Levittown Schools Consolidate Chair Positions

The Levittown School District approved a motion at Tuesday's board meeting that consolidates numerous district chairperson positions into curriculum associate positions.

The resolution will create four district-wide curriculum associate positions to replace the 12 chairperson positions throughout the district.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Debbie Rifkin, the district will have one curriculum associate per subject (math, English, social studies and science). 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Grossane said at the meeting that the consolidation was designed to better equate the district's students with new mandated common core standards.

The curriculum associates will also help with mandated Annual Professional Performance Reviews (APPR) of teachers.

"With the advent of APPR, we have to have a common view in terms of how to establish what is best practice in the classroom, what are good teaching strategies and what is evidenced in those strategies in terms of developing a unified curriculum throughout our six elementary schools, our two middle schools and our two high schools," Grossane said.

"Their primary responsibilities will be to make sure that the common core is implemented [and] that we evidence good teaching strategies with APPR viewed through a common lens. They will work in conjunction with the building principals, the departments and Mrs. Rifkin," he added.

The Levittown School District currently has four English and math chairpeople and two science and social studies chairpeople.

Those 14 positions will be consolidated into one curriculum associate per subject.

The four associates will have offices in four separate schools in the district.

In the past, the chair positions were strictly aimed at secondary schools, but Rifkin said that the new curriculum associate positions will have responsibilities for classes from kindergarten through grade 12.

The prior chairpeople also doubled as teachers. The new curriculum associates will not teach any classes.

Dr. Grossane said that the current chairpeople will be able to apply for the new curriculum associate positions.

The chairpeople who do not get the positions (or choose not to apply) will return to a full-time teaching role.

Rifkin said that the return of some of the chairpeople to full-time teacher status may lead to excessing of other teachers.