Regent Roger Tilles and the 2007 NY State Teacher of the Year Visit RCSD

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(Board of Regents)

(January 2008 - Riverhead, NY) The Board of Regents was established by the New York State Legislature in 1784 and one of the current Regents of that esteemed body, Regent Roger Tilles, recently visited the Riverhead School District upon invitation from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diane B. Scricca. Accompanying Regent Tilles, by his invitation, was the 2007 New York State Teacher of the Year, Marguerite Izzo, who is a fifth grade teacher in Malverne. His visit occurred, appropriately, during the Regents Exams at the high school.

The Board of Regents is comprised of 16 members elected by the State Legislature for five year terms: one from each of the State’s 12 judicial districts and four members who serve at large. Regents are unsalaried and are reimbursed only for travel and related expenses in connection with their official duties. Regent Tilles is the Regent assigned to Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Regent Tilles brings a great deal of expertise to the job. He held several positions under the umbrella of the Michigan State Board of Education. He also taught at several universities in Michigan. After being a candidate for U.S. Congress, he opened his own law practice in Washington, D.C., until his return to Long Island in 1983 where he is a Director of Tilles Investment Companies. Regent Tilles is very interested in the arts and the LI Alliance of Arts. The Tilles Center at CW Post is part of his legacy to the arts.

During his visit in the Riverhead Central School District, Regent Tilles visited a band rehearsal, an AIS literacy lesson, and a Reader’s Workshop lesson with a Literacy Coach at the Pulaski Street School. He then traveled to the Phillips Avenue School where he donned a yellow “poetry beret” and read and recited children’s poetry to Mrs. Van Brunt’s kindergarten class. He was a big hit with the kids—who especially enjoyed his tiger poem. Next, the entourage observed a Reading Recovery lesson (right) in progress. Finally, Dr. Scricca led them outside to the portables where they observed Mr. Karlson’s class engaged in a Science 21 lab on electricity. Here, Ms. Izzo (left) was in her element joining a group of girls in their experiment. The visit concluded at the Riley Avenue School with a special Arts-In-Education presentation by the Pollock-Krasner House (below) and a brief observation of a first grade ESL “push in” presentation.

“I thought it was important that he see first hand what is happening in the Riverhead Central School District,” states Dr. Scricca, "so I invited him to come and visit us."

When asked what he thought of the Riverhead Schools, Regent Tilles responded, “I think the District will be faced with upgrading some of it buildings, but I was impressed with many of the programs I observed today.”

In their 2008-09 Proposal on State Aid to School Districts, the Regents list three primary goals: "to close the gap between actual and desired student achievement; to ensure that public education resources are adequate; and to ensure that those resources are used by school districts effectively and efficiently." The Board of Regents has a wide range of responsibilities, including the renewal of Charter schools. After he left the Riverhead schools, Regent Tilles was going to the Riverhead Charter School, whose charter is up for renewal.

Riley Avenue Principal David Enos thanked Regent Tilles and Ms. Izzo on behalf of the District for their visit by presenting them with gift bags filled with mementos of the Riverhead Blue Wave spirit.