2026-05-07 BOE Meeting

001Good evening and welcome. We're looking forward to a wonderful night tonight. Okay, we got it. I like having some some problems. Good evening. Welcome. We're so glad to see you all here. And tonight is certainly a night of celebration. You've worked hard for this night, and it just greatly, uh, touches the heart of each one of the board members to be able to have this celebration. So, um, at this time, can I have a motion to adjourn from access executive session? So moved. Second. All in favor? Uh, when we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Um, the elementary fifth grade student officers will do the pledge. And the kindergarten students and Mrs. Gessler and Mrs. two checks class. Uh, link. Elementary school. Kindergarten. Uh, one small voice by Jack Hartman, directed by the music teacher

002Cindy Kimmel. And at the end of that, we will stay standing for a moment of reflection for Mrs. Elaine Smith, retired Lakewood Elementary School teacher, and for Mr. Philip marino, retired New City elementary teacher. Can we please, um, stand for the pledge? Through evening. We are the Lincoln Elementary fifth Grade Student Council. And who will be leading you in the Pledge of Allegiance tonight? Please stand on Facebook. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. That's why some of. I see. That's how they analyze my life. I shrugged my. Am proud to undertake a long. And find some. Safe and sound. She has gone one by one and I

003have never seen. Um, and. A. Got. I. My smile. I can buy them now. And you can. I well. Thank you. You may be seated. Tonight we have one revision to our agenda. Um, we are going to, um, celebrate and take, uh, 1.08 recognition of the Clarkstown Police chief, Jeffrey Wannamaker. And then we will be taking our ten year recommendation celebration. Uh, after that, following the ten year, um, uh, celebration. We will then take 1.07 to, uh, comments from the for an agenda items. So at this time, I'm going to ask Doctor Michael to go ahead. Thank you so much. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you tonight. For those who don't know, uh, Chief Jeff Wannamaker, uh, who has served over 40 years with the Clarkstown Police Department with distinction and valor.

004Uh, everything we can ask for in a police officer. Uh, rose to the ranks of chief. And as a personal, uh, tribute, this is something that was near and dear to me when I first began here in Clarkstown. One of the first meetings that I had was with Chief Wanamaker. And I remember the, uh, collaborative approach that he came at this with and really just spoke about how important it was for the police department and the school district to partner together. And that partnership over the the next years has only strengthened each year. Uh, we were incredibly, um, sad. It was bittersweet, as we say, uh, when he announced his retirement, uh, because filling Chief Wanamaker's shoes is going to be very difficult. Um, he really was a friend to the Clarkstown Central School District

005and really a full partner in much of the work we did. Uh, the most important thing, I think, is that when we were faced with any type of an emergency, it didn't matter what time of the day or night. Uh, we knew and had comfort knowing that when we reached out to Jeff Wanamaker, he was going to pick up the phone and he was going to address whatever it is that we needed to address. And for that, we're eternally grateful. And thank you for everything that you have done for us. Okay. Yeah. First of all, where do you go to? Well is in the school board meetings this crowded? Usually. You. Thank you. Um, I always thought it was very important, you know, for the police department, the school districts. And we have about four

006school districts in Clarkstown. Um, and my philosophy was, you need you need a safe environment in order to learn and in order for the teachers to teach. And every, uh, everyone in the school district have a safe environment. And I thought it was very important when Doctor Bianco first came to the school district to invite him into the police department, and just to see what we do with the police department, how we work together to make the school environment safe. And it's been a great, great relationship that we've created with his staff. Also, I got to thank everyone that's here, Maureen, John, the, um, all the security officers. And, you know, this is a great honor. It was very bittersweet for me to leave. I have created some great relationships and we had some great

007professional relationships. Um, Clarkstown Police Department will still be a great, uh, partner with the school district. I have complete faith in that. But again, I want to thank you, Doctor Bianco. School board. Um, again, this is what makes it tough to leave, but it's, uh. It was time. It was the wife. The wife told me it was time, so that's what I was gone. But thank you very much. It's truly a great honor. Thank you. I. But. All right. Next we're going to move on to our ten year recipients. Um, I just want to say a few words about our ten year recipients. Um, the process here in Clarkstown is a very rigorous process. Um, depending on when the person comes in, whether it be a teaching assistant, a teacher or a principal or assistant

008principal. Uh, what we do is we consider where their previous tenure was. So if they held previous tenure in that line, we have a three year process. Uh, and if they did not, which the large majority do not. Uh, we have a four year process. And over the course of those four years, one of the things that we're doing is providing professional development through our, uh, new employee academy. And we're also, uh, ensuring that they have all of the resources they need to be successful. And then we do a series of evaluations, uh, classroom observations. And through that process, we determine, is this candidate meeting the expectations that we need here in the Clarkstown Central School District to continue to move us forward? I must say, uh, we review each and every one of these

009with each and every one of our principals. And, uh, through that process, this particular cohort of tenure recipients tonight is exemplary. Uh, the work that they have done, the commitment to the school district, the dedication to their instruction has been superb. So we're very grateful for that. I want to congratulate everybody ahead of time. Uh, the vote will make it official. Uh, but I did want to say that this is a very rigorous process. And you should feel very proud of yourself this evening in terms of, uh, how you've worked towards that. And before you do that, um, we need to vote on 1.09, uh, approval of the ten year recommendation. So can we have a motion? Make the motion. I'll second. All in favor? Uh, I. Excellent. I'm going. My. Here we go. I'm

010actually going to invite all of our bargaining unit, uh, presidents, to come up and join me for a moment. Uh, I just want to recognize that process and have you say a few words for the members as well. Uh, Diane Lynn, you out there? John. Excellent. Come on up. I think we have a meeting here from the CTA. Okay. Um. You want to say a few words about the members? Uh, about our administrators. Congratulate them. Offer them some pretty support. Yeah. Good evening. On behalf of the clerks, administrators and myself, we'd like to congratulate. Recognize all of our ten recipients tonight. Your hard work and expertise will have a world of impact to our students. We wish you long and successful careers in Clarkstown. We want to talk about the four administrators individually. Um. Shortly.

011Ransom. Hello, everyone. I'm Diane Freshkon, and I'm the president of the teaching assistants. And this is, uh, good evening. I'm Lynn Miro, vice president of the CTA. And we would like to extend our warmest and deepest, um, uh, what is the word I'm looking for? Um. Thank you. Congratulations. Um, for this achievement, it's not an easy one to go through. As Mark, uh, had already discussed, it is really a tough time, but it's a passion that when you have it, you don't want to give up on it. So I really appreciate all the hard work that you've done. Congratulations and welcome to your Birmingham place. Hopefully it's 60. Congratulations. If you would. If you don't mind. I don't want to put you on the spot, but we'd love to get some pictures. So, uh, as

012our recipients come up, we'll take pictures as well. Um, I do want to say this is a special relationship. Uh, we value the partnership that we have together. Um, most don't see it this way, but it's really important and noteworthy that when we're doing the work that we're doing, and especially when we have a non tenured teacher or a non tenured administrator, that we're working together to ensure that that person is as successful as possible. So this is a true partnership that we work together to make sure that they're getting everything that they need, uh, to be successful here in the Clarkstown schools, because at the end of the day, it's beneficial for our students. So without further ado, we're going to start with the Donia elementary, Mister Nani. And then the idea came the

013hard work and dedication of five individuals from Virginia. Um, they can come on down. We have everyone from. General education teachers, special education teachers, library media specialist. They have been dedicated and determined to make the lives of our children more wonderful. They work tirelessly and there is, I cannot express enough the value add they bring to our school. So thank you so much. This is so well deserved to Miss Gardner. Miss Amador. Most browser. Miss mom. And Mississippi, you know. Next up we have from the Birchwood School. Uh, I like to call up miss Jacqueline Hurley. First year principal and rock star. I'm. Good evening everyone. It's a sincere honor to recognize these five special individuals from the Birchwood School. Come on up, guys. Richmond is truly a special place and it is the dedication

014of staff members like these we are honoring that makes it so. Whether providing academic interventions, teaching a foreign language, or supporting our students as teaching assistants and service providers, these professionals wear their hearts into our community every day. Their commitment to our students growth is inspiring and they represent the very best of our mission. I am beyond proud to have them on our team and grateful for the passion they bring to our halls. Please join me in congratulating them. Next year. New principal. Jeannette for. Sabrina. And Carolyn de Davao. I'm going to invite Doctor Snyder up. Uh, at this point in time, and also, uh, Mr. Carlson. Uh, to come up and join me. Uh, we will award those who are receiving tenure at Chestnut Grove. These are teachers who are around the district. And

