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Mostly Cloudy BOE Candidates answers H-W’s Central Council questions
I thank you for your attention, and we ask for your support on May 20.
Cheryl May
How long have you lived in the district and are/were you a parent of a child in the public schools?
I have lived in the district since July 2002. I have three children who all attend Woodmere Middle School. I have been married to my husband, Ted, for 17 years. Ted coaches Hewlett PAL Lacrosse and is a member of the Hewlett Harbor Board of Design.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
I am currently finishing the first term as a trustee on the school board. During my first term, I have been instrumental in making many positive changes in the school district. The experiences that contribute to me being an effective school board member include working as the PTA Central Council president of the Hewlett-Woodmere School District. In addition, I have served consecutive terms as president at both Franklin Early Childhood Center and at Hewlett Elementary School. Moreover, I am an active member of both the Woodmere Middle School PTA and the SEPTA PTA (Special Education PTA Unit).
I have an MBA from Pace University in finance and a BA from Syracuse University in political science. I am a highly motivated person. I love this community and feel that I am ready to continue to serve as a trustee because I understand that more work is needed to make this the best school district on Long Island.
In addition, I worked at PepsiCo for 11 years in various sales, finance and marketing positions. I have both created and worked with budgets. I have a solid accounting and financial sense that have proven to be very helpful in reviewing district spending and budgets. I also have a tremendous amount of managerial experience.
What do you see as the major issue(s) facing our school district?
The current economic condition is the most important issue facing our school district. We are in a fortunate position in that we have reserve funds that will help carry through these difficult times. The district, however, must continue to be vigilant in maintaining both programming and small class sizes. We have been fortunate to do just this over the past three years while still staying within the tax cap limits.
While working on the current board I was able to cut over a million dollars in administration costs! In this year’s budget, the board was able to maintain our class sizes at the elementary school level and added a new AP course offering at the high school. We must continue to work hard to budget appropriately so programming is not affected.
What do you see as the greatest strength of Hewlett-Woodmere schools?
The greatest strength of our district is the teachers and support staff, including aides and teacher assistants. These professionals are extremely motivated and are devoted not only to the education of our children, but also to their physical and mental well-being. They work directly with our children day in and day out. It is our districts mission to ensure that our teachers and staff receive the necessary training and program support they so rightfully deserve.
What do you see as the greatest weakness in our district and what would you do to change it?
The greatest weakness that our district is faced with is the state mandates and ever changing way that New York state has implemented the Common Core. There have been many instances over the last three years where New York state has implemented unfunded mandates which designated where we have to spend money and how we had to spend it.
The Common Core that New York state implemented has presented us with challenges as well. We have had to change programs, create new curriculum and implement new testing and testing procedures on top of testing performance tracking methods. The Common Core came as a mandate to us from New York state with teacher evaluations and high stake testing. Unfortunately, the Common Core was thrust upon us with practically no monetary support or clear cut method for its implementation.
There is no easy fix for this situation. We are required as a school district to abide by the mandates from the New York State Education Department. We must continue however to rally behind our children and parents in terms of their education and continue to give our children the tools they need to succeed and provide them with a high quality education.
What changes, if any, should be made in the district’s budget?
The current school proposed school budget is fair and should be supported by the entire community. We have continued to stay within the tax cap guidelines that are mandated by the state. We were able to work through the significant health care contributions that were mandated by the State in prior years and have developed a budget that keeps our programs intact.
Is there any other information you would like to share about yourself or your goals? What would you like the community to know about you?
I am dedicated to the children of this community! I have been involved with the children. I know their parents, and I am very active within the community. Our great school district will benefit the entire community by increasing home values and drawing in new residents and giving our children the future they so rightfully deserve. The future is the children, and this is something we should not forget!
I have teamed up with Scott McInnes because we have similar views on these important issues. We both feel that we can genuinely make a difference in the community! Remember, “Vote Yes” on May 20!
Fred Usherson
How long have you lived in the district and are/were you a parent of a child in the public schools?
