BOE candidates address critical race theory, mandated vaccinations, more at Meet the Candidate forum
Candidates for the NENUFSD Board of Education addressed some familiar and some fresh topics at a Meet the Candidates Forum hosted by the PTA Council yesterday evening. Less than two dozen people were in attendance at the event, which was also live-streamed via Zoom. Candidates Victoria Buscareno, Warner Frey, Carol Taylor and Tammie Topel are vying for two open trustee seats.
Twenty-eight questions, including two from the audience, were asked in a round-robin format, in the order candidates appear on the ballot; the candidate given the question first had one minute to respond, the remaining three candidates had 30 seconds to weigh in.
Questions were asked in numerous categories and subcategories, including public appearances, conflicts and affiliations, social media, the school budget and reorganization, district rankings, board of education policies and meeting protocol, critical race theory and mandated vaccinations.
Here are some of the night’s highlights:
On the role of teachers as trustees and if there is such thing as too many:
Do you believe that the number of teachers who serve on a BOE should be limited to ensure a balance between the many different facets and perspectives a community represents?
A special education teacher at Syosset High School and current board member, Trustee Buscareno does not believe there should be a limit on the amount of teachers on the board. “You want teachers on your board of ed,” she said. “We are on the front line, we know what these kids need, we know what this future is going to look like and it’s going to be really important to have that connection.”
Carol Taylor, a long-time elementary school teacher set to retire this year, agreed, saying that the teachers are able to provide a valuable perspective with “real-time information as to what’s going on.” She emphasized that she has tendered letters of resignation to both the school district and United Teachers of Northport, where she is currently executive vice president, effective June.
Tammie Topel agreed that teachers have tremendous insight, but felt they should not make up the majority of the board, and suggested limiting them to three of the board’s seven seats.
Warner Frey said the more diversity on the board, the less chance of “groupthink” taking over. He welcomed people from different backgrounds on the BOE, saying it would bring more balance, insight and ideas to the board. Warner is the only candidate who has never been a district trustee, an administrator or a teacher. “I’m a parent,” he said. “I bring a perspective probably that nobody else on this stage does have and that’s being on the outside looking in.”
On personal social media presence and usage:
Do you think it is appropriate to disparage current or former BOE members on social media? If elected, what do you see as your appropriate role or presence on social media?
Warner Frey gave a very straightforward answer: “I’ve never engaged in that sort of action against BOE members on social media,” he said.
Tammie Topel, who has a large social media presence including her own candidate Facebook page, may have misunderstood the question, but did say that any trustee, teacher or staff in the district should be held accountable for social media posts deemed inappropriate by district standards.
Trustee Buscareno said she’s on a break from social media, and advised against getting information from it. She’ll always take the time to talk in person, she said, but won’t be having online interactions. “What you see is what you get,” she said. “I will never try to compete with social media.”
Carol Taylor is not on social media, does not believe in Facebook, and as a mentor in the past, urged new teachers to abandon it. It’s “just a pratfall that could only hurt you and not help you,” she said.
On the controversy at Northport Middle School:
Do you believe the findings of the environmental experts that NMS is safe? If you are elected, will you support keeping NMS open and work toward moving forward instead of looking back?
Three out of the four candidates said yes, they believe the middle school is safe, with Warner Frey reading directly from the P.W. Grosser Consulting, Inc. (the firm hired to perform a comprehensive investigation of potential environmental concerns at the school) executive summary. “The sooner we can get away from those images of people in Tyvek suits in front of Northport Middle School, the better,” he said.
Carol Tayor and Trustee Buscareno said they were satisfied with the testing, and trusted the local and state agencies that said the school was safe to occupy. Trustee Buscareno’s youngest child is currently a seventh grader at NMS. “If that school wasn’t safe, she would not be there,” she said.
Tammie Topel hesitated to say NMS was safe; though she acknowledged that experts said the school “wasn’t unsafe” and could remain open, she did bring up preliminary data that showed toxic findings in the soil. “They [P.W. Grosser] didn’t say that the ground was 100% ok, they didn’t say that it would be ok in the future, and I think time will tell,” she said.
On critical race theory and teaching it in our schools:
How can you, if elected, work to address and make positive changes that would make current minority students feel equal and invite more racial diversity to the area?
Critical race theory, a concept that seeks to understand and address inequality and racism in the United States while also recognizing the effects of historical racism in present-day America, is a big topic, and the question about it is difficult to answer in 30 seconds, said Trustee Buscareno. First, it would be crucial to look at current data to discover inequities, she said; creating an environment where students are not excluded based on their gender, race, class, sexuality or disability is important.
Carol Taylor advocated for returning to a policy that had all stakeholders around the table – teachers, administrators and parents – to discuss critical race theory and “come to a binding consensus,” she said. “So if it’s the community’s wish that we embrace certain curricular changes then it would be a binding decision and no one could change that.”