015we also have an administrator this evening. Um, Miss Jen Maza and I just like to, uh, take an opportunity and say a few words about the work miss is doing. Uh, she is at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. We work together over the past, uh, a couple of days now on some of the conferences that we were at and one of the conferences in particular that I found, uh, to be most insightful was this, uh, previous one that we just attended this week. And there's a debate as to whether or not we jump into AI or we don't jump into AI. And the speaker said something very interesting, and that was that Pandora's box has already been opened. You're not closing it. So it's about embracing AI, teaching students to do it responsibly. There

016is not a day that goes by that Miss Masa doesn't put that thought and effort into that exact goal to make sure that each and every day we're keeping kids safe, yet still providing them with the future ready skills. And we're grateful for everything that you do. I'm just a little shorter than doctor by. Um, first of all, um. Good evening everyone. What a wonderful evening. Um, congratulations to everyone. Uh, you are the reason why we are all here. On behalf of the kids. And the work that you do is just incredible. So I just need to add on, um, that I am thrilled that Jen Maza, our director of Stem and Instructional Technology, is being awarded tenure on this particular Stem Fest evening. How fitting. Jen took this position at exactly the right moment

017when our AI worlds really began in full force. Her leadership during this time has been immeasurable. From being a keynote speaker at superintendent conferences to facilitating the AI working Group, which is active to this day, to teaching courses, to our faculty, to creating professional learning communities throughout the district, around how to use AI responsibly, to being a fierce advocate for student privacy and student wellness. The list goes on. Not surprisingly, she has been tapped as the expert in this work in the lower Hudson Valley, repeatedly receiving awards and recognitions. There is no one more knowledgeable, no one more human and student centered, and no one more thoughtful about this revolutionary time in our lives. And I didn't even touch upon the transformational work she has done with our science curriculum and our instructional program, pre-K

018to 12 overall. I don't have enough time. We are incredibly lucky to have Jen Mazur in Clarkstown leading this work, and I personally would be lost without her. She is my right hand woman. Please join me in congratulating a true superstar. So actually, I'm here to honor, um, staff members that work outside of the central office. We actually were very fortunate, Lennoxtown, because we have two unique programs that run our central office and out of school suspension and a therapeutic alternative, and some charge for students to be able to come to a place where they can get some direction versus import some support just to be able to access or reenter school in a safe way and being successful. So, um, I wanted to honor Joe Williams, the teacher in our assassin type program. I

019don't know if he's here tonight, but he does a tremendous job, and these are very sensitive situations. We also have programing that runs out of the Rockingham Correctional Facility. So any students that are still eligible for education, whether they be 16, 17 or 18 or older, we're providing their support and instruction within the facility. So one teacher in particular, for the one who was an incredible asset to that program, she came in, she could be a social, emotional component to the program that was extremely meaningful to the to the students that were accessing it. And I just want to congratulate her. I don't know if she's here tonight, but another great asset to the district. And then lastly, we have guidance counselors that work out of Birchwood, out of North High School, South High School,

020and Festa. But we saw a need over time for the students who are outside of the district and also for the students who were at the Rockland Correctional Facility. So we were able to create a position for a district guidance counselor, and this person is able to track all of the progress and data of students who are not necessarily being constructed in our schools. It's been an incredible opportunity to like, um, revamp our record system and keep track of data that, um, typically we have been keeping track of. So I want to congratulate her, Joe. Um, and the women, because they're a tremendous asset to the district. So thank you. Thank you so much. And now we have a, um, an interesting situation. Rather unique, because the person I'm about to call is also receiving

021tenure this evening. So I like to call up mrs. Candace Reim. Uh, principal of Clarkstown High School North. I would just like to say that, uh, Principal Reim was actually one of the first hires that I had here in the Clarkstown Central School District, uh, becoming a new superintendent here. Uh, I was faced with the challenge of finding a new high school principal, which is quite the complex task. Uh, when you're working through it and through all of our iterations, uh, what we found was that Mrs. Ream came through as being the, uh, top candidate and came to us with a lot of experience, a lot of passion, a lot of energy, all of the things that we're looking for. And during that time, there is not a moment that I don't call Mrs. Rim

022and say, what do you think of this idea? And her words are usually, I'll make it happen. Uh, and that's true in every situation that she takes on from some of our craziest concepts, design thinking, which we really hadn't designed yet. Uh, but she made sure that it got done. Um, to right down to the changes that we made in the physical plant of the building. Everything that Candace does is with the students in mind, the staff in mind, and ensuring that Clarkstown High School North is a welcoming environment. So we're eternally grateful. Thank you so much, and congratulations to you. Thank. And now it is my turn to honor ten new members of our family. I have an amazing biology teacher, a chemistry special education teacher who piloted that course, and it's now grown

023to four sections so students can access it. We have an amazing special education social science teacher who coaches multiple sports, and the answer from him is always yes, I'll try it. Um, a calculus teacher who piloted our senior externship program who now has 65 students in the field as we speak, a physics teacher who brings passion and drama to the physics classroom along with a robotics coach. We have a English teacher who works in our sales program who fosters growth in our most neediest students. We have another English teacher who piloted our Y's program for self-contained students, so they could also access that career readiness. I have a social studies special education teacher who created a financial literacy course with the access in mind, so all students now can access that honors level course. I

024have a true unicorn teacher who is biology Special Education and is now certified and is able to provide so many opportunities for our students. And I have a teaching assistant who has helped her 1 to 1 student grow beyond our wildest dreams. So I would like to call up the following Daniela Rio. Nick D'Amico. Aiden DeBerg. Michelle Hagerty. Trent LaFaro. Donna McLeod. Nicole Macey. Karen for Fenner. Diana. Shibani. Jill Sobel. And I have one more person to honor tonight. He's part of my core team. Mike stole Mike solo. My soul is an amazing educator. His innovation has automated an updated school processes to become efficient. He is a highly skilled instructional leader who has led professional development sessions for teachers and staff. He is a champion for students who empathetically approaches situations with the best

025interest of the student, the family and staff member in mind. We are lucky to have him as part of our North Administrative team. Congratulations! And next up I will have Doctor Saint John join us for the Felix Fessler Middle School staff. Thank you, Doctor Byock. Good evening, everyone, and congratulations to all of our ten year recipients. At this point in time, I'd like to ask our festive team members to come on up. And. While they're making their way up. I do want to also congratulate. I know there's a number of new hires in the in the in the building tonight, including four new cluster team members. So congratulations to those who'll be joining us, uh, in the fall. Okay, so we have at first a music teacher that can lead an orchestra ensemble and a

026lacrosse team. The do it All have led a coordinator, a special ed teacher who is beautifying doing, the social studies teacher who brings history to life. A homegrown talent special ed teacher that Dewayne fought to have a few years ago. A psychologist who manages case loads here, there and everywhere. A special ed teacher who is already mentoring and leading in C school, a spirit teaching assistant who connects with all of her students and is is a great team player and a teaching assistant who always goes above and beyond and is for the building and is literally everywhere. Uh, please graduate the following festive staff members as they receive tenure tonight Andy Dillon. Andrew Maguire. Jen. Kindness. Arlene Burt. Jacqueline Hotter. Sarah Silverman. Joel Fonda. Carol. Deanna Coyote. And genuine blue. Congratulations. Next up, I'm going

027to call Miss Debbie Marinello from Lakewood Elementary School. Thank you. She's louder than I thought. Good evening everyone. I have the great honor of congratulating two of our wonderful Lakewood team members on receiving their tenure at Lakewood. We have a saying, and everyone who knows me, I'm a cornball. It is. Lakewood equals love, and one of the most important components of our school is that you become part of the fabric of loving each and every one of our students. And these two tenure recipients do that each and every day. Miss Bella Trumka is an angel of Lakewood. She was a Lakewood Lion. She brought back our Lakewood anthem. And to know Bella is to know how much love and care she gives to our students each and every day. And it is my honor to

028congratulate you on your tenure. So come on up here, Bella. I also have the honor of congratulating an amazing teaching assistant, Mrs. Nancy McMann. Uh, Nancy has worked with our special education students in a 1 to 1 capacity, bringing to them a belief in themselves that they can achieve, and they can do everything that everyone else is doing each and every day. And that takes a very special level of dedication. So to Nancy, thank you. Being for being a part of our Lakewood equals love fabric. Congratulations, Bella and Nancy. Next up, I'm going to call up miss Mary Bish from Link Elementary. Have you ever met someone for the first time and knew exactly that they were the right person for the particular job that you needed to be done? Well, that's Janet Lawrence. When

029I met her four years ago, I knew she was the real deal. And she doesn't disappoint us. She is an integral part of that. She embodies our school's mission. She embodies the mission of the Clarkstown Central School District. Delighted to be to support. But congratulations on a genuine. You know, doctor, young youngins who doesn't have to come too far from little to elementary to introduce the little tourist. Okay. Back again. So specifically for little toward this year, we have a very talented group of four teaching assistants and one library media specialist receiving tenure tonight. Our four teaching assistants are extraordinarily kind, caring, and supportive of our students and staff and are valuable assets to our school or librarian. Although new to little, tour this year has really made a very strong impact on our students,

