001I've shown over the last few years I'm willing to make tough smart decisions. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mark. Next we'll hear from Mike Detwiler. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Mike Detwiler. I want to thank everybody for being here tonight. Thank I want to thank everybody all the staff here for putting this on for us. I am I have four four grown children. They all went through this this district here. They all did exceedingly well. [clears throat] Um We feel very How can I put it? I feel like it's time to give back to the district from what we received when we were here. Uh so between 10 10 years in the high school uh I work for the state of New York. I'm an electrician for the Thruway Authority. Uh now contrary
002to the agreement, I do not work for SUNY Ulster. I work for also at evenings I'm an instructor for the continuing education program for Ulster County BOCES specifically uh the adult electrical apprentice program. So in other words, my students are young men and women that are working in the field during the day and then coming to get their professional license and take training at night. So uh education to me and to my family is the single most important backbone of a community. And the the resources that we allocate settle for our children, for our adults settle a lot about us as a community. Uh these are extremely challenging times. As Mark pointed out, we have falling enrollment, we have changing state aid formulas, uh and we have increasing economic challenges on the on the horizon
003here. And uh it will take um working [clears throat] together. And as a board member, you have to be a representative for those people who are not in the room. And you also have to be a communications conduit. It's a two-way two-way street, by the way. We need to know what's going on from our constituents and then we need to get the word out to the parents and the families about the matters that impact the entire district. Um I've worked in multitude of uh volunteer organizations. Some >> Time. >> Thank you. >> And thank you from Mike. We'll next will hear from Rebecca Solomon. >> Thank you all for making this possible. I'm Rabbi Rebecca Solomon and I'm the proud parent of two amazing kids who go to Myer where they have had amazing teachers
004and staff supporting them. Uh professionally, I serve a community called Jewish Liberation Learning. We provide Jewish education in a framework of collective liberation. So, that means we explore how Jewish practice and history can sustain our work and our our hope in these extremely difficult times. My political work has mainly been in the Palestine solidarity movement which for me is part of a broad set of interconnected struggles. Disability justice, racial justice, queer and trans liberation. And I deeply believe that our safety is bound together. Our liberation is bound together. Part of this belief means I know that every child deserves an excellent education, full stop. I learned this from my Bubby, my grandmother who grew up on Hurley Avenue. Her parents were immigrants who left the Bronx when she was little and made their home here
005in Kingston. She graduated from KHS and she became a proud and beloved lifelong Ulster County public school teacher. All her life, even at 100, her former students would say, "Mrs. Solomon, thank you for believing in me. It changed my life." And I want every child in our district, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, immigrant, queer, and trans to go to school and know that we believe in them. We honor their humanity even when the government attacks it and we will fight for their safety. I'm not a politician and I'm not going to pretend to have answers to every problem we're facing or question asked, but I will fight for every child in the district with the ferocity I have when I fight for my own children, and I will fight for transparency and your voice, community voice, in
006the process. Let's make this district a role model for school districts across the country at this difficult moment. >> Thank you, Melissa. Next we'll hear from Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> Upon taking office, we take an oath to the Constitution of the state of New York and the United States Constitution. This means due process, civil rights, and the rule of law come first. >> Thank you, Anthony. The next speaker we'll hear from is Suzanne Jordan. >> Hello. Hello. All right. Hello, my name is Suzanne Friedman Jordan. I've lived in Ulster County all my life. I graduated from Rondout Valley High School, attended Buffalo State College, and returned to this beautiful valley in 1973 when I started teaching for Kingston [clears throat] City Schools. My two sons graduated from Kingston High, and my three grandchildren currently attend Kingston
