New Monitor Appointed for East Ramapo

In an announcement made in English, Spanish and Creole, New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia appointed a retired state official Monday as the new monitor for the troubled East Ramapo Central School District.

Charles Szuberla, a former deputy commissioner, takes over as the school trustees are once again under fire — this time for two peculiar moves on the Board of Education.

First, announcing that they had unaccountably forgotten to swear in Trustee Sabrina Charles-Pierre, who is black and the only female member on the board dominated by orthodox Jews, and ran unopposed in school district elections in May for the remaining two years of a vacated seat.

The board annulled her election.

As district activist Steve White of Strong East Ramapo pointed out, both board president Yehuda Weissmandl and board vice-president Harry Grossman were elected to fill vacancies in 2014, and both were sworn in within 30 days. Strong East Ramapo has started a petition calling on Weissmandl to resign.

After the community protests, the board unanimously approved a new plan to try to reinstate Charles-Pierre’s original two-year term by filling an appeal with Elia.

Second, the board appointed Joseph Chajmovicz, a man no one in the public school community had heard of, to fill the term of Monsey resident Yakov Engel who resigned in May. Parents had hoped that one of the people who had run for school board before would get the slot.

Szuberla, a well-known former Deputy Commissioner who served SED for 29 years before his retirement in late 2015, will lead the department’s continuing efforts to provide enhanced communication with the East Ramapo community through greater outreach to students, parents and stakeholders. He will be supported by Dr. John W. Sipple, a Cornell University professor who continues in his role as financial monitor.

State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee was pleased with the appointment.

“ In making this appointment the Commissioner and (SED) recognizes and is actively responding to the critical and positive role the Monitors played on the ground during the 2015-16 school year," Jaffee said in a press release. "I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Mr. Szuberla, who was responsive to the concerns I raised over the years, regarding the serious and ongoing issues facing the District. As a well-known Deputy Commissioner, he is highly-knowledgeable on all matters of education policy. His 29 years of proven experience and leadership give him the credentials to support and to work effectively with the District and the community to ensure that the public school students have access to much-needed programs and services and that the District is on a path to fiscal stability.

"I am confident that together with Fiscal Monitor Dr. John Sipple, and Superintendent, Dr. Deborah Wortham, Mr. Szuberla will fulfill the duties and responsibilities specifically set forth in legislation I sponsored along with my colleagues, Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski and Senator David Carlucci, that was enacted in June.

"This appointment is another significant step forward in providing a long-term solution that addresses the unique needs of the district. I am hopeful that it will help restore the trust that is crucial to continuing the work ahead of us and determining what actions should be taken next legislative session."

Zebrowski was not so optimistic.

“This appointment comes at a critical moment for the district. The recent situation involving board member Charles-Pierre leaves the public school community once again feeling voiceless. I am hopeful Mr. Szuberla can act swiftly to address this situation and provide the community with collaborative change. The oversight and funding bill we passed in June was a good first step, but it is obvious we continue to need a monitor on the ground and in the district.”

Szuberla will report directly to Elia and will be a regular presence in the East Ramapo School District. In addition to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities specifically set forth in the legislation enacted this June, state officials said.

The state's announcement continued:

Elia’s appointment of Szuberla also reflects the enactment of Chapter 89 of the Laws of 2016, which, among other things, continues the appointment of up to three monitors for the 2016-2017 school year and contains a specific focus on fiscal and budgetary planning and oversight.

“It is imperative that we continue the progress that the monitors have already made to ensure that the civil and educational rights of a community of overwhelmingly low-income children of color in East Ramapo are not denied,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa. “We are building on the foundation set by the first group of monitors, led by Dennis Walcott, further opening the channels of communication with the East Ramapo community and school district to make sure that the forward momentum we have seen in the last 12 months continues.”

“Over the past year, the work of our monitors has begun to address the actions that undermined the educational rights of the students of East Ramapo for far too long, but we still have a considerable way to go,” said Elia. “Across the state, Chuck Szuberla is known as a leader who is able to bring various groups to the table to solve problems—and that’s the exact kind of experience we need in East Ramapo. I am confident that he will hit the ground running and continue to repair the trust of the East Ramapo community by engaging with students, staff, parents, and stakeholders. This effort would not have continued without the efforts of Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee, Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski and Senator David Carlucci. I thank them for their commitment to this district.”

"This past year, the monitors began the process of resetting a moral compass that focuses on ensuring all children are given the opportunities to learn that prepare them to graduate high school equipped with the knowledge, skills and personal goals essential to meaningful participation in our democratic society. I look forward to supporting their work,” said Regent Judith Johnson.

Szuberla most recently served as the State Education Department’s Deputy Commissioner for P-12 School Operations before his retirement in December 2015. In this role, he was responsible for supporting school district leaders in providing high quality educational opportunities for the more than 3.1 million public and nonpublic students in New York. His priority projects included expanded access to prekindergarten programs; enhanced instruction for English Language Learners; and multiple pathway high schools. In his 29 total years with the Department, Szuberla gained extensive experience in school district operations, management, and budgetary and fiscal oversight. He also managed the Roosevelt Union Free School District’s transition to full independence between 2002 and 2013.

Szuberla will be supported by Sipple, who served on the initial monitor team and is an Associate Professor of Development Psychology at Cornell University. Sipple’s continued assistance in the District will provide continuity and expertise in the critical areas of budgeting and fiscal matters, which are a key focus of the monitor’s responsibilities under Chapter 89. Szuberla will also consult with additional experts on an as-needed basis.

This monitoring initiative will build on the many accomplishments seen in the 2015-2016 school year, during which the District named Dr. Deborah Wortham superintendent, improved teaching and learning, increased transparency and communication with the community, and began the process for much-needed capital repairs and projects.

The monitors will continue to prioritize community engagement and communication. In the coming weeks, Szuberla and Commissioner Elia will meet with stakeholders and plan to hold a public meeting in mid-to-late September. In an effort to ensure all parents and community members are aware of any developments in the district, the Department will provide written materials in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole.

IMAGE: Charles Szuberla/LinkedIn