030her love of books and learning, and we're delighted to have her in our school. I'd like to call up our little to our ten year recipients, Miss Abby Kiel. Mr. Cole. Haitink. Miss Kira Lenihan. Miss Ariel Salmon. And Mrs. Jennifer Embry. A fun fact about Kira, which you'll kill me for saying is it makes me. Gives me great pleasure to tell you that she was a student in my class at Felix Festa, which makes me feel great and not so great at the same time. So congratulations to all the people. Next, I'm going to call up mrs. Deborah Forman. Uh, this is a bittersweet moment for Mrs. Forman. Uh, we will be celebrating you next month. Uh, but it does require, uh, some acknowledgment of the work that you have done and your unwavering support

031at New City Elementary. So thank you so much. Uh, Mrs. Forman will be retiring at the conclusion of this school year. Uh, one of the best stories that I, uh, can have is the unwavering, um, capability during time of crisis. And we had a situation several years ago at New City in which I'll share more in the retirement piece. Um, where you were just an amazing thought partner and really a leader in that building. And we're we're grateful for that. So thank you very much. Um. It is my honor to congratulate and welcome, uh, three people from the new City Elementary School family who are receiving tenure this evening, one of which is here. The other two, I don't believe, are. We have two teaching assistants, Alyssa Wegman as well as Alexandra Rule. And we

032also have a reading teacher, Brianna Sumitomo. All three are receiving tenure this evening. If you're here, please come up. Mm. Just a few words. Um, Brianna is, uh. She came in like a white horse. Absolutely elegant in the way that she teaches. Really? Learning the craft of teaching and working with children who really have some challenges. And she pushes them to their potential. I could not have picked another huge addition to our school that I. I'm so proud of and have been proud to watch grow throughout. Um, I also would like to say two of our teaching assistants. So working as one. So in our Strive program, both of those ladies as well are elegant in their craft and very connected with students. Exactly what we're looking for here in Clarkstown. Congratulations to all of

033the tagging recipients this evening and we welcome you. Next, I'm going to call up mr. Colin Anderson to present those from your town. It's my pleasure to be here this evening. Uh, we have three amazing candidates for tenure tonight who have worked so hard over the past several years to earn it and are integral members of the strike down family, um, who are extremely dedicated. Create an environment of extreme passion and just the culture of care for their students. And it's really amazing to see each and every day. So I want to welcome down, um, teaching assistant Miss Sharon Norton. Uh, educator, Mr. Dean Candy and educator. Miss Kathleen, dinner now to the fourth. Congratulations, Andrew. Congratulations. Next I will call miss any strikes. The West Nyack Elementary. Good evening and congratulations to all the

034ten recipients tonight. It's an incredible group and it's really incredible to be part of this wonderful cohort of teaching professionals. Can I have my Wildcats come up, please? We have a group of five individuals, one of whom is a repeat performer, Bethany Savina. We see you up here. Um, Bethany is also at Argonian, but we have a group of five individuals who truly embody what it means to be a caring, dedicated educator in a classroom working with children. Um, I have never had the experience before now, really, of these people, along with our colleagues back at school, of having such a strong and loving partnership with what we do for on behalf of students and their success. And I thank you so much for being part of, um, West Nyack Elementary School. Uh, we have

035two teaching assistants. We have Miss Mary Samuel. Mary, by the way, is also a newly certified teacher, so be on the lookout. We have Mrs. Diane Bits. Diane has a classroom teacher she works with named Mrs. Bartz, so its parts and bits. Our library media specialist. We've already welcomed and congratulated tonight, but I want to do it again. This is Bethany Savino. If. President. We have a wonderful, uh. Alumna of West Nyack Elementary School. Uh, formerly Corinne and Alora. And now Corinne Cabrera is a wonderful, newly tenured teacher. Come on up, Corinne. And finally, we have everyone's favorite school psychologist, Mr. Anthony Kelly. Anthony can be seen in, uh, lunge punches. He can be seen chasing children down the hallway and dragging them out of ceilings, and he can also be seen trying to coax

036the principal from her peers out from underneath her own desk. And last but not least, I'm going to call up miss Friedle avatars, who will be representing wood Glen Elementary and Lisa Barr's absence. Oh, yes. When? So also the end. Laura points mark. That's Becca. Yeah, I have a few more. I apologize. The know the double sided message. So I actually have a really special privilege tonight because I get to honor you as not only my coworkers, but as my friends. Um, there's a saying, right, that it takes a village and woodland is extremely lucky because we clearly have a flourishing one. So today we celebrate your years of dedication. Your tenure here isn't just a count of days on a calendar. It's a reflection of the consistent effort, reliability, and heart you pour into

037Glen every single morning. So to our teaching assistants and chief and special ed teacher, you're the heart of the patients that our students rely on most to our behaviorist who's not here tonight. You're the steadying force and the calm in every storm. And to our librarian, you're a much more than a keeper of books. You're a curator of curiosity and a vital heartbeat for this entire building. Through every challenge and change, you have remained the dependable pillars of our school. Wood Glen is truly fortunate to have you, and the impact you've made alongside me is appreciated more than words could express. Thank you for your hard work and your friendship. Today we celebrate you. So, Christa Reynolds. Bethany Costa. An angry. And Michelle can't ski. Congratulations. I'm going to call up mrs. Debbie Tarantino. She

038will. Announce the award recipients for Clarkstown South. Sorry about that. I got ahead of myself. That's all right. I tell you something, they save the best for last. Like Sam South was fortunate to have seven amazing teachers receiving tenure, two dedicated spirit teachers, one whose creativity is off the charts, and another who coaches our buckets. On to victory every week. A former scientist whom we're fortunate to have now is an AP science teacher, an AP Spanish teacher who promotes cultural opportunities for students through her Hispanic club, a fabulous and witty family and consumer science teacher who brings the real applications from her classroom to her students. A pleasant and patient and persistent ENL teacher, and a counselor who always goes the extra mile for her students. Congratulations! I'd ask them all to please come up

039so I can recognize you. Spirit teacher Rachel Harris. Rockets coach and CPA teacher Jeremy Logan. Alexis Deane couldn't be here this evening. Spanish teacher Jessica Cortez, tablet 60. Our family. Consumer science teacher Deb Tomaselli. And Heather Crescent and Bobby Garber, you know, couldn't be here this evening. Congratulations to you all. I'm also fortunate enough tonight to be able to introduce, um, an assistant principal who's receiving tenure. One part of the Viking team. Assistant Principal Malloy is dedicated to fostering an environment at South where lifelong learning is not a choice, but an obligation. Whether she is facilitating professional development or mentoring new teachers or working individually with South ENL students. Mrs. Malloy is dedicated to her Viking family. She approaches every challenge and every conversation with a with students first mentality, and deeply and understands that

040our mission is about raising the whole child. Whether she's mediating a conflict or cheering on our students during celebrations. She sees the potential in every student we serve, and then all of our staff members that she helps to facilitate that PD offer. Congratulations to Mrs. Malloy. We couldn't do it without you. Don't forget you. If. Before I call up the last, but certainly not least, uh, I do want to acknowledge two people. Uh, one is Meg Malloy, who is an assistant principal with us as as you heard at South High School. Uh, the work that she has done district wide has been totally transformational. And we're very grateful for you jumping in and adding areas of expertise, whether it's brainstorming over English language learners or curriculum or whatever the case may be. You are always

041one of those people who is a go to, and we really appreciate everything that you do above and beyond your normal daily responsibilities. So thank you. The second person. Thank you. The second person that I want to acknowledge is mister Jeremy Logan. Uh, he is the coach of the buckets, which was just mentioned. Uh, this is a heart warming, um, activity. If you haven't been to a buckets game, this a unified basketball game. I highly encourage you to do so. Uh, even the Grinch highest of people will have a smile on their face by the time they leave. I promise you that. Uh, it is absolutely uplifting, and it restores faith in humanity. So thank you for going above and beyond this. The loading. And now I introduce the fabulous Miss Julie Lupton, who will

042present the loyal claims. Good evening everyone. Congratulations so far to everyone who's received tenure tonight. It's incredible to hear about the work that you're doing, and it is an honor to recognize three incredible educators from Laurel Plains Elementary who are being recommended for tenure. The I'm going to have them come on up. All right. So my LP, I think I only have one who's here, but I'm going to just start with her first. So first up I have Alexa Christina, who is a classroom teacher who brings a truly collaborative spirit to our school community. She fosters both academic growth and meaningful relationships with her students, with families and her colleagues alike. My next person is a talented teaching assistant who works hard to support our spirit program, and who has a gift to have students

043be seen and valued. Finally, my distinguished reading specialist who works tirelessly to show her expertise in data driven literacy instruction and is a huge advocate for all of our tier two and tier three learners. These educators embody the dedication, compassion, and professionalism that make Laurel Plains and Clarkstown such a special place for children to learn and to be the best that they can be. Congratulations, Alexa. Crispy. No. Barbara Whalen and Lina Lashay. And a very well-deserved milestone. Ladies and gentlemen, one final round of applause for all of our ten year recipients. Congratulations. To our friends and our family who have come out this evening. Thank you so much for supporting those ten recipients in this milestone, and we will return to our normal business. Thank you. And we know some of you have to be

044in the classroom tomorrow morning. So, uh, if you want to at this particular time, take time to, uh. We live in. The golden age and. Oh, no. No, no. The jungle itself. Oh, yes, that was me. Yeah, although he was pretty. Okay? Yeah. That's not going. Get my good size. They have to go about their. Business. This is extremely funny. This is [INAUDIBLE]. I'm not sure what to add to that. One. And be. Wait till it clears up. Thank you. And this time we will um Afterpay echo will take. Thank you. Thank you. So, uh, this is obviously a celebratory evening. Uh, from those who are receiving tenure, uh, to those who, uh, have gotten milestones and have completed a remarkable stint here in the Clarkstown Central School District. And this is just the beginning.