007schools. I retired from teaching in 2012 and recently served three terms as a board trustee. I currently serve as a member of the Ulster County BOCES board. I'm interested in ensuring all of our students are provided a safe, welcoming environment where they are taught to think critically and provided with the skills needed to be successful in this challenging and complicated world. As a trustee, I understand my role and strive to support the professionals who are responsible for making that happen for all of our students. I have served on the policy committee for many years as a board trustee and this past year as a community volunteer. Policy is an important responsibility of the board and where we express our values and goals. I've also served on the facilities committee, the teaching and learning committee, and
008the legislative action committee of the board. Each of these committees offer an opportunity for the board to be informed of the district's initiatives, their priorities, and challenges. It is this information that is the basis for knowing what questions should be asked and answered. I appreciate the need for schools, families, and community partners to support one another's efforts on behalf of all of our children. We have different roles, but we share a common goal. Communication between all parties is something we must continually work toward improving. I believe my experiences as a parent, teacher, union official, advocate for mental health in our schools and community have prepared me to serve our students, staff, and families in a productive way on the board of ed. >> Thank you, Suzanne. And last but not least, we'll hear from Rita
009Worthington. >> Thank you. Good evening, everyone. My name is Rita Worthington. I am a proud graduate of KHS. I also have three amazing children who also graduated from Kingston High School. Uh over the years, I've had the opportunity to serve this community through my work on the Kingston Common Council. And that experience taught me the importance of listening, collaboration, and making thoughtful decisions that impact people's everyday lives. I understand that leadership is not about having all of the answers. It's about will being willing to listen, to learn, to work together for the good of the community. And so I decided to run for the school board because as someone said here, I believe that the children are one of the most important investments that we can make. Um, I'm deeply invested in this community and
010I feel like our our students deserve safe, supportive environments where they can learn, grow, and succeed. I also understand the challenges that we're facing including teacher retention, student enrollment, and the financial pressures affecting the districts everywhere. I believe we need to be responsible with taxpayer dollars while also making sure our resources are being directed where they matter most towards student success and strong educational support. And so I'm not running, I don't have a personal agenda. I'm running because I care about this community, I care about our students, and I want to see them succeed. And I appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you, Rita. Okay, let's move into questions. And Okay, great. We are going to start with Mark Ryder for question one. Again, you'll have 60 seconds with a
01130-second pacer in the center. What is the vision and mission of the district? >> The the vision the mission of the district is educate all students all the time. Um, I think the vision is to provide excellent education. Uh, but I I think we need to as we're looking at our financial situation, we need to reimagine all of education. So, I think whoever is elected to this board will will be crucial in developing and and helping with mission and vision that we can move forward. We're going to have to to look at how we're delivering the services and if we are really providing excellent education and whether we are actually educating all of the children at home. >> Thank you. Mike Detwiler. >> The mission of the school district of the school is to is
012to provide life education. It is to provide that spark for the children that will ignite their learning processes. Be it in history, be it in math, be it in you know and this this program has a very widespread and diverse number of options there. And again, the the vision should be to make sure these opportunities are equally applied across communities. Thank you. >> Thank you. And I'll repeat the question. What is the vision and [clears throat] mission of the district? Louisa Solomon. >> I I echo my colleagues. I think the vision of the district is to provide excellent education to every child and I think a lot of what we're going to be dealing with in the coming board terms is what does that actually require of us? What is possible within these budget constraints?
