Adult Ed. Head Quits
Volume 49, Issue 5
By David Crohn

The Fire Island School District’s adult education director stepped down this week, raising concerns from residents over the future of the program.

Nancy Roberts’ resignation, effective immediately, was announced at the annual School Board organizational meeting last Tuesday.

At the meeting and in an interview with The Fire Island News, Roberts cited the low wages offered to her by the school.

"I am very unhappy to be resigning. I enjoyed every minute of running it but I need to make a living,” she said. Roberts had been working for free, “to show people that it can be done and it can be great.”

A former broadcaster and activist, Roberts is widely credited with being not only the founder but the driving force behind the program. After its first year of operation, it has been celebrated for bringing together people across Fire Island.

But Superintendent Wendell Chu offered her a yearly stipend of only $3,500 to continue on as head. That’s a small portion of the $30,000 stipulated for the program in the annual budget.

With no plan for a replacement and no indication of where the program is headed, residents—those who have taken adult ed classes and others—are asking if this means the beginning of the end of adult education on Fire Island.

“I doubt very much that anyone could work for the amount they were offering. The $30,000 should be enough, and there are people who are willing to work for very little, but Nancy would be a hard act to follow,” said year-rounder and adult ed enthusiast Sallie Potterton. “We’re all holding our breath and want it to come back.”

Over the past year, about 70 islanders have participated in knitting classes, yoga, computer training and more at The Woodhull School, which is the only available space on the island with central heat year-round.

School officials, who said they were informed of Roberts’ resignation on the day of the meeting, assured the meeting’s attendants—about 20 in all—that the program would continue, regardless of who runs it.

“We’re going to find someone to run the program and it’s going to be a huge success, partly because of the work Nancy has done but mostly because of the people who will attend it and support it,” said Board Vice President Jamie Ragusa,

Ragusa also said $3,500 was commensurate with what other adult ed directors make in Islip, according to research done by school officials into the finances of ten other school districts.

“We did not arbitrarily or capriciously come up with that number to insult anybody. We don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings,” Ragusa said.

Chu was on vacation and unavailable for comment.