045It's not the end. Uh, in addition to which we have, uh, for the board to consider tonight as well, a new principal candidate from New City Elementary. Uh, miss Pamela, DPS white, uh, who is here with our family. Welcome. Welcome to the Clarkstown family. Thank you so much. I just want to go over, uh, some of the process by which we go through this, uh, so that you understand from the onset when somebody comes on board, uh, to the Clarkstown Central School District right through their tenure process. Uh, this hiring process is a multi-phase roadmap. Uh, we don't operate in the dark. We follow a rigorous nine, uh, phase selection process. Uh, you heard me speak about it. When I announced Mrs. Reign and we started that, uh, high school principal position there. We strategically

046map that, uh, to tonight's board meeting. So it was always on our timeline that we wanted tonight's board meeting to be the aspirational goal, uh, where we can appoint the new principal. And part of that was so that we had enough time for the transition, uh, with Mrs. Forman as well. Our search officially launched back in February 27th, where I sent out a communication to the inner city elementary community. Uh, we had a thought exchange. I'm very proud to report we had 123% sorry participants in that thought exchange. And I think what was more impressive was the level of engagement in part exchange. We had 2000 ratings, uh, through that level of engagement that really gave us a solid framework, uh, for us to look at what it is that we were looking for in

047a new principal. We used this exact same model in Straub Town, by the way, when we were looking for principal there as well. We shared the progress updates throughout, including a detailed summary, uh, that came out on March 16th. I sent that out to the staff, explain how the feedback would be shared directly and how it's going to shape our interview questions as well. All of the interview questions, the candidate profiles, uh, when we were going through the screening process, were all, uh, predicated on the information that we got back in that thought exchange. Um, regarding the the dates, the initial volunteers we had asked for, uh, anybody who was available, uh, that we listed the dates for March 16th, 17th and 18th, um, and we asked for any expression of interest during that time.

048Again, our timeline is tight but flexible. Uh, but we also need to be mindful of the fact that we have school in session. And part of the committee rotations was to make sure that we went through a school visit. So we took, uh, nine candidates through the school visit and uh, through the actual, uh, committee process. And we were looking at consistency. We wanted to make sure that each of the candidates was being asked the same questions, so that this was a very objective process. Uh, we recognize that a small committee isn't the only way to be heard. Uh, there are multiple ways, which is why we included the thought exchange as well. And we also included other school based visits and making sure that we had stakeholder panels throughout. Uh, with the search of

049a principal, the demand is oftentimes high in those committees. We have a lot of interested parties, from staff to support staff to, uh, teachers and teaching assistants to parents and uh, even in some cases, community members. And in the cases of high school and secondary level, we also include a student, uh, group. The priorities were identified again through the thought exchange. Um, and what we found was that they wanted a leader who was on the ground. Uh, and through that iterative process, what we came up with was a, uh, rigorous testing of those candidates. Uh, we put them through a problem of practice, and, uh, we brought them also to our executive level cabinet cabinet, where they were able to demonstrate their ability to work under pressure and really solve world, uh, real world, uh,

050challenges that were relevant to us here in Clarkstown. That being said, I'm proud to announce that, uh, Miss Pamela Peace White was, uh, selected as our candidate and had really done an exceptional job through that entire process. Thank you so much. At this time. We'll take 1.07 comments from before on agenda items. Um. Yes. We have a couple of speakers signed up. Kiara. Martin. Marcus is the first. Okay. More talk is. Good evening. Members of the board. Have I? Yes. Okay. Good evening. Members of the board. My name is Karen Marcus. I live in New City, and I'm a parent of a child at New City Elementary. I'm here because I participated in the search for the new principal at New City. And this process has left many parents and teachers feeling frustrated, confused, and

051disappointed. I recognize and respect the confidentiality agreement that I signed as part of this interview process, and I am not here to disclose anything confidential or to criticize any individual candidate or the appointed principal herself. But confidentiality should not and cannot be used to shield concerns about the fairness, transparency or integrity of the process itself. From the outset, the process did not feel inclusive. On March 9th, parents received an email from Doctor Bacow inviting us to, quote, play a direct role in this vital decision making process by participating in the first round of interviews. The email gave less than a week's notice and required three full working days of commitment, expecting working parents to rearrange schedules and take time off of work. On such short notice was unreasonable. However, the superintendent assured us that there

052would be several other opportunities for community engagement, including school based visits and larger stakeholder panels. In reality, that didn't really happen for the second round. I was fortunate that I was, but also the only parent invited to participate along with new city teachers, despite multiple parents expressing interest. That, um, there was no further parent involvement, but the district's largest elementary school. That is not meaningful inclusion. That is controlled participation. Nevertheless, those of us on the second interview panel showed up in good faith because we believed our feedback and participation actually mattered. But after hearing how many candidates advanced onto the on site rounds, which is public knowledge at this point, and then seeing the new principal effectively announced before this board has even publicly voted tonight, it is becoming increasingly difficult not to feel that

053this process was predetermined from the beginning. As someone who participated in good faith, it is deeply troubling to walk away feeling as though our input may never have mattered at all and was merely performative, while the decision had already been made behind closed doors. Parents and teachers are allowed to feel disappointed in a process that felt rushed, selective and predetermined. For that reason, I respectfully urge the board to table tonight's vote and commit to a process that is genuinely transparent, inclusive, and reflective of meaningful stakeholder participation. And let me be clear, I am not looking to create, division with or criticize the incoming principal. In fact, we will support her as parents because our children deserve stability and success and our teachers especially deserve unwavering support. But this is still a public school district funded

054by taxpayer dollars, with a select few of you making the decisions that directly affect our children and community. Leadership needs to do better and be held accountable. The new city elementary community is paying attention to you all. We will remember whether our concerns were genuinely heard tonight or simply managed. Thank you. Thank you. The next speaker is, uh, Carrie Mizrahi. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Carrie Mizrahi and I live in New City, and I'm a parent of children who attend New City Elementary. I'm speaking tonight because I'm concerned about the process surrounding the selection of the next principal for New City Elementary. From the beginning, the process appeared poorly managed and lacked stakeholder engagement that families were promised. I want to be clear this is not about opposing any individual candidate.

055This is about ensuring that the process used to select the leader for the largest elementary school in our district is one that the community can trust. This process has done a disservice in setting up the next principal for success. Parents were invited to express interest in participating in the interview process. However, the timeline made meaningful participation unrealistic for many working families. Families would have been expected to tell their employers. On a Friday afternoon, at which point that's when our participation would be confirmed that we would have to take off of work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week. That is simply not feasible for many people. What is further frustrating is hearing tonight that you carefully planned the timeline that doesn't align with this statement. You mentioned it was tight but flexible, but that

056wasn't actually the case. It was pretty rigid with very short notice. As a result, what present was presented as inclusive opportunity for parent involvement felt inaccessible from the start. Parents were also directly encouraged and reassured. When we reached out directly to the superintendent that there would be additional opportunities for involvement in the near future. But I do not believe those opportunities ever materialized. The families learned that a principal selection by having it appear on the board agenda, only for it to later be removed several hours later. Then the community was officially informed via email. These moments reinforced earlier concerns that the process lacked authentic community involvement. Tonight, I respectfully ask the board to table this vote and take the time necessary to fully review the process before finalizing any candidate selection. The families of this

057district deserve confidence that the process was conducted with genuine consideration of stakeholder input. Since that's what we were promised. I'm here tonight because I care about our district, the teachers, students, families of New City Elementary, and the future leadership of our school. By tabling tonight's vote, you would take an important step toward reassuring all stakeholders and supporting the new principal with a successful transition. By addressing these concerns now so the community can move forward together with trust and confidence. You will hear from a few parents tonight and some parents email, but the board should know there are many more in the community that share this frustration, and it has not set the principal up for success. It is not the new principals fault for this process. The district's management of this process is what we

