Music teacher's dismissal unjustified

Shame on the Northport-East Northport school district's school board and on Barbara Falotico, Bellerose Avenue Elementary school principal, for the heavy-handed way in which they have effectively removed untenured music teacher Rebecca Posteraro ["Parents question teacher's release," News, June 7].

Placing a teacher on home leave for the balance of the school year is extreme, to say the least, especially for being "unwilling to accept criticism from her supervisors, among other issues." The more likely reason is a personality conflict.

Untenured teachers are periodically reviewed during their tenure period, and I find it most curious that it is at this juncture, on the eve of Posteraro's eligibility for tenure, that she purportedly received bad reviews.

While claiming confidentiality, the district will never reveal the true nature of the reasons to deny tenure of Posteraro; the district can effectively create anything it wishes to dismiss a teacher. Posteraro will now be faced with the extremely difficult, if not impossible, task of finding another teaching job in a New York State public school.

In a school district that prides itself on its music department, we can only hope that the board will do the right thing, reverse the decision, and permit Posteraro to continue her career as a music teacher.

Joan Florio, East Northport