Warner Frey said he hasn’t studied up on critical race theory but “from all sides, it is controversial.” Academic curriculums are set forth by the NYS Department of Education, he said, and any changes would have to come from Albany. “I do trust that the staff and administration that we have now would be able to implement whatever change is necessary so that we can get into compliance with whatever Albany decides,” he said. “But for now, we stick with what we have.”
Although she believes the district is inclusive, Tammie Topel said there is always room for growth; that increasing inclusivity and "reaching out to those stakeholders in every area and providing them with opportunities to participate in the conversation is extremely important.”
When asked if he supported teaching critical race theory in our schools, Warner Frey again deferred to Albany, saying “all curriculum comes from the state.”
Tammie Topel disagreed. Critical race theory is already being implemented by local governments, she said. “I don’t believe the state government should have any control over what happens in schools, and there should be community stakeholders everywhere with regard to this issue having input, and we shouldn’t make the decision in a vacuum.”
It all comes down to accountability, said Trustee Buscareno. “I would hate to wait for the state to tell me that I should be looking at my library and making sure that it is reflective of the community and the people that live here,” she said.
Carol Taylor said critical race theory is a very big topic and “has to be handled perfectly.” It can’t be rushed and it can’t be dismissed, and it needs every single voice from parents to teachers and administrators weighing in on it, she said. “Every stakeholder should have a voice,” she said.
On mandated Covid-19 vaccinations:
Last year, the district expressed in a letter to state government officials its opposition to mandated vaccinations for HPV and influenza. What would you do if a vaccine for Covid-19 is approved for children ages 5-15 and the NYS legislature tries to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations for students in the hopes of keeping schools open and operating in the face of the virus?
Regarding the letter, Carol Taylor said it was penned at a time when locals erroneously believed districts could sway the governor’s decision. “Districts didn’t have a choice then and I don’t believe the district will have a choice now,” she said. “If it’s a law, we have no choice but to follow it.”
Warner Frey agreed: “We cannot overrule the government mandates,” he said.
Tammie Topel and Trustee Buscareno said they would fight a mandate.
“I think in all instances, government should not overrule or override parental rights when it comes to school-aged children for any medical instance, especially putting a vaccine into your body,” said Tammie. “The parents should have the parental right to make a decision for their child.”
“Covid is not spreading in our schools, our children do not need to be vaccinated with Covid vaccines right now and I would really do anything I could to advocate for that,” added Trustee Buscareno.
On moving past the restructuring, and giving students the help they need to succeed:
What is your opinion moving forward with Adapted Scenario A? What do you think the district should do to ensure a smooth transition for all students and families and to ensure the mental health needs of all students are addressed?
Warner Frey has a fourth grader at Dickinson Elementary who will be directly impacted by the reorganization. “To have these students moved up to the middle school is going to be challenging, and it’s going to impact the social-emotional learning aspect that we’ve been dealing with over the last year,” he said. Warner recalled though when his eighth grader last year had to be moved from NMS to the high school, and applauded the administration for what he feels was a seamless transition accomplished “almost on a dime.”
“I support what the district has done with the restructuring for budgetary purposes and to enhance our programs, and I truly trust that this will be a very smooth transition,” he said.
The remaining three candidates have all voiced on different occasions support of a pause to the district reorganization.
Tammie Topel has been a proponent of a pause for months. She believes Covid should have been taken into consideration when studying Adapted Scenario A, from early on, including in the EIS statement.
“I’m happy there will be support systems, support mechanisms put in place for our fifth graders because they’re still babies and I can’t imagine seeing them going off to middle school,” said Carol Taylor, who earlier in the evening said she hoped for a pause, too. She asked for orientations and tours for children and families, and agreed that Covid should have been a consideration on the committees leading up to the adoption of the redistricting plan.
Trustee Buscareno very publicly voted against Adapted Scenario A earlier this month, and pushed for a pause. Now that the plan is in place, she said, it is important to move forward. She wants to ensure everything the district talked about providing to children, including a full-time counselor, scheduled tours of buildings, and making connections between staff and students happens, “allowing these kids to feel comfortable entering a new space.”
Up next: Tomorrow, May 13, from 7-9pm, is a Virtual BOE Candidate Meet and Greet/Forum, co-hosted by the Northport Journal and Northport High School’s The Port Press. Sign up to attend here: https://live.remo.co/e/nenufsd...
The annual budget vote and election of trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, from 6am to 9pm. Voting will take place at the William J. Brosnan building, Fifth Avenue Elementary and Dickinson Avenue Elementary; all residents must vote at their designated polling places. Absentee ballots are available at the district clerk’s office at the Brosnan building.