058are disappointed in. As a parent, I am committed to supporting the transition of the principal. Thank you. Alexander Novak. You can do it. Yeah. No. I'm joking. Uh, good evening. To the board and to the community. I'm here to echo the brilliant women who already spoke tonight. I want to speak specifically and briefly about trust. As you all heard from the other parents here tonight from New City Elementary. Parents and teachers participated in this process in good faith. You heard that a couple times already because we were told our voices in our in our input would matter. Instead, what many of us experience was a process that felt opaque and even performative. And this is not the first time that I personally have felt that my voice as a parent and member of this community

059hasn't been taken seriously at this point. It really feels like a pattern. This issue tonight is bigger than any one candidate. It is the erosion of trust between the board and the community you serve. When parents and teachers enter into a process that appears collaborative but are then excluded from meaningful engagement and transparency. Confidence in the outcome is lost. Even a strong appointment becomes difficult to trust when the process itself does not feel credible. Trust is built through honesty, transparency, and genuine stakeholder involvement. Right now, as you can hear, many of us feel that that trust has been damaged. Thank you. Thank you. If I may just address some of the points. Uh, president. So I just wanted to again go over the timeline and illustrate here, uh, what I shared with the entire, uh,

060new city staff in the beginning of this process. A community thought exchange was launched on February 27th. Uh, the following week, we had the week of March 2nd. Uh, remember that we did have some breaks in between the week of March 2nd, where we did resume screening and an internal review. The week of March 16th, we had a five member committee that conducted an initial interviews. I just want to note after that March 5th meeting that we had, we on March 9th released the letter to the community and asked for a week time to let us know by March 13th, because we had to start up that next, uh, session on March 16th. If you didn't receive that, please let me know and I could send you another copy of it. Um, in addition to

061which, we had committee interviews, which were a ten member state panel, a stakeholder panel that occurred on the week of March 23rd. We were remaining on target with each and every one. In fact, the only thing that we had to adjust was our school based vigil and the, uh, cabinet problem of practice as a result. Excuse me, of this school based visit. But other than that, we were able to get right back on target. Uh, we then had Board of Education interviews the week of April 20th. We had contract negotiations during that period of time. I apologize that that went out early, but we hadn't finalized the negotiations at that point. So we removed that from the record. Uh, at that point, we made a, uh, announcement that I would be recommending to the board

062and just for the, um, uh, legislative purpose. The reason that you put it on the board agenda is it's part of open meetings law. So we have to have the name of the individual who's going to be appointed on that board agenda. So again, anybody who would like to review this entire process, uh, from start to finish, I'd be more than happy to do that with you. Thank you. And do we have anybody else? Um, no, that was it. Thank you. And we don't have we don't have a back and forth. Um, that's if you read, um. What is it? I'll send an email. Yes, please. Thank you so much. For your help with that. You. At this time. Uh, can we take 2.01 public hearing on the 20 2627 school budget? Uh, are there

063any questions? No one signed up, but we can allow anybody here to speak on the budget. For the hearing. So if you have any questions. Transamerica. The only thing that I would add is that we're moving forward, as we said, uh, with our 2%, uh, calculation for state aid. Uh, I would also say that, uh, we were in Saratoga today. Uh, we heard from the governor who reported that they had a budget, which then quickly was, um, corrected by the uh, Budget Committee as well as the chair that said we don't have a budget. Um, and that that was all premature. So we're hoping that, uh, sometime next week, we will get a budget, uh, so that we could continue to move forward. But as far as Clarkstown is concerned, uh, thank you to Mr.

064Lynn Ave. We have a plan, and we're ready to go forward. That's such an important issue, uh, for the state to have the budget on time so school districts can plan what they're doing. So we need to really advocate for some changes in this as we move forward. Uh, and I think certain groups like Rockland County school boards and the Lower Hudson Educational Council are certainly going to, uh, do that. Um, okay. Can I have a motion on 2.01? Make a motion. I'll second. On paper, I think. Then can we take 3.01 down to 4.02? May I have a motion? I'll make the motion. I'll second. All in favor? Hi. Hi. Host, and at this time, we'll be thrilled to hear from our student representatives Jeff, Seth, and Lana. Um South students will be going

065to national honors. Uh, National History Day, uh, nationals, uh, again this year. Um, Amanda Perez, Chelsey Tuchman, Haley Volos, Mikayla Walls and Caitlin White won first place in the group performance category and will be representing New York State at the National at the National History Day competition. Uh, at the University of Maryland in June. Also, Charlotte Bodkin and Joanna Choi earned a third place in the group uh exhibit category. A big congratulations to all the seniors who committed to a college or other post-graduate plans. We know, we know that you will go far and we wish you the best of luck. Um, right now, at both class on North and South. Uh, students are in the middle of AP exams, and we wish everyone good luck. And and the following, uh, week of testing. Um,

066the boys lacrosse team sold, uh, stick it to cancer bracelets in which all proceeds, uh, went to benefit the American Cancer Society. Uh, Lila Bloch, who is a freshman on the varsity golf team, won the Rockland County, uh, ladies golf tournament tournament. She she shot an even, um, par 36, a big congratulations. Also, another congratulations to the entire, uh, ladies, uh, golf team for an impressive 49 match win streak. Last Thursday, students in the Names and Numbers program premiered their documentary about the life of a Holocaust survivor. There are the about an hour long documentary explored the process of the interview and a reflection on it as well. Uh. Today, students participated in Clarkstown to annual Steam Fest. Uh, thank you so much. Uh, to all who showed up and and participated and showed their

067love of science and engine and ingenuity. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. On behalf of the entire student body at Clarkstown South. I would like to thank all the teachers for all their compassion, their dedication, and all the work that they have done for countless years, and for creating a welcoming space that encourages knowledge and allows our students to feel comfortable, to feel comfortable with school. At North. On Wednesday, 65 of our seniors officially embarked on their senior Externships this year, an exciting pilot program. Um, and our students are stepping beyond the classrooms and into real world experiences working alongside teachers, physical therapists, lawyers, business professionals, town government leaders, and so much more. This incredible opportunity allows them to apply their skills, explore future careers, and gain hands on experience in professional settings. We are

068so, so proud of our students for taking this exciting step and can't wait to share updates on their journeys and accomplishments throughout the program. A huge thank you to our dedicated Externship advisors for helping make this innovative experience possible for our seniors. Also, Clarkstown North Softball has proudly has proudly partnered with the Hudson Valley Make-A-Wish Foundation on a fundraiser, awareness campaign and charity softball game since 2013. Today was their annual Make-A-Wish game against South High School. This year was especially meaningful as North Senior and wish kid Carlos Vernon was at the game running our awareness table. Thank you to everyone who has supported Clarkstown North softball and Make-A-Wish over the years. Your generosity truly makes a difference. On Friday, May 1st, we celebrated the 29th edition of Java Jive at the North Library, um, as

069it was transformed into a lively coffeehouse filled with music, poetry, and creativity. The evening showcased the original work of 20 student poets, um, whose pieces explored a wide range of themes, emotions, and experiences. The night also featured performances by five talented student musical acts, with selections spanning from classic classical, jazz, classical, rock, and modern pop favorites. Finally, this week again, we're celebrating. Um, we're here to celebrate our teachers and school nurses. Thank you for the compassion, dedication, patience, and support. Um, you show our students every single day. Your impact reaches far beyond the classroom and health offices, helping our rams learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you to everybody. Thank you. Thank you so much. Any comments from the board? Yes. I just have one quick, um, comment, um, from the board of Ed, uh, from

070the Human Relations Committee. Uh, the celebration will continue next Thursday night at the Human relations dinner. Um, that's where we'll continue celebrating our ten year recipient, our retirees and our 25 year, um, staff members. It's always a wonderful event. Everybody gets to celebrate. And, um, looking forward to that event next Thursday night. Just. Uh, from the Professional Development Committee. Uh, I was able to attend our most recent training. Uh, I appreciate training, and I think proper training makes us better at our jobs. After attending, I left knowing that our teachers care. I listen to it. I listen to their passion in their voices and their desire to help our kids. They want to do with the. They want to do the best they can for our kids. Their insight was useful and informative. I can

071only say stay the course. You chose the most important profession, the profession with the most impact. A profession you will see the most reward from. God bless. Your dedication is seen and the results are visible. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else? Just a quick note on June 2nd. Uh, we're aiming to schedule that still on our next audit committee meeting. So I'll give you a readout at our, uh, subsequent board meeting. Thank you. Um, I just want to be part of the Rockland County school boards who are going to be celebrating their dinner and of the year dinner. And we always honor one group of people in the district every year. And, um, this particular year, we've selected the technology department. And so we're hoping that all of our technology department will be there because,

