Ellen Marcus retires from Lynbrook’s Board of Education
Ellen Marcus, an East Rockaway resident, retired from the Lynbrook Board of Education last month, after serving the community for 16 years.
Marcus served as vice president and secretary for the board as well as a member of the audit; policy; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committees, and her work helped transform Lynbrook Public Schools.
She was elected to the board in 2008, the first year that New York implemented the tax cap. Her tenure, marked by fiscal responsibility, community engagement, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, left a lasting impact on the school district.
“I do want to point out that I am just one board member and one board member alone doesn’t accomplish anything,” Marcus said. “It is with the other board members that I’ve worked with over the last 16 years and the members of central administration that we’ve been able to accomplish anything.”
Marcus noted that the district has done a good job staying fiscally conservative while also being able to maintain and add programs. She said that one of her biggest accomplishments was being part of the team that secured a $33.9 million bond project, which was passed in 2017. The money went to extend Lynbrook High School and renovated existing classrooms.
Before Marcus became involved with the board, she was very active within the community. She volunteered with the PTA at the Kindergarten Center and Waverly Park Elementary School.
“There was an open Board of Education seat and someone approached me and said, ‘Would you be interested?’” Marcus recalled. “And I just went forward with wanting to do more for the district.”
While on the board, Marcus realized that the trustees are not going to be able to please everybody. She said that sometimes you have to do what’s best for the district as a whole, or for a building as a whole. Her three children — Alex, Jonathan, and Ethan — all graduated from Lynbrook High School, and Marcus said she sometimes had to make choices that weren’t necessarily best for them, but rather for the entire district.
“So I think you have to have a little bit of a thick skin,” she said. “From a parent’s perspective, you can understand that everybody wants what’s best for their own child. And people have come to board meetings very upset and I can see things from a parent’s perspective and empathize with them.”
Marcus noted that although she empathizes with the parents, some of the issues they brought up are not allowed to be discussed in public.
“I would just do my best to empathize with the parents, but sometimes we have to stand our ground because a decision that was made was for reasons necessary for the district as a whole,” Marcus said.
Not being able to please everyone was a hurdle that Marcus learned to overcome. When people present her and the board with private issues, she would ask them if they had gone through the correct chain of command. If they did, Marcus would advise them to email the board with their specific problems.
“There have been times where I have brought issues to the board that someone has brought to me,” she said. “And it’s either something that is then sent back to the building level or maybe it is something that the board should be involved with and we would determine that.”
Marcus said during her tenure on the board, the school district became more diverse. She said that being part of the DEI committee, she helped create a more inclusive curriculum to reflect the increase in student diversity. Some of the lessons include teaching students about different ethnic holidays, cultures, and the overall similarities and differences between them.
There has also been more of an emphasis on mindfulness now compared to when Marcus started on the board. She said that it helps not only the students, but adults as well and that this is a valuable skill for students to learn. She said that this skill will become ingrained in their minds, which will help them in every aspect of their life.
“The district is doing a good job with changing and there’s still more that needs to be done,” Marcus said.
With Lesli Deninno and Sean Murray being re-elected as trustees and Shannon Kelly elected as a new board member, Marcus recommends any new board members to take a year to listen. She said that during her first year as trustee, she would ask questions and took time to understand the intricacies behind the board.
“You really need to be on the board for a full three-year term before you can understand the inner workings of the school district,” Marcus said.
After three years, Marcus explained, you have negotiated contracts, dealt with student and staff issues, learned what goes into the budget, and much more. Even at 16 years on the board, Marcus said she doesn’t know everything. So one piece of advice she gives to new trustees is to listen and learn.
Marcus, who works in a construction litigation law firm in NYC, will continue to do volunteer work. She noted that she started volunteering with the American Jewish Committee, advocating for Israel and against antisemitism.
Marcus said she always stood up against racism and hatred. She also has stood up for groups like the LGBTQ. She plans to fight even harder now, with more free time on her hands, to stop the hatred of different groups.
