Wouldn’t it be nice if the upcoming Board of Education election in Great Neck was based on more than names appearing on lawn signs?
I would love to see a debate between the candidates in which they share an idea or two and give the community an opportunity to select the “best” of what appears to be available at this moment. This may just be wishful thinking on my part, as I imagine I would sooner see a unicorn galloping down Middle Neck Road than an exchange of ideas, or for that matter, any ideas offered by either candidate.
No one is talking about how to de-politicize the Board of Education and return to the previous system of elections in which individuals ran for a seat—not against an incumbent—thus empowering the community to elect top vote-getters in apolitical elections. No one is talking about the need to establish a conflict-of-interest policy that prohibits sitting members of the Board of Education from accepting financial support from the Great Neck Teachers Association (a.k.a the teachers’ union) given that these board members are responsible for negotiating contracts with the union. No one is talking about the need to expand the Board of Education to seven seats to ensure that this community is better represented by parents and taxpayers alike.
No one is talking about the need for a working group that’s charged with exploring the distribution of resources across the district, school by school—not for the purpose of shifting funds away from programs, but rather to ensure that children in every school have the same opportunities. No one is talking about what needs to be done to improve North High School’s rankings or what can be learned from South High School’s continued success. No one is talking about the exorbitant amount of money spent on tutors and academic programs outside of school in order to ensure success inside school.
No one is talking about the district’s continued failure to provide financial projections that clearly articulate what is anticipated in future year costs so that all taxpayers can better understand the financial position of the district. No one is talking about the district’s ongoing spend-down of reserves each and every year in order to fund the operating budget. No one is talking about what it will cost to recruit new teachers at competitive salaries. No one is talking about what it will cost to bring our school buildings and athletic facilities into the 21st century.
No one is talking about the need for better and more transparent communication from the administration. And while I support the current board president, no one is talking about the vow of silence the current Board of Education appears to have taken or why this elected body has yet to implement a strategy around community engagement.
And so, here we are, left with what I view to be an impossible choice. Do we re-elect a candidate who has served in silence for years while collecting a District pension and has nothing but meetings to show for her service? Or do we elect a candidate who has little to show with respect to community engagement or knowledge of the issues?
As someone who has stood in a candidate’s shoes before, and lost (though I still take great pride in knowing that last year’s election led to Barbara Berkowitz losing her gavel!), I recognize it is an awesome responsibility to run for office. I also recognize that that responsibility requires candidates to learn about the issues, to do their homework (just as we expect every child to do), and to engage in a process that educates the public about where they stand on District-specific issues.
Like it or not, an election based on lawn signs and ill-informed surrogates ultimately means that this community loses, no matter the outcome on May 17.
Michael S. Glickman
Great Neck