013How do we triage within these budget constraints? What are our priorities? To actually deliver excellent education, we need to be able to provide culturally responsive curricula. We need to serve all students, students of all gender identities, students of all races, students who speak various languages. That means we're going to need to invest further in ELL, which means we're going to have to invest further in teacher trainings. We need to support our teachers so that they can provide that excellent education to every kid. >> Thank you. Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> The mission is to graduate all students all the time leading excellence in everything. >> Thank you. Suzanne Jordan. >> The statements about vision and mission, there are visions and missions that have been adopted by the district that are on the wall and I think from
014the conversation that we're having it's clear that that vision and mission needs to be revisited and perhaps synthesized again and again each year to make sure that we are reflecting what the needs are at the time. But they're not bad. You know, we want excellence in everything and we want to graduate all the students all the time. But we have to make sure that we keep revisiting our vision and mission and making sure that we're working toward that end every day in every classroom. >> Thank you. Rita Worthington. >> I think the the mission is to inspire and to educate and the vision is that every child graduates and that we create a conducive environment for them to learn and graduate. I think that's what the mission is. >> Thank you, Rita. Okay, we'll move
015on to question number two starting with Mike Detwiler. If elected, what is your agenda on the board? >> My agenda or priority on the board would be to make sure first of all to learn. All right, I'm not going to sit here and say and make unrealistic promises about processes that I don't know enough about yet. But it would be to learn the processes and also to make sure that the focus is we're we're giving the most efficient uh use of our resources to make sure that the teachers, the frontline staff, have the tools to do the job and that is as Suzanne said, that's a a changing focus. It has to be revisited and reevaluated every year. Uh and especially in changing times and conditions like what we're currently exhibiting. >> Louisa Solomon >>
016Yeah, I I actually really echo what Mike said about wanting to enter with humility and learn the process here um so that we can affect positive change on behalf of the community. My agenda is to serve as that conduit with the community. Um I definitely see a need for more opportunities for communication, for the community to have a voice in decisions that are being made at the district level. A lot of parents are telling me they don't understand the process, where they can show up and where what decisions get made. I strongly think that inviting them to meetings, bi-weekly meetings, is not enough. And I do feel I have an obligation to help make this process clearer to the community so the community can have more of a voice. And of course, to transmit the
017ideas and concerns that I hear from you back to the board. >> Thank you. Anthony Fitzpatrick If elected, what is your agenda on the board? >> Um Well, over the past couple years, I I heard a lot of can- candidates say that they want to increase transparency, communication, things like that. But um I think to actually do that, um one of the things we could do is turn the cameras on during committee meetings. You know, they say that uh it's an open meeting, every- anybody can come at any time, but it's not always that simple to get to school in the earlier of the day, so. That's one thing. >> Suzanne Jordan >> Um I don't really have a personal agenda other than making sure that we're meeting the needs of the students. Um as
018has been said, we're facing a very different time in education. Public education is under attack. So, I think I guess my agenda would be to make sure that we preserve an excellent education for all students and that we preserve public education. >> Reeda Arlington >> Uh I'm going to echo uh Mrs. Jordan. I have to call her Mrs. Jordan. She was my child's teacher. So, >> [laughter] >> uh but um I too I don't have a personal agenda coming on as a candidate for the school board. I I I just want to make sure that we have representation for all of our children, all of our students, that their voices are heard while also balancing their needs and supporting staff and teachers. And also, I I'm I'm hoping that um we also will have a
019unified board where we put aside our personal differences and focus on what's at hand and that's our students and our teachers. >> And last, Mark Rider. >> Thank you. Um if reelected, my agenda would be to work collaboratively well, collaboratively with my fellow board members and the superintendent and then his administration to ensure that our teachers have the resources that they need um in order to get back to that mission and vision was it vision, which is to provide excellence in education for all students. So, um you know, as a board, we set policy that overreaching policy, so ensuring that that policy is followed and that that budgets follow those priorities. It is a a big part of my agenda, but again, it's just working with all nine and ensuring that that we're providing everything
020we can for our students. >> Thank you. We'll move on to the next question. And we'll start with Louisa Solomon. What is the appropriate role of investigations within a school district, and how should their independence be ensured? What is the appropriate role of investigations within a school district, and how should their independence be ensured? >> I'm going to speak with humility and say I don't know, but I am certain that this is a legal matter that I could find out more about, and I'd be more than happy to research it, but I think it depends on what kind of investigation we're talking about. Um So, I'm not sure from the question if that's clear. Obviously, if there are serious [clears throat] matters, serious allegations happening within the walls of our schools, those need to be
021addressed properly through the proper legal channels, and I'm not a lawyer, but I could certainly consult some lawyers if we were in that situation. The most important thing I have to say is any matter of that magnitude needs to be taken completely seriously and dealt with through the appropriate channels. >> Thank you. Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> In situations such as um high-level, high-stakes administrative investigations, um you really can't just take anyone, but it is important to have a truly independent third party. Um you know, on more serious things like uh child abuse in educational setting, it's been reported that that's the school's general counsel stops at the preliminary inquiry. Um and I guess to ensure that there's a truly independent investigation, it's on the board to look into who that they've hired to do such investigation.
