By Jonann Brady
The candidates, incumbents B.A. Schoen and Mary Jo O'Hagen, and challengers Russell Martinez and Rev. Bernard Woodside, made opening and closing statements and answered a host of questions from about 50 audience members in a civil exchange of ideas interspersed with both humor and serious moments.
Money, money
Money was on the minds of all four candidates. Schoen, O'Hagen and Woodside all said that state funding of public schools was the number one problem the Baldwin school district faces. Woodside said he would like to find more "creative" funding sources, such as grants. O'Hagen noted that the board has already tried to do that but has been precluded from getting private grants because of its zero percent poverty rating. Both Schoen and O'Hagen pointed out that they have been zealous about lobbying for changes in state and federal aid formulas and for rolling back unfunded mandates.
For his part, Martinez said that the number one problem for the district was that as test scores fall, so do property values. He said that the changes in the New York State Regents were "moving too quickly," and the district needs to get "back to basics" in education.
When asked if too much emphasis is being placed on standardized tests, Martinez echoed his "back to basics" theme, saying homework is too extensive and that there is too much emphasis on advanced-placement course work.
Woodside said testing and funding are related, and that more money is needed in order to institute after-school lessons and putting paraprofessionals in the classroom. Schoen and O'Hagen noted that the current board had taken steps to improve scores by adding Saturday classes for test-taking strategies, but they also said that test scores are misused.
"Tests are not wrong, it's the way they're employed ... to pit school districts against one another ... it's grossly unfair," said O'Hagen.
Responding to the community
Several questions dealt with the public perception of both the board and the schools themselves. Candidates were asked what they would do to make the board more accessible to the community.
O'Hagen said that this was a major goal for the board, and listed a number of things the district has done to improve communication, including upgrading the school's Web site, instituting the key communicators program and attending community programs and meetings. But, she said, the board was still "searching out more and more ways to better communication."
Schoen said that a board member should be involved in the community, and noted, "I have a listed phone number and encourage people to call." Martinez reiterated his long-standing involvement with the Baldwin Education Assembly, and said that people already call him constantly with questions about the school.
Later, all three of those candidates said that they believe the board offers ample opportunities for parents to get involved through groups like BEA, the PTA and open board meetings.
Woodside said opening the lines of communication was one of his main goals in running for the board, and said he had already been canvassing the community. If elected, he said, he hoped to form a community-parent advocacy group to give parents a greater voice on the board, more than the twice-yearly Community Input Meetings. He added later that the board should "reach out to [parents] beyond paraphernalia and papers" and make the district a place for all community groups to come together.
The candidates were also asked a more pointed question that harked back to the firing of Brookside Principal Cheryl McBeth: An administrator is fired but parents don't want it to happen. What do you do?
O'Hagen said that in the case of termination, the employee is protected by privacy rights, and while the hiring process involves the community, termination is "not a process that involves the community." She said the board must follow procedure, but consistently and fairly.
Woodside took a somewhat different tack, responding that the board is elected by people in the community and so should have to answer to them. While he acknowledged that legalities are involved in certain decisions, he said, "The community and parents have a right to know at least something. Let us know before something happens ... at least allow them to feel involved."
When asked about taking unpopular stands, Schoen said that sometimes board members must have the courage to do "what is right," and that they have a duty to protect future children. Martinez said that board members "can't please everybody all the time."
Candidates were also asked about the bad reputation that the middle school and high school seem to be developing. Schoen said that was an "astounding" question. "There are also people that think the earth is flat," he joked, noting that outside the district, Baldwin has an excellent reputation. Martinez and O'Hagen agreed that the schools needed to build a more positive image, saying that more parents should come to the middle and high school to see for themselves the programs and activities students are involved in.
Woodside again returned to his theme of listening to parents and addressing those concerns. "The views of parents need not be taken lightly," he said. "It's our responsibility to find out why those views exist, and how they can change their mentality."
Get out the vote!
Voting for the school and library budgets and for school board and library board trustees will be held on Tuesday, June 3 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Baldwin Senior High School.
