By Liz McBreen
Incumbents and challengers running for positions on the West Hempstead Board of Education met at Cornwell Avenue Elementary School on May 7 to give residents an opportunity to meet them and learn more about their views on education in West Hempstead.
Four candidates -- Scott Snyder, Douglas Rodriguez, Davis Whelpley and a late entry, Jerrold Koznesoff -- are running for a seat left empty when Phillip Frank resigned last year. There is one year left in Frank's unexpired term.
Only one incumbent, Carole Rilling, is facing a contested race in the district this year. The nine-year veteran of the board will face Walter Ejnes for the three-year term. Incumbent James Mariano is running unopposed.
The candidates introduced themselves and then answered questions from the audience. While their methods differed, the concern common to all of them is improving the quality of education while keeping taxpayers in mind.
Rilling has served as member of the School Board for three terms, and her goal is to continue offering a quality education. She would like to see more students involved in the music and sports programs the school district offers, and to increase the number of students who receive Regents diplomas. Rilling wants to see a closed campus throughout the district, with a possible exemption for seniors. "I know that an effective board member knows that she has to keep an open mind and be an independent voter," said Rilling.
During her time on the board, Rilling said, she has not allowed herself to become complacent. She has taken the opportunity to keep learning by frequently attending seminars on education, special education and increasing test scores. "I am a clear thinker who values the taxpayers' opinions and ideas," she said.
Improving the quality of the education provided to West Hempstead students is one of Ejnes' goals. Ejnes has two children who attend George Washington School. "I am concerned about the current state of our schools," he said. "The district is performing at lower levels than neighboring Nassau County schools."
He is proposing that the Board of Education, administration and teachers work together and create a specific plan to be implemented over the next five years to raise performance and expectations in the district.
Rodriguez wants to see the quality of the education of children in West Hempstead maintained and improved, so that residents don't feel that it's necessary to leave the community for better schools.
He would also encourage more parents to get involved in the district. "We need strong teachers to guide our kids, and for those teachers to also communicate with parents," he said. "If the school system is strong, the community will be strong."
For the past eight years, Snyder has served as president of Special Education PTA in West Hempstead, which has started Inclusion Classes in the district. He has been involved in workshops, and has programs that help educate teachers and parents about the demands that are placed on children in the district.
Snyder feels that staff development is necessary for teachers, as well as always keeping the children and their best interests in mind.
Whelpley is not a stranger to the West Hempstead School Board. He held a seat as a trustee from 1966 to 1970. He has seen two of his children pass through the West Hempstead school system, and his youngest daughter is currently a junior in high school. He is worried about the lack of stability in the district, with four department heads having been replaced in the last year. "We need a school district that can produce people capable of running the country," he said.
One of Whelpley's biggest concerns is the increasing cost of education to the taxpayer. If he is elected, he intends to take an active role with the New York State School Board Association to keep the governor aware of the importance of education in the state budget. He also feels that there is too much testing by the state, and too much emphasis on the scores of these tests.
Having grown up in West Hempstead, Koznesoff received a solid education in the district, and wants to guarantee this advantage for the next generation. He is a strong proponent of kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs. He feels that the district should offer a full day pre-K program, and ensure that the program will be available in the future.
In order to do an effective job, a member of a school board has to face all the issues with the same intensity, according to Mariano. "I use the knowledge I have gained to protect quality education and ensure fiscal responsibility to our community," he said. He has been on the board for nine years, and frequently attends workshops about school law, management and school safety and other issues.
He thanked the community for its continued trust and support, and for the opportunity to serve on the board for another three years.
When the candidates were questioned about the preparation that should go into standardized testing, some expressed concern that teachers are too often "teaching to the test." Ejnes' daughter is in fourth grade at George Washington, and he feels that she sometimes falls short in other subjects because of the intense preparation she receives for standardized tests.
Whelpley agreed that students should receive a well-rounded education. "Teachers should be able to teach, and they cannot always do this they way they would like because of tests," he said.
Rilling responded by saying, "We have to be realistic. These tests are here." She added that this past year's eighth-grade English scores were poor, and a committee has been created to deal with the problem.
Candidates were also asked to give their opinions on tenure for teachers in the district. Most candidates agreed that the tenure system is needed, but modifications may be helpful. "It is necessary, but sometimes complacency can set in. The system does need reform," said Mariano. Rilling added that without tenure, teaching becomes a popularity contest, and educators would always feel unsure about their positions.
Koznesoff feels the system should be modified. "Teachers should be in the school based on merit," he said. "If we do not offer our children the best educators, we do them a disservice." Whelpley also feels that teaching positions should be based on merit, but fears teachers will not be focused on their job if they are worried about losing their positions.
One resident asked the candidates how they felt about a full day pre-kindergarten program. Koznesoff and Ejnes said that it would be a valuable investment for the district, and that it provides children with a head start. The other candidates didn't think that a full day was a viable option. "Where would we put the classes?" said Snyder. Neither he nor Mariano thought a pre-K program was currently realistic for the district from a practical or financial perspective.
Rodriquez said that pre-K would be a positive addition for WH students, but he thinks that a half day would be a better option. "Kids need time to play -- they cannot be expected to work all day," he said. Rilling also feels that the program would have to be part-time.
Residents of West Hempstead will vote on the school budget and for school board candidates on June 3. Polls will be open in the middle school gymnasium from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
