Not surprising how individuals with well-known, well-worn grudges against the board of education can take any agenda item of the board and twist it to fit their misguided view of events. Had Ms. Batista actually been at the meeting or took the time to read the article above, she would have realized that Mrs. Mass was making it easier for complaints to be heard by the board. She was adding another avenue for those who felt uncomfortable putting their complaints or issues in writing. For this Mrs. Mass should be applauded. Even if the recommended changes were not accepted the original “complaints” code would be in effect. The “transparency and community involvement” argument Ms. Batista makes is as groundless as is her entire reply.

This post above me has Eileen Mass written all over it, or one of her buddies. I do not think that Mrs. Mass is trying to make anything easier! Mrs. Mass is not doing anything to make anything easier for the community. What she is doing is finding an avenue to keep things quiet and not publicized! Plain and simple! I love the comment about the supermarket, if she would put a sock in it ,and stop blabbing all over town, and sticking her nose where it does not belong, you may have less irate parents! She is making the path to a smoother BOE presidency for herself by trying to shut out the parents! The problem with the BOE , and it's friends the administrators is that they do not listen to the community. They don't care to listen. If they did what they should be doing by listening and working with the community, and stop applauding themselves every meeting, you just might have a supportive community.
Wouldn't it be better if the people sitting in those seats at all the meetings pat you on the back instead of you all doing it?
Mrs. Mass should not forget where she came from, and what seats she sat in when she attended those meetings. Mind your business and act professional and let everyone else have their chance to be parents and voice their concerns!

First off "Concerned about the community" I was NOT singling our Mrs. Mass. Where did you learn to read? I will clarify it for you in simple terms. This whole thing about putting your complaints in writing should be repealed. However any tax payer in the community wants to express themselves and be heard about anything should be allowed at any board of education meeting. I am not blasting Eileen Mass! I am not singling her out. Please learn to read. If us parents didn't address the board of ed. last year our children would have lost an entire year of education, instead of four months when they finally got a teacher to teach the 3 to 5 class.This should be an open forum for any tax payer. You getting this? If a tax payer feels more comfortable putting it in writing do so, however if you want the board of ed. to listen and you want to go on the record we should have that right. Imagine putting a complaint in about the Superintendent to the Superintendent. This should have never been enforced from the start. It takes away our freedoms to fairly participate in our educational system. Get it "Concerned about our community"?

If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist.

These local school districts, All, have out-sourced "Public Relations" experts now...paid for by Your Tax Dollars..so you can figure, even they know they have to hire out people to "Lie" for them !

Concerned about our community, you are sad! Funny how you go around anonymous. I am not a coward such as your self. Concerned about Massive was right you do sound like a boe member. Reading seems to be an issue with you or is it comprehension? Yes I do have issues with the school district regarding the education of our special needs children. Do you have any? Do you know what it's like to get your special needs child the help required in order for your child to learn? How would you feel if you have to sit at a CSE meeting and the director of PPS tells you that they can't modify the curriculum and if you want modification your child needs to be in alternate assessment giving your child no bar to strive for. Besides the fact that its against the law, civil rights. I hear parents at our SEPTA meetings telling us that they have been waiting for a year plus for a outside evaluation, that's against the law requirements. What about PPS telling parents that the district doesn't pay for outside independent evaluations? Which is a lie. Not only do they not tell the truth at your CSE meetings they lie as well. This is what is going on with our district. Then our special needs parents who speak up get a visit from CPS. You tell me that we can't speak up? We are our children's advocate otherwise they have no voice at all. So please shut up! First amendment remember! I have rights which I am exercising. You are ignorant to the English language. Curious on where you went to school ?

Getting back on topic - I was at the BOE meeting and could understand both sides of the argument - Ms. Mass wanted to eliminate the "in writing" requirement to make it easier for the public to voice their complaints/concerns, while other board members were concerned that if the "in writing" requirement was eliminated, members of the public may ultimately feel that they had registered complaints that ultimately were not discussed with the full board or otherwise misinterpreted. For the most part, I thought the amendment would make things easier for the public, however, the more I witness public actions, the more I can understand why the board feels a need to protect itself by requiring complaints to be in writing, thereby limiting those instances where the public can accuse the board of not considering their complaints or otherwise ignoring those complaints.

Thank you all for your spirited debate. It is very important to us that Hauppauge Patch be a place where you can comment freely about the community issues that concern you. All we ask is that you refrain from insulting one another.

This is an on going problem with this district. They don't want to hear from the community. They don't listen to complaints. Ignorance is bliss should be their motto. They don't want to know that is the bottom line. They only like to hear themselves. They forgot that us tax payers should have a say as well.

Check it out, The secret society of the Board of Education. This is how our district operates. They claim they want community involvement yet they shut us tax payers out. No surprise there. We should be allowed to present our complaint directly to them or have the option to do it writing. We have voices, we should be heard no matter what avenue we choose to take. Not like they will listen to us any way, but at least we had a say.

I can see how this can be taken by both sides of the parents here debating . I will say that seeing how the school district has been operating I do not think it was to make things better for the community. It seems it is just another avenue to keeps things comfortable for the schools. "Concerned About Our Community"-----------> you are definitely here on behalf of the school district. How much are they paying you? I already have the other one comment poster pegged....so I wont comment on you any further. Let the families speak and voice how they feel. There is so much more that will be coming out and Hauppauge does need to start listening to the community.

It looks like this is what BOE's do....Very interesting.....check it out! You to Davey!

http://smithtown.patch.com/articles/board-of-education-vote-shortens-public-speaking-times

http://smithtown.patch.com/articles/letter-board-of-education-violates-community-involvement-goals

I really don't want to speak out too much, but just can't help it. J Stef - the only answer I can give you is being a parent and a tax payer, from experience, I have been treated with disrespect and disregard, even silenced at a SEPTA meeting where I was desperate for help. I was shut up and told I would be "dealt with" after the meeting. I have never gone back to a SEPTA meeting again and that IS NOT FAIR. PTA was created to help the community, not shut us up. The "one" who stifled me is one of the people not well mentioned throughout these blogs. I was so clearly avoided. There are other situations and I'm sure many parents have theirs. more....

Everytime anything like this happens it is our children that suffer. They are children, not numbers, not statistics and not a document on somebody's desk. It always seems very forgotten when dealing with the board members that this is the only reason we care. We are a nice sized school district with many very intelligent people, most of us see through many of the people trusted to run our schools. There is a very clear picture who does and doesn't do what they should on behalf of our children and an even clearer picture of who has their own agendas. So, when we aire our concerns and sound angry, it's real, very real and not just spewing words. When we are silenced or brushed off or new agendas are brought up before resolving older issues we not only feel, WE KNOW that things are not being made better for the community. I probably only touched a tip of that ice berg. There may be people on the board that do really care and do really think they are doing their best to help. But, unfortunately, to us Parents and taxpayers, we're not seeing it.

Hallie S- well said.....Now what is the paid spokesperson "Trish" going to say to that?