I am a resident of Hewlett since October 1999. I am married and have two children. My daughter is 12-years- old and is in sixth grade and attending Woodmere Middle School. My son is 10-years- old and is in fifth grade and is graduating Hewlett Elementary this June.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
I am a technology teacher for NYC Department of Education (DOE). I have worked for the DOE full-time since 1994. During that time, I also worked one year as an assistant principal.
Listed below are my college degrees and teaching and administrative certifications.
Education: Specialist Diploma in School Administration and Supervision, Queens College
1996
MBA, Marketing & Corporate Finance & Investments, Adelphi University 1991 BA, Computer Science, Queens College 1984
CREDENTIALS:
New York State Certified School District Administrator New York State Certified Teacher Electronic/Electro-Mechanical New York State Certified Teacher Computer Technology New York State Certified Teacher Business and Distributive Education and FCC Licensed Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator.
The district has incorporated my prior campaign recommendations such as offering our children access to online databases such as the Discovery Education Website (www.discoveryeducation.com). In addition, the district also took my recommendation and has instituted a robotics program, which has been quite successful. I would like to see this program expanded to include Battlebot Robotics and an amateur radio program at the middle school.
[Being an] elected official, I understand that I [would] have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers in our district to minimize tax increases. As a parent, I want the best possible education and learning opportunities for our children. Currently, there are no serving school board members or other candidates this year seeking election or re-election with an education background. As an educator for over 20 years, I understand the challenges that exist in our schools today and how to improve learning by improving our staff.
Having also worked in industry for almost eight years, I know the value of incorporating technology in our schools, beyond just the computer, to offer our students enhanced vocational and life skills that they could apply in their future endeavors. Let’s return our school district to the great district that it once was--that everyone remembers. If elected, I know I can help improve it!
What do you see as the major issue (s) facing our school district?
This June, my son is graduating from elementary school in our district and will be starting Woodmere Middle School this fall, where my daughter is currently attending. As a parent, I share the same thrills and exhilaration my son has about starting a new school, as I recall my youth when I was at his age. As any parent, I am concerned about my children’s safety and welfare and I am deeply concerned about the potential toxic hazards that may exist at Woodmere Middle School. Discovered almost a decade ago is a chemical plume of tetrachloroethylene also known as PCE or PERC. Based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA’s) report, there were two toxic plumes discovered in close proximity to Woodmere Middle School. The site was so toxic, that it was added to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list as a Superfund site on August 23, 2004. http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/peninsulablvd/index.html)
So what is a Superfund site? The EPA defines it as “the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites.” (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/about.htm)
In those years, our district contemplated building a new middle school next to Hewlett High School. In an effort to save money, the school board decided to keep the current location and renovate the current building by constructing a new gymnasium, new track and field, etc. One would think that in 2004, the district would be notified by the federal government of the potential problem, yet our board may have decided to put the health of our children and employees attending and working at Woodmere Middle School at risk.
Imagine how the ground was dug up during the construction, potentially exposing everyone to the ground plume chemicals described by the EPA as traveling in a north-west direction. Even more concerning to me was a story reported in 2011 about Woodmere Middle School children building a pond on the school grounds. (http://fivetowns.patch.com/groups/schools/p/video-sixth-graders-build-pond-at- woodmere-middle-school) While the school district did notify the public, and public hearings were held, and the EPA tested the soil and air and found them acceptable, it just comes down to a matter of who do you trust and believe. I say why put everyone’s health at risk when there is a potential for toxicity?
In 2011, the EPA said that after testing both the air and ground water at Woodmere Middle School that the site is safe. When I read this, I couldn’t help but think about comments made a few days after 9/11 by the EPA Chief, Christine Todd Whitman (former New Jersey Governor), saying the air was safe around Ground Zero. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxdttHY59b4) Imagine Ms. Todd-Whitman saying that to all the first responders today who are still alive and suffering from their medical problems due to exposure from the toxic air on 9/11.
