For educator Jeffrey Rozran, the importance of honesty and integrity has become a part of his professional and personal fabric since childhood. "My parents believed it to be their duty to teach us the importance of honesty, and therefore, when they could determine which of their children was lying or guilty of some transgression, we were punished," he explains.
Now Rozran, who is a third generation educator with 37 years of experience teaching English on Long Island and a director of NYSUT (New York State United Teachers), has developed his own online Blog in hopes of diminishing the scope and amount of misinformation which is circulating about education on Long Island.
The site entitled Long Island Education seeks to create a dialogue on topics of importance pertaining to the field. In addition, Rozran's opinions and that of other expert bloggers posting on his website will be fact checked for truth and accuracy. Among the topics being covered by Rozran are: Tenure; Collective Bargaining; Retirement, Public Education, and Legislation. According to Rozran, "Our society is filled with people who lie about important things. Institutions such as our government and our media can no longer be counted on to catch these lies, and lying has become such an art form that sometimes neither the liar nor the person being lied to knows what the truth really is."
Rozran's opinions are based upon fact, his nearly four decades of experience and a passion for public education. "In these times of fiscal crisis we need a calm conversation on this complex subject so that we can prioritize our resources thoughtfully. What we don't need is finger pointing, exaggeration, bombast and misrepresentation," Rozran said.
Educators and parents are invited to contribute to the Blog to share opinions and ideas. He stresses that, "There is so much misconception within the public education arena. In addition, some elected officials and journalists are simply adding to the anger whether it's related to salaries, collective bargaining, curriculum or school budgets. I hope that my Blog will provide some insight to those who read the opinions and that we as a society can begin to focus on the essence of public education, which is to provide a quality learning experience for our children and a forum for inclusiveness for our families and communities."
To read Jeffrey Rozran's Blog or to contribute your voice, log onto www.educationli.com.
About Jeffrey Rozran: Jeffrey Rozran is a third generation educator who has taught English on Long Island for 37 years. He is considered an expert in the education industry. His credentials include: Teacher of English, Syosset High School; President, Syosset Teachers' Association; At-Large Director, New York State United Teachers - NYSUT; Member of the Executive Board of the Long Island Federation of Labor; Third Generation Educator (Teachers and Administrators), and proud step-dad of a NYC Teacher. Rozran resides in Commack.