Di Miceli, Schindler sworn in
Two new school board members say they're ready to tackle teachers talks
The two newest members of the West Hempstead Board of Education were sworn into their new positions earlier this month at the board’s annual reorganization meeting.
Cynthia Di Miceli and Rudolph Schindler, who defeated incumbents Martin Kaye and Davis Whelpley in the May 18 election, officially joined the board on July 6, vowing to dedicate themselves to the school district community and to work in its best interests.
“I feel energized,” Di Miceli, whose two sons attend the Cornwell Avenue Elementary School, recently told the Herald. “I’m looking forward to pulling up my sleeves and getting to work with the other board members and administrators to craft specific goals and objectives to help guide the district forward.”
Schindler, a native of Germany whose three children attend district schools and who made an unsuccessful run for a school board seat last year, said he, too, was eager to begin his term. “The swear-in ceremony ... was touching, as it reminded me of my ceremony at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn a couple of years ago, when I became a U.S. citizen,” he said. “I am excited to have actually started my work as a new board member, keeping in mind my reasons for running: being financially responsible, with a strong focus on making the schools a more productive learning experience for West Hempstead students.”
Although he did not attend the reorganization meeting or the swearing-in ceremony, Kaye, a member of the BOCES board, shared his thoughts on the new board members. “I know that they will become fine contributors to our community education-governance team,” Kaye said. “Both are eager to jump right in. I truly believe that the school district is in good hands going forward and will offer my support in [any] way that I can.”
When the school board declared an impasse in negotiations in March, a mediator from the Public Employees Review Board was brought in to help the board and district teachers reach a compromise. The mediator met with board members and representatives from the West Hempstead Educators Association in May for an arbitration hearing whose purpose was to analyze the state of the negotiations.
Not much has happened since then to move the talks forward. “There is no settlement yet,” said board President Pam Lotito, “and we are hopeful that negotiations will continue over the summer.”
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