Staff Writer

ONEONTA — Three parents of students at Center Street Elementary School told Oneonta school board members Wednesday they disagree with the principal's decision to move a second grade teacher to a different grade next fall.

Luisa Montanti said her 7-year-old daughter's education will be disrupted now that her teacher, who taught her in first grade, will not be her teacher in second grade.

For the past three years, the school has used the "looping" method, which means first- through sixth-grade teachers teach consecutive grades — first and second, third and fourth, or fifth and sixth.

None of the other elementary schools uses looping.

After the meeting, Montanti said she is also the mother of a third-grader who experienced looping the last two years, and it proved successful for him.

"It gave him a sense of security and a familiar environment," Montanti said.

Center Street Principal John Cook said he did move the second grade teacher — whose name was not confirmed by school officials — to kindergarten, and a kindergarten teacher — also not named by officials — to next year's second-grade class.

Cook declined to discuss why he made the change, noting it was a personnel matter, but said the kindergarten teacher has taught some of the incoming second-graders.

District Superintendent James Piscitelli, who also declined to discuss details of the matter, said he had recommended Cook wait a year before making the personnel change, but Cook went ahead with the switch.

"(Cook) took all the information he had into account and made a decision," Piscitelli said. "I delegate the responsibility to the building principals."

Before looping, Center Street used a multi-age program, in which students in first or second, or third or fourth grade were grouped in one class, Piscitelli said.

Some Center Street teachers have discussed going back to teaching one grade level at a time, Piscitelli said.

Meanwhile, Center Street parent Heidi Hansen, whose 7-year-old daughter will be affected by the change, said she wants Cook to rethink his position.

"I agree with looping," she said. "My daughter was looking forward to having the same teacher. They had developed a strong bond."

Parent Melinda Crofford, who presented a letter about the issue to the board, agreed.

"It's hard to tell a 7-year-old that something they were committed to is not happening," she said.

Cook indicated that looping has been successful at Center Street, noting the benefits of the program were verbalized by the parents at the meeting.

Crofford said she and other parents weren't at the meeting to dispute either teacher's qualifications.

"We're not here on personalities," Crofford said. "We're here on the process."

Piscitelli said Cook's administrative decision will stand, and it is up to the board to decide if it wants to pursue the matter further.

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Jill Fahy can be reached at jfahy@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7221.