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Overcast McNulty, Spaulding for RVC school board trustees
The sudden resignation of Rockville Centre Superintendent Dr. William Johnson last fall and a perceived lack of transparency on the current Board of Education inspired five well-qualified residents to seek two open seats on the board. They come from different backgrounds, but each displays a passion for and a commitment to improving the quality of education in an already high-performing district.
We were impressed with all of the candidates’ platforms, and choosing just two to endorse was difficult, but Susan McNulty and Gregg Spaulding are our picks to fill those seats.
McNulty’s 20-plus years of educational experience and her leadership roles as teacher, assistant principal and principal stood out. She has had to make impactful decisions on personnel, policies, school programs and large budgets, and her expertise in those areas could only help the board in the future. She is currently the principal of the Nassau BOCES Carmans Road School in Massapequa, and understands the needs of children with physical and developmental disabilities.
Additionally, McNulty’s work with the Floyd B. Watson Elementary School PTA and subsequent two-year tenure as its president gave her extensive knowledge of parents’ ideas and concerns about school issues.
Spaulding’s seven years as a board trustee and his role in improving and maintaining school programs and policies give him a clear advantage as well. Since he was first elected, he has attended every meeting, and worked with the other trustees and administrators to improve and maintain the district’s quality of education, including several improvements to the curriculum and technology.
Spaulding is a lifelong Rockville Centre resident, and has four children who either graduated from the district or currently attend South Side High School. He served as co-president of the William S. Covert Elementary School PTA, and was instrumental in securing funds through a state grant that enabled the school to replace the old kindergarten playground.
Our choices in no way minimize the qualifications of Wayne Fitzgerald, Tara Hackett and Liz Stack and their dedication to the school community. We were impressed by Fitzgerald’s business acumen, Hackett’s full-time volunteer work at Hewitt Elementary and Stack’s passion for state testing reform. All of them put children first. We hope they continue their involvement in district affairs and consider running in future board elections.
Return Murray to library board
Library Board of Trustees President Bill Murray has been an attentive and savvy member of the board for 12 years now. Although he is running unopposed, his insistence that the library avoid accruing debt is commendable, and his commitment to meeting the needs of library-goers is crucial to the facility’s future.
We urge residents to support Murray with their votes on Tuesday.