022>> Thank you. Suzanne Jordan. >> Um the appropriateness of it um any investigation that would rise to a level of for the safety of children or staff um is really regulated by law and there's annual training for the staff and the board that apprises you of your responsibilities and your rights and it's pretty prescribed. There are people in the district that um investigate locally and if it has to be done on a state level, there are state functions that are available to any staff or parent or child and we're always looking at those to make sure that we are as accurate and um confidential as possible in those kinds of matters. >> Rita Worthington. >> Well, uh any investigation uh should be investigated. Any investigation that rises to the level of where it may affect
023our our students or our staff um should be I agree with Anthony, should be investigated independently. And uh I'm not sure how it works now, but that is something that I will have to learn about, but um you know, just for the short answer, it needs to be taken seriously and again be um investigated independently. >> Thank you. Mark Ryder, what is the appropriate role of investigations within a school district and how should their independence be ensured? >> Yeah, so I mean there is lots of different types and I think my colleagues up here have listed whether it be workplace violence investigations or abuse in um of a child in a in a school setting. Um, there could be investigations um made of complaints by staff or parents uh not following IEPs. Some of them,
024you know, are there's different levels of of severity, right? When you're talking about safety of a child. Um, but we hire independent um often times attorneys who are licensed and trained to do these things. Um, we often have a pool um and they'll be assigned. I think the more important question is what is the role of the board and I should I say very limited. Like we should not be involved at all in investigations. Like we we should allow investigators to do their work and then report out and only report to the board what is absolutely necessary. Some of these are very confidential matters um that we should not be in >> Time. >> privy to. >> Mike Detwiler. >> I would have to concur with uh with Mark and also again, you know, in
025a school system you have staff that are court-mandated reporters. In other words, they see something they're required to say something. And when that gets escalated to a point of that level there, an investigation takes place. Uh, that has to be independent. That has to be impartial. That has to be uh transparent to the point that you know, privacy is protected and you know, victims are protected as well. Uh but the role of the board is to make sure that those guidelines are followed. >> Thank you. We'll move on to the next question. Beginning with Anthony Fitzpatrick, how do you plan on addressing the literacy crisis in our area? How do you plan on addressing the literacy crisis in our area? >> Um ever since I Well, since um would have been I think the uh
026the most recent that I started really taking in a lot of the the data and information that the administration puts out to the school board and the public and uh one of the things that uh also started around this time was measuring the stretch growth of students. Um I think it's important to let that system stay in place. That's something that uh is going to take time as it is measured over time. Um but I think that system of identifying where students are and how far >> Time. >> is important. >> Suzanne Jordan. >> I think literacy um is being addressed in some very practical ways in the district by returning to old old standbys of phonics and uh that kind of literacy training. So, when you're old, you've seen it all come and go.