072uh, we're so grateful for all they do. And we have the head of that department back in the back of our room right now. So thank you so much. And we're also going to be honoring our new, uh, position, although it wasn't a new position to us, our student, uh, board members. And, um, so we, uh, will be bringing all those who have served in Rockland County together to honor them. Okay, then we'll move on. At this time. We want to with gratitude. Take 6.01. Uh, Mr. Nicholas Thackery, alternate education teacher at pupil personnel resigning for the purpose of retirement. Um, effective on in June. Can I have a motion with gratitude? I'll make the motion with gratitude. Second. Thank you. All in favor? Uh, and can we take 6.02 through six? Uh, 6.23. Can

073I have a motion? I'll make the motion. I'll second. All in favor, I guess. And it. At this time is anybody who's here who was on that list. We'd like you just to come forward and let us see you come forward. Uh. I'm just tell us where you're going to be. I'm going to be in little tour of the kindergarten teacher. Bilingual. Oh, wonderful. We love having you. Welcome. Welcome. Um. Uh, our new, uh, principal. Would you come forward and say a few words? Oh, we've got one. I will be at, uh, Felix Festa, you know. Oh, I. Evening. Good evening everybody. I'd like to thank you all for the opportunity to lead within this incredible district. As someone who was raised through the Clarkstown schools, I am honored to be home and become a

074small part of the legacy here. I am excited to continue the rigorous and heartfelt work Miss Forman facilitated in New City Elementary, and I look forward to working side by side with our community to strengthen and enhance this amazing school. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I have a motion to take 6.24 through 6.32. I'll make a motion second. All in favor? Uh, I. And then can we take, uh, 7.01? This is, um, includes a retirement. Um, this is Patricia Aguilar Lauro, um, school bus driver. And Mr. Carl for lunch is, um, school bus driver. Um, worked at the bus garage. Thank. Can we have a motion? I'll make a motion with gratitude. Second. Thank you. Um. Baber. Uh, hi. And then can we have a motion for 8.01? Move 9.18. Could I have a motion?

075Some of. I'll second. On paper, I. And then, uh, 9.19, this is a donation. We always pull those out from the Clarkstown troop booster club to the Clarkstown crew team for the troop hotel. Funds valued at $2,796.72. Can I have a motion? I'll make a motion in gratitude. I'll second. All in favor? Hi. Thank you. And do we have any comments from the floor? I didn't see any double check. No. Okay. Thanks for dinner. Now, since we have comments and I know, um, we're going to take, uh, Elena's first. So I don't typically speak a lot during, uh, the comments, so bear with me today. Um, first and foremost, I want to congratulate our ten year recipients. The work that you do and your dedication to the Clarkstown students is remarkable and greatly appreciated. Um,

076I also want to welcome Mr. White as the new principal at New City Elementary. Um, as a new city parent, I am excited for you to join our community and our team. Your knowledge and passion is going to not only benefit New City, but also the district. Um, and, uh, the last meeting, the Rams shared a project they did called Good News. So I'm going to carry that over to today because as an education director, Teacher Appreciation Week is always a very important and special time for me. Um. So I in honor of teacher appreciation, if you would indulge me as I read a poem that, um, is near and dear to my heart, it got me through a lot of tough times in the classroom, and I just want to share it. Um. For

077any of our teachers because the job is often very difficult. But you show up every day. Um, this poem is entitled What Teachers Make by Tyler Molly. He says the problem with teachers is, what's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life is to become a teacher? He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what I say about teachers. Those who can do, those who can't teach. I decide to bite my tongue instead of his, and resist the temptation to remind the dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers, because we're eating, after all. And this is polite conversation. I mean, you're a teacher, Tyler. Be honest. What do you make? And I wish she hadn't done that. Asked me to be honest. Because, you

078see, I have a policy about honesty and butt kicking. If you ask for it, I have to let you have it. You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C-plus feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor and an A minus. Feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best? I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups. No, you may not ask a question. Why won't I let you go to the bathroom? Because you're bored and you don't really have to go, do you? I make parents tremble in fear when I call home. Hi, this is Mr. Molly. I hope

079I haven't called that a bad time. I just wanted to talk to you about something your son said today to the biggest bully in the grade. He said leave that kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you? It's no big deal. And that was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen. I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be. You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them spell the words definitely beautiful. Definitely beautiful. Definitely beautiful. Over and over and over again until they never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show their work

080in math and hide it in their final drafts in English. I make them understand that you've got. If you've got your brain and you follow your heart. If someone ever judge tries to judge you for what you make, you give them a finger. Here, let me break it down for you so you know what I say is true. Teachers make a difference. Now, how about you? Thank you to all of our teachers. Thank you. John. What do they say about lawyers? I'll leave that to interpretation. Talk about that. Well, I'm also a teacher, so, uh, take part. Um. Thank you. That was fantastic. Um, yes. Congratulations. To, uh, to all the teachers who, uh, and teaching assistants and administrators who got, uh, tenure this evening. Um, what's interesting is sort of now being in my,

081my fourth, uh, year on the board, I'm seeing people get tenure. Who we either I was here when they were hired, and they were here in the room as well, or I interviewed them, which is sort of really fantastic. They kind of, um, sort of complete that circle and see that they've, they've. Succeeded and thrived in the district and are still here. Um. These many years later. Uh, to our seniors, um, you know, Seth mentioned that, uh, and a lot of you mentioned, I think, as well, you know, we we, uh, had our decision day. Um, I'm hoping that people are happy with where they're going, uh, next year, whatever that, whatever that, wherever that path leads them. I'm certain that everyone's not as happy as they thought they could have been. Um, this is

082an incredibly difficult, difficult process for our students and for our parents. Um, in many instances. It's a complete crapshoot. The the the students can do everything they need to know everything they need to do. Check every box. Participate in every club. Volunteer an incredible amount of hours and scored top on top scores on every test. And the competition is just so tight these days that you you don't really control it. So. You will succeed. You will thrive just as you have, uh, throughout your education in so far, regardless of where you're going to be next year. And just sort of, you know, take that to heart. Um, not everyone, not every step is easy. Um, and the path isn't always clear, but, um, you'll get there and you'll get to where you need to be.

083And then finally, a note just on the, um, the golf team at, uh, the combined golf game for Clarkstown, five time county champs, um, 49 game, uh, 49 match win streak. And Lila, uh, block, who I think I met as a seventh grader, um, when she was on the team, uh, 2 or 3 years ago. Uh, my daughter was on the team as well. Uh, it's just a fantastic performance. She's someone to watch. Um, and I will let them know that when the 49 match streak ended, I was happy I was happened to be eating dinner with my daughter, and there was a separate group text going on of last year's team members saying, uh, they lost the streak. Um, and that ties into something I don't know if you're going to talk about tonight

084or, uh, Doctor Barco, but, uh, they played Ursuline, which was certainly a step up and something that the coach, uh, Brant Trager does, you know, does not shy away from stiff competition. And certainly, you know, a lot of the teams in West Chester are extremely stiff competition. So congratulations to Lyla. Congratulations to the team on their fifth year of being county champs. And uh, you know, keep on keeping on. Thanks. Okay. This. Uh, since it's Teacher Appreciation Week, I do want to thank all the teachers for all their hard work, all the time that they spend in and out of school, especially out of school, to make our students better. So I thank you all. Congratulations to all of the, uh, uh, tenured, uh, staff that got tenure tonight, especially my nephew that got tenured

085at Georgetown, greatly appreciative of that. Uh, and finally, I would like to give a heart for warm welcome to Mr. A pc white. Uh, on your on your position. Good luck. I know you'll be great. Thank you. And, uh, thank you to everyone who came out tonight. And congratulations to everyone mentioned. And a special shout out to every teacher, as this is Teacher Appreciation Week and a shout out to all the lunch ladies as last week was Lunch Lady Appreciation Day. Thank you for the great job of keeping our kids healthy and fed. Speaking of healthy kids, yesterday was National Nurse Day. Thank you. You have the patience of a saint, especially at Laurel Plains, because it seems like my kids are in the nurse's office at least once a week. Also, a special shout

086out to the Stars and Stripes Club of South, who held a highly successful food drive for our military veterans. The club is made up of an amazing group of students who epitomize patriotism and devotion to our great nation. Thank you to these great students and thank you to our veterans. Your dedication is unwavering and your sacrifices can never be repaid. Great job Lauren Marie Wall and Miss Jackie Ryan. Keep up the great work. As our budget comes up for vote this month, I want to share some info about our great financial literacy program at Fiesta. Its goal is to help students bridge the gap between the classroom and adulthood. It's rooted with a growth mindset. Students research career opportunities. Learn investment strategies, including the value come in, including to value companies using price earnings to

