Seaford school board approves multiple personnel appointments, names new middle school principal

The Seaford Union Free School District board approved several personnel actions and welcomed multiple new staff members, including the appointment of Dr. Morey as Seabird Middle School principal, before moving into an executive session on a personnel matter.

Board members and district administrators used the meeting to introduce new hires and to formalize routine personnel actions. The Administrator introduced Alexander Raula as a new computer science instructor, noting Raula's computer science degree from Western Governors University and prior work in Florida. The Administrator said, "He's very excited about computer science," and the board welcomed him.

The Administrator also introduced Joanne Curtis as the district's new medical principal, citing her career in New York City and two years as an acting principal in Far Rockaway. "It was very obvious to us that you really care about kids, that you really care about your staff and your teachers," the Administrator said, praising Curtis's pedagogical experience and "heart."

Dana Battaglia was presented as a new speech-language pathologist; the Administrator summarized her academic credentials including a B.S. in speech-language pathology from CW Post, a master's from Saint John's University, and a doctorate in speech language and hearing sciences from CUNY.

The meeting's most consequential personnel action was the board's approval of agenda item 3.3 to appoint Dr. Morey as Seabird Middle School principal. The Administrator highlighted Dr. Morey's academic background, noting a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's in secondary social studies education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a doctorate in interdisciplinary educational studies from CW Post. "Besides being incredibly student centered," the Administrator said, Dr. Morey "has gotten his bachelor's in history from University of Pittsburgh" and brings leadership from the high school team to the middle school.

The Chair handled routine procedure and votes during the meeting, calling for motions and receiving seconds on multiple agenda items. Several approvals were recorded by voice vote; the transcript records "Aye" for the board's approvals but does not record individual roll-call votes or tallies.

After approving the personnel items and several other routine agenda items, the Chair moved to enter an executive session to discuss a personnel matter. "You actually have to go into executive session," the Chair said, and the motion passed on a voice vote. The meeting then proceeded into executive session and the public record in the transcript ends with that action.

The meeting record in the transcript does not include individual vote tallies or the names of the members who moved and seconded each motion. The personnel approvals were made by voice vote and the board proceeded to executive session for further confidential personnel discussion.