Schools

Two Days After Common Core Forum, PJSTA President Still Angry

Beth Dimino said the fighting against the common core and APPR standards has only just begun.

Beth Dimino, President of the Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association and educator, has become known as an educational activist in the community fighting for the rights of students and for the protection of the teacher’s ability to teach.

Dimino, who has never been shy to voice her opinions, attended a Common Core forum held at the Ward Melville High School with Commissioner John King and Senator Flanagan. Although many speakers gave their opinions and suggestions on how education regulations need to be changed, it was Dimino's speech that went viral. 

In an interview on Wednesday, Dimino said she was shocked by the response her speech received. "Yes I am new to the social media game. I am an old broad and I am learning new tricks. The truth is what I said resonated because of the message, not because I said it," said Dimino.

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"The message is simple. I am not different then any other mommy. I am protecting my daughter who is a teacher, my students, my grandchildren, and so on. Somebody has to speak for the children…the people I was talking to were the parents. The parents have to stand up and say not my child...Right now we are talking about taking children that are not mentally prepared to be abused by the adults in the room and come out whole. "

Dimino said she has had the full support of her district superintendent Joseph Rella though the entire process saying that all they both want is for the students to be treated fairly. "The thing about Joe Rella and I is that we have nothing to gain from this...There is no reason for us to do this, it's about the kids. Nobody on that stage was talking about the kids. So somebody had to take a stand."

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Dimino said she hopes that people begin to realize they have the power to take a stand against those in office and continue to fight for what is right. "All we can do is continuing fighting and we will."


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