An award ceremony conducted within the regular Becker Board of Education Monday night had some unusual elements. Becker High School was the recipient of a “Distinguished School” award for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years by a computer manufacturer.
According to the manufacturer’s representative, the presentation could not be photographed or otherwise recorded, and he himself could not be identified by name during the proceedings. Board Chairman Alex Jurek suspended the meeting immediately after the Pledge of Allegiance, and the video camera operator who records the meetings for later cable broadcast was asked to stop taping at that point. No newspaper photos were taken at that point, either.
With all recording devices secured, the anonymous representative then presented Supt. Dr. Stephen Malone with a framed plaque containing the award certificate, after which BHS Principal Sandy Logrono received a banner imprinted with the award and the dates involved.
Following a brief slide presentation, the representative left the building, the board meeting went back into regular session, and the video camera began recording again.
Tuesday, several staff members were able to pose with the plaque and the banner, and a photograph of that event was supplied to The Citizen via e-mail shortly thereafter. (See attached photo.)
The official press release regarding the award stated that the “Distinguished School designation is reserved for schools that meet criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence, and demonstrate a clear vision of exemplary learning environments.”
The release also quoted BHS Principal Sandy Logrono as saying that it is “amazing to see how our dedicated staff continue to grow each year as they find new and innovative ways to use technology to support learning.”