087growth metrics they learn budgeting and resume building the budget aspects includes projected cost of living and living the lifestyle they want. Lastly, the students get hands on experience through a simulation where they apply their knowledge of the technology revolution to market trends. I wish this was part of the curriculum when I was in school. I think this is such a great program, and I want to thank all the teachers who are helping our kids be financially responsible and independent. Keep up the great work! Last week, several board members attended the Names Not Numbers documentary itself. It was emotional, and as World War Two heroes and Holocaust survivors pass on, we are the ones left to tell their stories. To those who are able to listen to your grandparents, please ask questions. You are now entrusted

088with retelling their stories and we must keep retelling them. What I took from that special event is not the words of Miss Suzanne Hirsch, but what she taught the students not to hate. We are in a terrible situation. Our world is blowing up. No one knows what is right or wrong anymore. We can't distinguish between up or down. We preach tolerance, but practice violence. And then we wonder why things are the way that they are. We ask, how did the Holocaust happen? Headed an entire nation? Turn on people. How did people learn to hate their neighbors? We have to learn from history because history repeats. We are only six years removed from people holding signs saying to gas the unvaccinated celebrities on prime time, calling for those who don't wear masks to be skipped at

089hospitals. We are only six years removed from calling for businesses to be boycotted because the owner has a different view from ours. For a society that is supposed to be accepting and inclusive. We did a terrible job. Just look at our actions and realize that calling for reeducation camps for our political rivals is not a far stretch from concentration camps. Our hope and our role in our future rests in the hands of high schoolers, kids kitchen that have to bear the weight of the world on their shoulders. We must do better. In the documentary, the students spoke and those students said they will not judge. They said they will not hate and they said they will talk instead of doing violence. Thank you. You are the future. I hope you hold true to the words

090you spoke. And as always, I'll give my history lesson for the month of May. May doesn't only celebrate teachers for a week, it also is recognized as a Blood Pressure Education Month and Stroke Awareness Month, which is funny because it's also American Cheese Month, National Hamburger Month, National Barbecue Month. But I guess someone recognized that issue when they made National Salad Month as well as National Mediterranean Diet. It's very confusing. Lastly, 112 years ago, which is 1914 for those without a calculator, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in May as a national holiday, which is known as Mother's Day. So happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. God bless. Be safe, be kind, and thank you. Sorry. Uh, okay. It's all good. Um, so on Monday night, I had

091the, um, incredible honor to attend the first, um, Pride Pizza's, uh, Founder's Day event. And it took me back to, um, when I first heard there was an interest in establishing a pride PTSA here in Clarkstown. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it. Thanks to the tireless dedication of our families, our educators and students to that vision became a reality on April 24th, 2023. At the time, we were only. Clarkstown was only the second pride pizza in the entire state, an accomplishment I carry with immense pride. My commitment to advocacy and inclusion has always been driven by simple, non-negotiable belief. Every single student has the right to feel safe, valued and heard within our schools, whether standing on the front lines or working behind the scenes to further the. My

092goal has always been to ensure that all truly means all. Well, I've decided not to seek another term on the Board of Education this year. My heart truly remains with this community. I will continue to watch, cheer, and support students at Clarkstown from the guideline from the sidelines. Um, then I have something else in that as well. So, um, in one of the conversations or, and the reminders that were given at the pride PTSA meeting. Um, they shared that tomorrow students across Felix Festa and Clarkstown High School South will have the opportunity to participate in the National Day of Silence. Originally originally held in the in 1996 by students at the University of Virginia in response to the bullying and harassment of Lgbtq+ students, the Day of Silence has grown. And now to a national

093Day of Action, pushing back against the silencing of LGBTQ plus youth and the erasure of their experiences. Students of Felix Festa and and South can participate by wearing black, signing a banner, or taking a vow of silence for the day. We admire the strength and courage of our Lgbtq+ community and allies and wish you a meaningful day of silence. And on that note, I want to say thank you to all of our teachers. Um, not just today, not just this week, but every day. You tirelessly work to educate our students and provide that safe place that I always, um, work so hard for our students to be in every day. Um, the accomplishments of Steam Fest today. I remember when it was a small little idea. I also remember this board or the previous board

094before us when, as part of this mission to further, um, the steam activities we have when it was brought to this board about bringing robotics in, and today to sit in the gymnasium and see both teams from north and south, because it started with just north. We expanded it to having, uh, a community team between two. And now we have two awesome teams who have gone to worlds, and they've dedicated and shown the work that they have. And I'm so proud that our board took that big leap and provided money to our students, and continues to foster that growth for our students to bring it to the next level. And even today, talking about Miss Mesa. Um, getting tenure and being on the front line and on the cutting edge of I, I've watched her

095not only do that work in our district, but also at conferences where other school districts from across the state have attended. And she has presented to, um, those conferences. And she's done an amazing job. So I'm really proud of Clarkstown, how we're always pushing the envelope to be the best at everything. And lastly, um, as Mister Bass, um, and brought up, I attended the Names Not Numbers event last week. It was truly touching. And, um, I'm so proud of our students and our school that we brought. We have this here and we have two more coming up, one at Festa and North and the, um, the, the founder of this program really told Doctor Bianco or she expressed to Doctor Bianco how proud she is and how amazing it is that we have that in

096all three of our secondary schools, and that's unheard of here. So I'm really proud of Clarkstown. I'm really proud of our teachers and our staff are PTAs. And congratulations to all and receiving tenure. And next week, as I mentioned, we'll continue to celebrate you on your tenure, our retirees and those who've been with us 25 years or longer. Thank you. Okay. Yep. So I, um, want to express my appreciation for the feedback of the new city elementary community members that did attend. Um, we have an open door policy. Of course, at the board meeting. I mean, it is by law, but it's also by desire. We always want to hear the feedback of our community. Uh, I will say that our superintendent did keep the Board of Education apprized of the process to route through

097the many steps that he laid out, and I would certainly validate those. And I'm proud of being part of selecting going back a few years now. Um, a superintendent that also has embraced a distinct open door policy. And he did just offer, um, to have additional time to speak to me every time I have heard him offer that and you reach out. He has delivered on every single occasion. So, um, I certainly encourage you if you want to speak further about it. He's here to listen. He's here to talk. And I would encourage you to take advantage of that. Um, and I also want to give a warm welcome to Mr. White. Um, welcome to the class Sound Central School District. I think it will be a wonderful addition. I'm also a clarkstown graduate, so

098welcome home in that regard. And, um, as you can see, I also continued and came back, um, to be part of this great district. Uh, well, after being a student myself, um, to continue, I definitely, um, want to echo all of my board colleagues and, um, and wishing a warm congratulations for the ten recipients tonight. Um, it's well deserved. I know you're all home and hopefully sleeping now because you have a very early start to your day tomorrow. Um, but you're a great addition. Um, a few years back to our Clarkstown school district, and, and now it's kind of great to see it, you know, firmly approved. And you're going to keep on with us. Uh, it's funny, uh, John had mentioned, you know, fourth year on the board and he's approving tenure for people

099that he was here to first approve the hires of. So I guess, uh, 12 years in, I've been through that cycle a few times, even seen a few folks retire. Um, so you can kind of go full circle if you if you keep on going. So. Do you volunteer for it? And, um. So and also, you know, becoming an an empty nester myself, along with my wife. Uh, the other teachers and the Tas and our entire staff are very meaningful to us. So I want to give a warm personal thank you as well as a collective thank you. Got a few more items over here, by the way. So, uh, thanks for the patience there. Um, I was able to attend the, uh, food distribution for the Stars and Stripes Club. It was held right

100in front of our town hall. Uh, it's it's really awesome that we have, you know, our students that are fairly, of course, you know, now becoming young adults as they enter into the world and, um, paying such respect and honor to our veterans that have sacrificed so much for our country and our freedom. Um, so really heartwarming to see that, um, Miss Jackie Ryan and also our town clerk, uh, Lauren Marie Wall, both hosted, um, food donation boxes, uh, within our offices, in her classrooms. Uh, so really fantastic. It was great to see so many students participating in that. Uh, I also participated, or I should say, um, I joined to watch a names, Not numbers program that, uh, Seth had mentioned earlier. And, Seth, I don't know if you mentioned, was also a part,

101um, and participated in that program, I think two years now with. Three years. Okay. So really appreciate that. Um, it's a really important program. It was a program that was introduced a few years ago as we had more education, um, about anti-Semitism and combating that. Um, I do want to rewind that rewind to remind the world that, um, I just saw a statistic that was very recent for New York City. 60% of the hate crimes in New York City were targeting, um, the Jewish population. And the Jewish population makes up less than 10% of New York City. So and those statistics are very similar all around the country and even around the world. Uh, these programs do matter. These programs do have an impact. Steve, this was fantastic. I mean, it was all over South.

