School-Related Professionals Day – Tuesday, November 17th, 2015

by Tom Glenn SRP Recognition Day acknowledges the contributions of School-Related Professionals in helping to educate the whole student.  SRPs perform a variety of key roles in schools, working as secretaries, school nurses, custodians, teaching assistants/aides and in dozens of other job titles. Officially established as law in 2007, SRP Recognition…

The Third-Grade Math Question That’s Baffling Parents

Parents everywhere are stumped by another Common Core math problem. This time, the third-grade assignment in question fueled a viral Reddit debate on what 5 x 3 equals. The student wrote 15, because “5 + 5 + 5” equals 15. The teacher marked it wrong because of how the student…

NYSTRS – The New York State Teachers’ Retirement System

by Joan Deem I recently attended the 2015 NYSTRS annual meeting as an elected delegate and want to share a few things that I think you will find interesting.  Our NYS system is among the best and most well funded in the country, which means if everything remains the same…

Impending Friedrichs vs. CTA Supreme Court decision and the New York State Constitution

  HCT President Joan Deem and HCT 1st Vice President Thomas Glenn attended NYSUT’s Nassau County Contiguous E.D. Meeting on Wednesday October 21st, 2015.  Speakers Matt Jacobs, NYSUT Nassau Regional Director, Selina Durio, At-Large Director for E.D. 17/20, and NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer Martin Messner updated the crowd of educators from all…

Hope Starts with Us – The HCT Pink Out

On October 19, members of the Hicksville Congress joined together in support of breast cancer awareness. Members collectively raised $1,903 to go towards research for a cure for this life altering disease. Money collected will be given to be give to the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen…

Six Degrees of Separation

On Sunday afternoon, I had the distinct pleasure of spending the afternoon with my mom at the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra’s concert celebrating 100 years of Sinatra. What a surprise to run into Rachel Nadler in the lobby who proudly shared that husband Adam Nadler would be performing along with…

“Say Cheese” – Plenty of Smiles at the HCT Photo Booth

There is one tradition the Hicksville community can count on as each new school year begins: Hicksville High School’s Homecoming.  In addition to cheering on Hicksville’s football team during the game, everyone enjoyed the Homecoming Fair, with its games,  prizes, raffles, school spirit items to purchase, and hot apple cider…

Staff and Students Raise Money for Cystic Fibrosis

by Kevin Kerley This October, Hicksville Middle School health teacher Anthony Tussie took the opportunity to initiate a program to contribute to the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The BEF raises money and awareness for cystic fibrosis. On Monday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 20 students and staff members from the Middle…

Count Me In

The powerful film “Education, Inc.” was shown to HCT members at the October 13th General Membership meeting. “Education Inc.” screened to bring awareness about how education has turned into a profit-making venture at the expense of children. The film is the creation of parent Brian Malone, a filmmaker who has…

A Bright Light in Public Education on Long Island

by Mary Masterson   At a time when tensions are running high in public education, the Hicksville School District has found the key to insuring that its students are engaged, thriving, learning valuable life lessons, and are viewed as more than a “test score!”  The secret to their success lies in the…