By Marc Raimondi
Rosenbaum and Colby lost retention rights to their sports, as per the United Federation of Teachers contract, once they became administrators. Rosenbaum became the assistant principal for health and physical education in 2000.Lou Volpato, the boys' volleyball coach at Francis Lewis, has said he will definitely apply for Rosenbaum's girls' job and he is well within his rights Ð the UFT contract states that an eligible teacher must be given preference over an administrator when it comes to a coaching job.Colby is unsure of who is applying for her position at Forest Hills, but is not happy about having to leave a job she loved.”I knew that assistant principals didn't have retention,” she said. “Coaching is one of the best things I've ever experienced.”While the letter of the law states that APs who are coaches must give up their teams if another certified teacher applies, there is an unwritten gentleman's agreement among teachers that the jobs of successful coaches should not be sought. Rosenbaum and Colby certainly fit that “successful” description.Rosenbaum has won three PSAL girls' volleyball city championships in 12 years at the helm of Francis Lewis. Colby doesn't quite have that pedigree – she only coached the Forest Hills girls' basketball team for two seasons. But her overall record is 24-12 after taking over an 8-10 squad for the 2006-07 season.”Anyone would want to coach such a great group of girls,” said Colby, who was a science teacher and dean at Forest Hills for five years before this fall. “I don't blame them.”There are other APs who coach in Queens. Greg Reo is an assistant principal at Queens High School for Sciences, where he is also the girls' bowling coach. Reo coached baseball at Richmond Hill up until last year, as well. This season, due to lack of retention rights, his former assistant, Ken Hernandez, will be the Lions' coach.Joe Capuana became an AP at Bayside this season and he stepped down from his job as the school's football coach, as well. But Capuana, who is now also the athletic director at Bayside, is still the junior varsity football coach and the boys' basketball coach. Sources told the TimesLedger that Capuana would be stepping down as basketball coach this spring.At Franklin K. Lane, Jim Curcio is an assistant principal, the athletic director and baseball coach – his situation is identical to Rosenbaum's.While Colby said she understands the bylaw, she doesn't necessarily agree with it. She thinks the best person should coach, regardless of teacher or administrator status.”I think the rule should be whatever is in the best for the students,” Colby said.Reach Associate Sports Editor Marc Raimondi by e-mail at mraimondi@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
