Seaford student advocates for education

Seaford High School senior Chelsea Stieglitz is an advocate for change. Last month, the 18-year-old traveled to Albany to discuss an issue that doesn’t affect her personally, but is something that she believes in.

Through her synagogue, Temple B’Nai Torah in Wantagh, Stieglitz got involved with the New York Area Region of the North American Federation of Temple Youth. This was the third year in a row she has participated in Advocacy Day, which means heading up to the state capital to speak with elected officials.

On March 6, she and 15 other students from the area boarded a coach bus and made the journey upstate. This year, she led a group that advocated for a state monitor for the East Ramapo School District in Rockland County.

Advocates have been calling on the appointment of a monitor to support the district’s public school students. Claims have been made that the Board of Education, dominated by Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish men who send their children to private schools, are favoring the needs of private-school students over the public-school students.

If the state Legislature passed the measure, it would give the state Education Department greater oversight in the management of the district’s finances. Stieglitz said she supports this and her group made a presentation to legislators urging them to approve the oversight agreement.

“This topic interested me because I could relate to education,” she said about why she chose this issue for Advocacy Day. “It was just more relatable to me and I just thought it was more interesting.”

Steiglitz belongs to a Reform Jewish temple and said it places a high value on education. That’s why she doesn’t see oversight of East Ramapo as an attack on its leaders because of their religion, but in protecting the integrity of public education.

During her trip to Albany, she met with Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) and the secretary for state Sen. Neil Breslin (D-Albany). Stieglitz, as the leader of the group, did much of the research and prepared others for their parts of the presentation. “I felt it went really well,” she said.

As a sophomore, Stieglitz attended Advocacy Day for the first time and focused on women’s rights. Last year, the issue she spoke on was rights for the disabled.

She explained that the three visits to Albany have given her a greater understanding of how government works. It has taught her that getting a law passed is not an easy process, and the fight isn’t always successful. The state Legislature is still considering the bill regarding the East Ramapo monitor.

“I think it’s a really cool experience,” she said. “It was very empowering and it helped me learn about what goes on.”

In addition to speaking with lawmakers, Stieglitz said it was nice to see the Capitol building. She got to see many rooms, including some in which the walls were covered in 12-karat gold.

Stieglitz is president of the World Culture Club at Seaford High, treasurer of the Key Club, and a member of the marching band, National Art Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society. She will be attending Penn State-University Park in the fall to study arts and architecture.