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Schools

Attorneys for Bellerose Music Teacher File Grievance

Rebecca Posteraro's attorneys say the situation is "abusive"and they have no idea why she was suddenly assigned to home teaching.

Attorneys for Rebecca Posteraro, a non-tenured music teacher, have filed a grievance against the school district.

Calling the situation “abusive," attorneys Mary Mongioi and Terence Smolev expressed frustration and surprise at the actions of Superintendent Marylou McDermott and Bellerose Principal Barbara Falotico in abruptly assigning the Bellerose music teacher, who was seemingly both very accomplished musically and popular with parents and students, to home teaching in May.

So far, responses to the grievance from the district have been "non-specific," Mongioi and Smolev said.

Posteraro, who taught at Bellerose for the past two years and at prior to that, had always received exemplary evaluations, and had been verbally assured in January and February that she would receive tenure, Smolev said.

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In February, Posteraro had broken her ankle backstage during a school production of Cinderella Kids. She carried on with the show rather than upset the children by leaving, a story which was subsequently picked up by Newsday.

In that article, Falotico is quoted as saying, “I wanted her to leave, but she was so engrossed and wouldn’t even meet my eyes. I couldn’t pull her out of there without disrupting the whole show.”

Posteraro returned to work, but that incident is what both parents and her attorneys speculate caused the beginning of the current situation.

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“Ever since February it’s been a 180,” Mongioi said by phone on Wednesday, with Smolev charging that McDermott and Falotico have “gone on a drive” to have the teacher dismissed.

“We do not believe the principal can substantiate a claim and that’s why they can’t give us an answer," Smolev said. "It’s a sad day when someone can wield such power.”

The situation has parents clearly frustrated. Emails from concerned parents had been sent to Northport Patch in advance of the June 6 Board of Education meeting, in which there was talk of circulating a petition.

Several parents spoke up in, and requested to speak with the superintendent and trustees.

Due to privacy concerns, Ingerman Smith district attorney Mary Anne Sadowski said that parents could be allowed to express their opinions but that back-and-forth dialogue would be inappropriate.  As of the posting of this article, Sadowski has not returned a phone call for clarification on such a meeting.

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