I say when it comes to the health, safety, and welfare of our children and employees, cost savings should never be considered an option, but building a new facility or buying/renting another facility in a safe location a necessary expense! George Santayana was credited as saying “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” When you consider what the EPA said after 9/11, and what they are saying today about Woodmere Middle School, I think George got it right! Is Woodmere Middle School the Five Towns Love Canal? (http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/lovecanal/)
Had I been sitting on that school board at that time, I would have voted against renovating the current facility where there is a potential of contamination from the toxic plumes located within close proximity to the school. If I am elected to the school board this year, I would recommend that a review of employee and student attendance records be conducted by technically approved persons to determine if attendance was affected by contamination or toxic conditions.
What do you see as the greatest strength of Hewlett-Woodmere schools?
The greatest strength of our district is our teachers, coaches, and support staff, such as our school aides. For example, in recent years at Hewlett High School, we have seen the dedication of teachers and staff that helped some of our children achieve the semifinalist round and then win in the Intel National Science Competition. I have also seen this staff dedication in our coaches and support staff. My children have gained tremendous knowledge from our district swim team coaches. With all their dedication and service to our children and district, these people described above truly are the greatest strength of our district.
Over the years, I have seen many good people both educators and schools aides get terminated by our district as they claim for lower enrollment. The school aides in the lower grades such as at Franklin Early Childhood Center and at Ogden and Hewlett elementary schools have been instrumental in helping with the development of our children. Sadly, by losing these good people, and programs, we as a district are losing our greatest strength. These people are the essential staff for our district. I would like to see technology programs in our district expanded, not reduced. If elected, I would work with my fellow board members to look for other alternative solutions to reduce expenses other than cutting the essential staff described above.
The irony with our elected school board members is that according to the New York State Department [of Education] (http://www.p12.nysed.gov/mgtserv/admincomp/) in 2011 for example, our district spent $1,347,519 for our top four executive positions, yet our board members describe this as “fiscal responsibility” as we eliminated over the last few years dozens of school aides and teachers. I call this penny wise and pound foolish!
What do you see as the greatest weakness in our district and what would you do to change it?
Our school board accepts performance mediocrity, and is denying our children in the elementary and middle school the resources to improve. The data proves it! Last spring, supported by our school board, our superintendent sent an email to parents warning them that due to the new Common Core standards, the grades for the elementary and middle school test scores may be poor. Neglected in the email was that every school district throughout New York state is facing the same challenge. This year, researched and shown on my website, FRED4HW.COM, is that our district continues to underperform many of the elementary and middle schools of equivalent sized school districts throughout Nassau County. This could be improved by providing teachers with classroom resources, improved technology for students, such as iPads, and free after school tutoring for our elementary and middle school children. I am not a supporter of high stakes testing. We should use the data already provided, not spend more (as proposed) on measurement data and use the funds for tutoring and other educational enhancement programs.
Our school board keeps threatening to close the Discovery Program. They reversed their decision again last year after many angry parents objected. For the last few years, our school board has threatened to close the Discovery Program for our gifted children. Not only do I oppose this, I would recommend that our district expand the Discovery program to have a parallel Discovery II program for Special Education children with learning disabilities. Since our district has no school board members who are educators, I understand why our school board would consider closing the Discovery program. I would never vote to close this program.
What changes, if any, should be made in the district’s budget?
Our school board is proposing another tax increase to our residents this year. If the money were spent with good conscience and used for teaching classroom resources, I wouldn’t have a problem with another tax increase.
I find it ironic that our school board has our teachers, who are the backbone of our district and frontline for our children, working without a contract for a year. Yet our school board voted to give “golden bon voyages” to administrators providing 40 percent bonus salary incentives to people making more than $150,000. What stupidity and waste of money! Why are we paying administrators early retirement incentives? These people already have pensions and a huge salary. If you want them to leave, stop offering them raises!
The end result was every principal in every school in addition to experienced assistant principals left our district. This resulted in an administrative brain drain throughout Hewlett-Woodmere. All of those people who left were replaced by others with equivalent salaries. So where’s the savings? In addition, I did a detailed salary comparison of other equivalent sized school districts throughout Nassau County and discovered that our district is over compensating our executive staff.
