope, as we sit and wait with much uncertainty, that the Board of Education has heard our children’s pleas, our parents’ voices and our community support to stop the removal of Mr. John Kenny from Carey High School. 

After all, on May 20, we are all encouraged to come out and vote “yes” on the proposed budget and new bond referendum — yet we are left with all of these uncertainties and unanswered questions. 

Evelyn Ferguson

Franklin Square