NORWICH – The advisors of Norwich High School’s Chi Alpha Chapter of the National Honor Society countered what they called “unsubstantiated” claims made by a school board member and made a few allegations of their own during last night’s meeting of the Norwich City School District’s board of education.
Speaking with her colleague Jamie Maholchic by her side, co-advisor Linda Callea responded to a motion made at the Aug. 23 meeting, at which time board member Dr. Linda Horovitz tried to remove the two women from their advisory roles and reinstate Susan Fertig as the student group’s advisor. While the motion was not seconded, there was discussion on the topic.
“The motion, and the subsequent discussion, were problematic from a procedural perspective,” Callea said, explaining that as the topic pertained to a personnel matter, the discussion should have taken place in executive session, rather than in open session.
“Given that this matter was in fact discussed in the open portion of the meeting, I am now put in the awkward position of having to respond publicly to what should never have been discussed in public in the first place,” she said.
The Global Studies teacher then addressed what she termed the “unsubstantiated basis for the motion,” referring to Horovitz’ claims that standards had been lowered and the organization was “not as effective as two years ago” when Fertig had been at its helm.
Callea explained that a faculty council independent of the advisors selected the 26 students inducted based on how they “demonstrated the requisite Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character.”
“Each and every one of the students selected by the Faculty Council were worth of admission,” the advisor said, adding that Horovitz’ motion “presumed one or more of those 26 were not worthy.”
“How are the 26 inductees and their parents supposed to feel today, knowing there is a belief that one or more of them were not worthy of selection?”
Callea next addressed the allegation that the student group had not done any fundraising during the 2009-10 year.
“It is important not to forget the Honor Society is a service and scholarship organization and that fundraising is not at the core of its mission,” she said, before explaining that the student chapter had in fact sold purple pride bracelets last year, both to raise money and promote school spirit.
She concluded by expressing her dismay that neither she nor Maholchic had been given the opportunity to answer any questions before the allegations had been made in open session.
Following public comment, the National Honor Society was discussed further, with Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan spending a few minutes reviewing a comprehensive explanation of the selection process for the organization which each board member had received.
The superintendent pointed out that the standards for induction into the society are based on national criteria supplemented by the local chapter.
“You can’t go backwards,” he explained.
O’Sullivan also discussed the steps which students must take to be considered for the organization, which include maintaining a grade point average of at least 90, submitting a resume, writing a personal essay and getting letters of recommendations from teachers and staff.
“I’m proud of every single one of them,” he said, speaking of the 26 students who walked across the stage in the last induction ceremony.
Board Member Joe Stagliano asked Horovitz to share with the board any evidence she had of the “watering down of the standards” she had alleged.
Horovitz said she did have some information she would share, but declined to cite the source of that data. She also stopped short of identifying any student who might have benefited from lower standards.
“I’m not saying they’re not deserving,” she said, referring to the inductees.