For example, our superintendent earns more than President Obama and one deputy superintendent is earning more than $100,000 above the mean in that comparison. For the complete listing, see my website FRED4HW.COM.
This year, our school board wants to waste more of your tax dollars on a proposed initiative for the NWEA measurement of academic progress. This is just a waste of money and I'd rather see the funds put toward expanding the Operation Success program to include after school tutoring for the two elementary schools, not just the middle school.
Based on our performance data, the after school tutoring would be more beneficial to our children than more measurement data. I support the other proposed initiatives, but I'd like to see our district offer more programs for our special education children with learning disabilities, such as my Discovery II program
suggestion, above.
Similarly, our district over the years wasted tens of thousands of dollars on an educational consulting group called the Tri-State Consortium that did nothing to help us. Ironically, when I posed the question several years ago to our elected school board members about offering free after-school tutoring for our children at the two elementary schools and the middle school, they refused. When you consider the ongoing poor performance of our schools, the huge amount of children attending the summer learning academy (summer school), and the numerous amount of tutoring services that are opening in our neighborhood, I wonder who are these elected board members really serving?
If elected, I would work with my fellow board members and try to further reduce administrative costs, by effective renegotiation of contracts with executive staff members, and look to further consolidate or eliminate administrative functions in the administrative building. I will work hard to stop the wasteful spending and put the money back into the classroom for our children!
Is there any other information you would like to share about yourself or your goals? What would you like the community to know about you?
Every year, our incumbent school board members seeking re-election will tell you they are concerned about unfunded mandates from the state. Unfunded mandates! Who are they kidding when they waste your tax dollars on administrative “golden bon voyages” while our teachers work without a contract, more trips for the superintendent, big salaries for our executives, consulting groups that have done nothing, knee jerk decision reversals when the community presents objection petitions, refurbish our middle school next to a toxic dump, and now propose more measurement data. If you, the voter, are going to fall for the “unfunded mandates” line again, I encourage you to re-elect my opponents again, enjoy your next tax increase, and know that nothing will change.
I am running as an independent candidate for trustee for the Hewlett-Woodmere School district because in addition to having a comprehensive vision for improving the staffing and technology within the district, I am also running on a platform on improving instruction and fiscal responsibility.
Our school board is currently composed of two business people, a physician, and four PTA parents and former PTA leaders. I offer our district the breadth and depth of 20 years teaching/administrative experience needed to recommend meaningful changes to improve instruction and provide detailed questioning to our educational leaders when their recommendations to the school board seem awry. If elected, as an
independent candidate, I offer our district both an independent voice and vote at board meetings on the issues that face our school board. I invite the district residents to visit my website at WWW.FRED4HW.COM
Jacob Shafran
How long have you lived in the district and are/were you a parent of a child in the public schools?
I have lived in the district for 26 years. I was public school educated, my nieces and nephew were in the district public schools. My children attended private school.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
Experience in running a business, being a parent of children who are in various school stages.
What do you see as the major issue(s) facing our school district?
If there is continued growth in the school population, essential services must be maintained. Intervention and improvement must start in the younger grades. A strong educational foundation is essential for student enrichment.
What do you see as the greatest strength of Hewlett-Woodmere schools?
The wide variety of services including tutoring our children in need. The importance in the district of making sure every child gets a quality education.
What do you see as the greatest weakness in our district and what would you do to change it?
The inability to keep the services without hurting the taxpayers. Improve accountability of the administration. Educators know where to spend the money, they need to be more involved in the decision making.
What changes, if any, should be made in the district’s budget?
The problem is that the budget cannot rise every year if the neighborhood residents can’t afford it. Without cutting services there needs to be fiscal responsibility and it should be kept as flat from year to year as possible over the next two to three years.
Is there any other information you would like to share about yourself or your goals? What would you like the community to know about you?
I have been a concerned citizen in our community for many years and believe the only way to improve the situation is to get involved. I have been involved in education through my profession and have been involved in the local community.