027But I think that we have to recognize that literacy is connected to what we're doing as a society and a culture with so much screen time and so much alternative to reading books. And so, I think it's not the board's role to really come up with the programs, but to ensure that what we are doing is showing growth for our students. And also, I think that the board could reach out to parents, and I know that the district has tried to incorporate the strategies in school, in the home, and um just encourage reading in our community. >> Thank you, Rita Worthington. >> Thanks. So, literacy is like the foundation, right, for everything else that a student learns. And so, it it must be top priority. Um you know, maybe we need to ensure some training,
028look for other resources, um to help students at different reading levels, engage our parents more, um tutoring programs, identify struggling readers, you know, um we just need to keep it at top priority because it is the foundation which every person learns. >> Mark Ryder. >> Thanks. I think the question said something about in this area, like that that literacy is down. I mean, this is an issue all across the country with literacy. Um and I think that we are on the right track, but I think reading begins in the classroom, and actually much before that. Like, you can track how a student is going to succeed on how they can read entering kindergarten first grade. So, focusing on early reading interventions, ensuring that that offering UPK if we ever have the funding, expanding it to
029UPK 3, but but also just ensuring that we're providing the correct curriculum in the classroom. We've switched in the last couple of years, um as Ms. Jordan brought up, and I think that that we're starting to be on the right track, and then utilize those reading teachers as those level 1 2 3 supports to catch people up when they need it, but the core function of reading should be happening in the initial primary classroom. >> Thank you. Mark Detwiler. >> Well, I'm a little I'm a little biased on this because uh I'm I'm married to a first grade elementary school teacher whose primary uh specialty is reading. It's it's literacy. And and I've seen her struggles. I've seen her her her methodology. I think as a board member, we need to make sure that those
030teachers have current curriculum. I think it's also a collaborative effort between everyone. Between the parents, between the teachers, the board, okay? Uh screen time is definitely a factor. Uh and to again ensure that the staff at tip of the spear has the most effective tools and has the most current curriculum to work on that as well. >> Thank you. Louisa Solomon. >> Yeah, certainly literacy is the foundation. I I was taught studying pedagogy that to read the word allows you to read the world. I think that literacy allows students to feel a sense of empowerment as they interpret their experiences and the world around them. Um literacy statistics are one kind of measurement, and I think that everything we discuss here relates to literacy scores because kids who don't feel safe in the classroom are
031going to struggle with their reading more. Um kids who are not reading culturally relevant materials, kids who are not able to read books where they see people like themselves, they're going to struggle more with with their reading. Um so, it's all connected. Um and certainly cutting literacy teachers does not seem like a good move for protecting the literacy of our students and increasing literacy rates. Um so, I think that's something we need to take very seriously in in budgeting. Um Yeah, I'll also echo the piece about communication with families is really key. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, our next question. Can you comment on the governance structure of school districts and the role of the Board of Education within that structure? Can you comment on the governance structure of school districts and the role
032of the Board of Education within that structure? Susan Jordan. >> Well, I certainly can comment on it. I don't know how accurate that would be, but the governance of the school district is really up to the superintendent and his administrative staff. The governance of the buildings goes to the principal. The school district is really responsible for hiring the superintendent and for making sure that the policies that um come before the board are understood and supported by the Board of Education. And those policies are to be followed throughout the district. So, it is our responsibility to create those policies and direct the superintendent to ensure that they are followed throughout the district. >> Thank you. Rita Worthington. >> Yeah, um I'm not sure if I can comment on the governance of the school district. Um I
033do know that I believe that the role of the board though is to support the district and to support the superintendent and to support our students and our staff and to make thoughtful decisions you know, policy decisions or or budgeting decisions, [clears throat] whatever decisions that we're making we have to be thoughtful in that and making sure that it is not hurting the district but it's helping the district. Thank you. >> Mark Ryder >> Yeah, so as far as governance, the board's roles in the district are really three things policy making and so that is we we say the what and it's then up to the superintendent and his administration to say the how budget which we work with the superintendent and take them in their cabinet's recommendations and then we ensure that that the
