Hempstead Looks for Leadership (Visit the Cablevision Editorials website at cveditorials/LI) Hempsteads embattled school board has a new leader, but does it have the leadership it needs? Thats the challenge facing Lamont Johnson, a retired police officer, who was recently elected board president, succeeding Betty Cross, who was removed by State Education Commissioner John King, pending his determination of whether voter fraud gave Cross her election victory. With so many issues before it--including a grade rigging scandal, a low graduation rate, and constant turmoil and infighting over jobs and patronage--the new school board president has his work cut out for him. But the election scandal--including allegations of absentee vote rigging and other abuses--has also tarnished school board incumbents, including Johnson, who endorsed Crosss victory. No one knows how Commissioner King will finally rule, and whether he will call for new elections. But for now, Johnson should provide the leadership the school board desperately needs. As a first step, he should end the practice of holding closed meetings in defiance of state open meeting laws. He should open up meetings to citizens concerns. Johnson should also welcome help from the state, perhaps by working with King to bring in a state monitor to address many academic and administrative failures. And should King sustain the allegations of voting irregularities, the school board should hold Superintendent Susan Johnson and Clerk Patricia Wright accountable for failing to properly administer the election. Not the least of Hempsteads many challenges is a crisis of confidence in the integrity of the election process and those who supervised it. Presented by Peter Kohler August 12, 2014
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:00:47 +0000