By John C. O'Connell
Bush, Lazio win in national mock vote
Whatever the adults may have decided in the election, District 24 kids made up their own minds. Children in Valley Stream's School District 24 joined more than a million students in elementary and high schools across the country this presidential election year to learn about issues and candidates, and to "vote" electronically for the leaders of their choice.
Schools all over the United States participated in "Youth-e-vote," the on-line national campaign to increase the involvement and awareness of students in the political process. Risa Miller, District 24 Technology Coordinator, organized the local effort for kindergarten through sixth grade.
In the district's Brooklyn Avenue School, according to vote tallies made by Ms. Miller, Gov. George W. Bush and VP Al Gore virtually tied, with about 48 percent of the vote, with Ralph Nader getting 2 percent and Pat Buchanan 1 percent. In the senate race, Congressman Rick Lazio got 52 percent to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's 43 percent.
At the William L. Buck School, it was Bush 51 percent to Gore's 49 percent, with Nader and Buchanan getting less than a half point each. Lazio defeated Clinton 56 to 39 percent.
The Robert W. Carbonaro School went the other way in the presidential race. Vice President Gore won 48 percent to Gov. Bush's 45 percent. Buchanan and Nader each got about 4 percent. Congressman Lazio handily defeated Mrs. Clinton, 53 percent to 40 percent.
Nationwide, 1,330,913 children's e-voices were heard through Youth e-vote. The kids gave the Bush/Cheney ticket the nod. Bush gained 56 percent of the vote to Gore's 38 percent; Nader got 5 percent and Buchanan 2 percent.
In New York State's senate race, Lazio took 51 percent of the state-wide youth e-vote to Clinton's 44 percent. New York State's youth e-vote gave Gore 53 percent and Bush 41 percent, with Nader getting 5 percent and Buchanan 1 percent.
"School officials and teachers hoped that participation in this unofficial "election" would combine technology and education to help educate voters of the future, and even encourage more parent voting in current elections," Ms. Miller said. "In 1996, half of all eligible adults voted for President; even fewer 18-to-24 year-olds voted."
Classroom and enrichment teachers used the event to teach about the candidates, the issues, and how elections happen, Ms. Miller told the Herald. "Then every student voted--one student, one vote--for President, Vice President and New York senator."
District Superintendent Ed Fale and the school principals, Bruce Alster, Al Arnone and Dan Onorato, supported this integration of technology with classroom curriculum as both a current events and a civics lesson. District Technology Coordinator Miller said, "The value of our democracy was demonstrated as students participated as educated voters in an election process."
Ms. Miller said the students voted using the "state of the art" wireless networks in all three school buildings. These wireless networks use Apple Computer's ibooks, allowing students to connect to the Internet or school Local Area Network without wires.
School officials report that students' enthusiasm for the Youth-e-vote was evident as they continually asked their friends if they had voted yet and whom they thought would win the presidential election. District 24 students were excited that their voices would be heard.
"Many student voters actually asked if they could keep their registration cards as souvenirs," Ms. Miller said.