102If you had time to walk all of around it. I got here pretty early. I was able to do that. Um, I serve 12 years every year. Um, that I've been on the board, on the tech committee, because tech is the world that I work in. And it is amazing to see that we were celebrating the entrance of iPads and talking about Chromebooks, you know, going back 12 years ago. And now we're talking about robotics. And I, um, I was actually able to watch some students of ours, uh, piloting a hoverboard around the floor and actually talking through how they built the hoverboard, how it worked, things like that. Not the one you can step on, but, you know, something was moving, you know, off the floor all by itself. Really, really impressive. Um, what

103we've done, uh, the event's been. It's been great. Uh, I also have some work within the AI field as part of my career, and it's really great to see what our district is doing. I couldn't agree more that, um, this is happening. Right? There's a lot of people that are concerned about AI, but it is also just part of our world. And it's better that our students are prepared, uh, to understand the benefits. I'm prepared to understand the risks and that they go out into the world ready to embrace and use this technology. But also, you know, how to hold the line against it. And I want to give a warm thank you to, uh, Chief Wanamaker. Uh, it was a, you know, certainly a great multi-year partnership that we've had with him, but also

104with the entire Clarkstown Police Department. And I have a bit of a personal tie, and then I'll get back to in just a second. But, um, the externship that just launched at North High School this year is fantastic. Um, as great as school can be and as great as our teachers make it. Senioritis is a real thing, right? And I have a high school senior right now. She may have had senioritis for the past few weeks. Uh, it's certainly possible. I won't say more than that. Um, but she actually did join the externship program and the tie back to Chief Wanamaker. Um, she actually went and applied at the Clarkstown Police Department, and she has started her externship, and it has been a wonderful experience. And she jumped out of bed and she went for

105it. And she came home with, like, smiles and stories and, uh, in this case, uh, she was actually observing court. So there was some great aspect of lawyers right there. Um, she does hope to become a lawyer one day, so we do want to celebrate them as well. By the way, John, um, and, uh, so she, she has really enjoyed it so far, and it's a great addition for our district. And, um, I'd also like to, uh, quote a modern philosopher when I talk about the buckets of which I do go to the games pretty often, partially because my daughter is, um, a partner, uh, that works with the players on the team. And it is such a heartwarming event. So a modern philosopher recently said, even the Grinch, the use of people will leave

106with a smile. I was a doctor, Mark Bianco, so we're going to put that into the record. Um, Miss Crosby, if we could. And, um, but it really is it's fantastic to go and watch, um, the smiles of the players. Um, and it's great that you have, you know, parents, um, from both schools that attend and everybody is cheering everybody on regardless of the team. And it means so much to these kids that are playing the game. So I really encourage everybody to come out and be part of that cheering it. It means more than you can imagine to them. Um, so please come and participate. Uh, we have some more games coming up. And also, of course, thank you to our teachers, including the one that received tenure tonight, um, for, you know, leading

107the charge in that being great coaches and for, uh, Doctor Chris Cerra as well, who I have seen in every single buckets game, uh, home and away. Uh, he actually was the announcer at the recent home game. And he also brings a lot of great life to the program as well. So I'm finally done. Thank you all. Yes, I want to certainly welcome a new principal at New City Elementary, Pamela gfp y, and we are excited for you coming. We also tonight want to thank people who came and spoke and spoke respectfully. And that's what it's all about, to put it out there and then have discussions. And that's what we would like to have our young people learn from us. So we thank you also. I'm excited about the tenure teachers, the teaching aides,

108the principals, and all the other roles tonight that we saw. Uh, getting tenure. I remember, and I probably say this every year when I got tenure, the superintendent came in and told me the next day and there was no celebration. So we are very grateful, and I'm grateful for the planning and putting together of this wonderful tenure honor celebration. Um, yes, it's teacher appreciation. It's teacher appreciation. And we just want to vocalize to each one of our teachers how much we appreciate all the things you do for our students. Our students appreciate you. It is also. Principal Appreciation week, believe it or not. So we want to thank all of our principals for all they do for each of the individual students. Stream first. Tonight was terrific and there was so much interactive activities going

109on. You have to really appreciate, um, all the work that goes into putting that together and our students could participate. So we're very grateful for that. As you're president of the school board, I need to encourage everybody who uses. To get out and vote. This is what needs to go on in our school district, and we need you to get out and make sure you vote. And lastly, I want to tell everybody is a mother might be a mother or whatever to have a wonderful Mother's Day. Thank you. Thank you, President Berger. Uh, congratulations to the new tenure recipients. Um, this is teacher appreciation, where you can. It's all about appreciating the work that they do each and every day in the classroom. Uh, congratulations to our new, new city principal. Uh, Mr. PJ white.

110Uh, we are very happy to welcome you and look forward to, uh, the things to come. We will be having meet and greets and things of that sort to familiarize, uh, you with the community as well. So we look forward to those opportunities coming up. I also want to echo the, uh, trustees and thank the speakers that were here tonight. Uh, I truly, uh, pride myself on collaboration and as much as I can, I always have an open door policy. There's not a day that goes by that an email is not answered, or a phone call is not made back to a recipient. Uh, I always want to make sure that that is the case, that you are a priority. And I do appreciate the feedback. It's very important to me as we, um, go

111through these processes and we make adaptations and changes. Being collaborative means that we're all committed to the same possible, uh, outcome and the best possible outcome. And this, this, uh, search process actually produced the best outcome. And we're really proud of, uh, Mr. White's accomplishments, your references and the things that you have brought to the table. And we look forward to welcoming those here in the Clarkstown district as well. So I want to win that trust back. Please give me that opportunity. Uh, because I want you to know that we did this with the utmost sincerity, uh, so that we could get the best principals so that we could get it in a timely manner, uh, and that we get the process right. Uh, and that's really important to me. So I would love the

112opportunity to have that conversation. Uh, the names, not numbers event was an incredible success. This is our third year as it was mentioned here. Uh, I am proud to be part of each and every step of this from the genesis of the program right through where we are today. Uh, I conduct roundtable discussions with the students, and just hearing their feedback after speaking to survivors is absolutely heartwarming. What I love about the program is it doesn't just speak about the Holocaust. It uses the Holocaust as a central event, but it's everything that surrounds it. It's the before. It's the after. It's all of the contributions in between. Um, and that is the most important thing. And more importantly than anything, every student walks away from that saying, I need to be an upstander and we

113need to eradicate hate. Uh, and that is the most important message we can send through that program. So thank you to all of the work and partnership that has gone into that. Steam fest. Wow. The the turnout tonight was just absolutely amazing. Uh, thank you for everybody who put this together. Uh, it was really an incredible event. Albany advocacy. Um, Mr. Maltby reminded me that I had an issue to talk about. Uh, so thank you. Uh, but I do want to call upon the Clarkstown community, uh, which I seldom do. Uh, oftentimes, I want to keep you apprized of the information that's going on in the advocacy world, but this time is a time for us to act. Uh, as you may have seen in the news, you may have seen in news reports, uh,

114section one athletics has been at the forefront of this issue. Uh, where we're asking the New York State Public High School Athletics Association to take action and to create a two bracket system. We don't want the elimination of nonpublic. And that has been an intentional message that has been put out by some of the executive officers at Naspa. And it's a duplicitous message. Um, in fact, I'm an advocate of it. I have been and had experience in a class D and class C school, and I know the importance of being able to play the nonpublic through the course of the season. So that is by no means the truth. Uh, we are asking for a two bracket system when it comes to the regional play. And the reason being is that there are schools without

115boundaries. When we look at the schools around us, they're recruiting. We know they're recruiting. They don't want us to say that they're recruiting, but they know that they're recruiting. And that's really what it boils down to. So we want to level the playing fields for our public school. Students will be putting out some, uh, links that you can use to get in touch with our local legislators and the commissioner. The commissioner. I met with her today. Very, very receptive of this. And she's a thought partner in this whole process. So we look forward to what's to come. Zero emissions trustee Bianca, I think I have some good news, too. We're 80% likely, uh, coming out of the legislature, that we're going to get a five year extension on the zero emissions mandate. So hopefully the

116budget gods will deliver, and we'll, uh, we'll get a budget soon enough. But that remains to be seen. Uh, regional cost index, this is. The fight that we continue to fight. Uh. Thank you, thank you. Thank you to Assemblyman Carroll and to Senator Weber. I met with them both last week, uh, had very, very thoughtful conversations. And they're both staunch advocates in making sure that the Rocklin school districts get that regional cost adjustment. So we look forward to that as well. Thank you. Oh, and a happy Mother's Day to all of my moms in the Clarkstown school. Thank you so much. And thank you to everybody who was hung in there with this through this whole meeting, and have a wonderful meeting at night. And can I have a motion to adjourn? I'll make the

117motion. One and two. Okay. All in favor? Uh.