Howell parent tapped for District 13 school board

The District 13 Board of Education filled its vacancy last week, appointing Sean Douglas as its seventh member. Douglas will serve the rest of the year to fill the seat of Thomas Speranza, who moved out of the district.

The new trustee and father of two is no stranger to education. Douglas, 40, works as a social worker in the Uniondale School District. He said with 15 years experience in a school district, he knows how the system works. Douglas also holds his administrative degree, and will be completing work on his doctorate in December.

Douglas said he has been interested for some time in serving on the District 13 Board of Education, but his course work for his doctoral studies prevented him from getting involved earlier. He said he wants to be able to devote the time to the position that the community deserves from its school board members, so the opening now proved to be just the right time.

As a board member, Douglas said he wants to preserve the level of excellence that already exists in District 13. He said the students perform well academically, the result of a focus on achievement that starts at the top. The district offers a rich curriculum, he said, along with a wealth of extra-curricular and cultural activities. “It’s a very good school district,” he said, “and I want to help in maintaining that.”

Of course, he said, the biggest challenge is building upon these successes amid cuts to education. School districts simply have to do more with less, Douglas explained. “It’s going to take a tremendous amount of creativity,” he said.

Douglas described himself as a good listener and a problem solver. Working in the K-12 Uniondale District and as an adjunct professor at NYU during the summers, Douglas said he understands what skills students need to be prepared for high school and college.

As a Board of Education member, Douglas said he wants to push for social skills training and anti-bullying programs in the schools. He also wants to encourage students to start doing volunteer work when they are in elementary school.

Douglas is no stranger to volunteerism. Besides his new unpaid position on the school board, he has coached PAL basketball and Little League baseball, and served on the PTA council at North High School where his oldest son, Sean Jr., is a senior.

His youngest son, Alexander, is a second-grade student at Howell Road School. Douglas’s wife is also a social worker, working in the Deer Park School District.

Board of Education President Frank Chiachiere said that 10 people applied for the vacant seat on the board and eight were interviewed. Chiachiere said Douglas stood out because of his involvement in the schools, including attending school board meetings, the budget hearing, and the annual educational planning meeting.

The board president described Douglas as a bright guy whose professional experience as a social worker can be an asset to the Board of Education. “In my view,” Chiachiere said, “he’s going to be that kind of thinker who can bring resolution on those rare occasions when we’re stuck.”

Although the board did not have to fill the vacancy because the term ends in June, Chiachiere said he and the other trustees did not want to have an even number of members to avoid a tie vote. “It rarely happens in [District] 13 because we’re a well-oiled machine,” Chiachiere said, “but we need that seventh voice.”

Chiachiere said he will spend much time working with Douglas to teach him about the how the district runs and the role of the Board of Education.

Douglas, who took part in his first meeting on Oct. 26 after being sworn in, said he looks forward to learning from the other board members and hopes they learn from him as well.

Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison said she welcomes Douglas to the board. “Mr. Douglas is actively involved as a member of the Howell Road School community and has attended many district-wide functions,” she said. “He cares about the district and its children, and I look forward to working with him.”

Douglas said his intention is to run for a full three-year term in May, and said that was his plan even before his appointment to the board last week. For right now, he said he wants to focus on learning the position, developing a good rapport with administrators and other board members, and understanding the needs to the District 13 school community.