034district policies and the our our goals are being met through that budget and then we put put forward a budget to the voters and we supervise and hire the superintendent who then is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the entire district. So our role is to ensure that the superintendent is meeting the goals that he set for he sets with the board and that those are in line with the board goals that are set for the entire district. We do evaluation once a year and ensure that those that we're staying on task with both we we evaluate ourselves >> Time. >> and the superintendent does. >> Thank you. Mike Detwiler and I'll repeat the question. Can you comment on the governance structure of school districts and the role of the Board of Education within
035that structure? >> Sure, again from my viewpoint as a parent, that the superintendent is, shall we say, the captain of the ship. >> All right. And the he's responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ship. And the school board is, in a sense, maybe the owner of a shipping line and is responsible for setting the course, for setting uh the policies that work, you know, for the benefit of the children. Uh and again, it's a collaborative effort. It's uh you know, the policies are set, the budget is formed by the board uh based on information provided by the superintendent and the administration. To work together to make sure that the process uh moves as efficiently as it can and again, always keeps the benefit of the children at the top of the list. And the
036people, again, in direct contact having the best use of the tools they have. >> Thank you, Louisa Solomon. >> So, I think we've heard a pretty good overview of the the basic structure of our our school district governance and the role of the board. Um I too, before deciding to run for school board, spent a lot of time talking to school board members and researching, what are these core responsibilities of school board members? Um and as I mentioned, what I've heard from parents is that the governance structure feels opaque. It feels hard to get into and access and affect change within, even though we have really amazing school board members who are able to describe it in with such clarity. But in addition to these three pieces, uh the policy and the superintendent oversight and
037the budget, there's this sort of ambiguous piece about being a community conduit. And when I say it's ambiguous, I mean, what exactly does that entail? Where do we hear from the community and where do we bring the community's concerns and how do they then and policy, budget, and superintendent oversight. I'm just relaying to you what I keep hearing from parents. >> Thank you. Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> The governance structure of a public school system is like any other public institution. It belongs to the public. And how that happens is the public picks the board, and the board oversees the superintendent and the administration. When you have a system in which it works the other way around, the system breaks. >> Thank you. We'll move on to the next question beginning with Rita Worthington. How do you
038plan on working with teachers and educators in the district? How will you ensure the opinions of those working with students are heard? >> [clears throat] >> Uh how do you plan on working with teachers and educators in the district? And how will you ensure the opinions of those working with students are heard? >> Uh one, as a board member member, getting to know who our teachers are, getting to know who our staff is. Um also listening, hearing what they what they're experiencing. Um I served six years on the Keystone Common Council and um during that time I also was the majority leader, and I think that my colleagues voted me in because my ability to listen to all sides of the equation um without actually taking sides, but listening to perspectives, channeling those, and then
039bringing it back to my fellow board board uh colleagues and letting them know what was said and how we going to help them through whatever it issue it might be at that time. Thank you. Mark Ryder. >> Um, so listening to teachers and and those who are closest to the ground is something that I've seen over the last 3 years as a board member. Um, that is a little bit of a delicate push, right? Like we need to be open to listening and hearing what is actually happening inside our classrooms, but at the same time there is a chain of communication that you have to be careful that you're not overstepping. So, I I have encouraged our board the 3 years that I've been on it to reinstate um, events like coffee coffee and conversations
040which teachers, staff, community members, families would all be invited to to provide insight on to things that that they're seeing in the school district and communicate those to the board, um, in open forums. >> Time. Thank you. Mike Detwiler. >> Again, I think one of the most critical functions of the board is communication. So, there is a a process. You have to make sure that there is an availability or sense of availability and accessibility from the community to be able to reach out to a board member. And also, I may not have the answer right away, but then to get back to somebody. Hey, listen, you know, I can't give you an answer on the sidewalk in front of GW right right now, but I'll get back to you. So, don't leave them hanging. You
041know, and that can happen sometimes because there's a lot of moving parts in the system there. So, Mark touched on a very good point of making sure that there is control, but also good accessibility and open communications there. >> Thank you. Louisa Solomon. >> Yeah, I revere public school teachers. I genuinely think that good teachers are heroes. They made my life, they make my children's life, they help people survive. I value teachers so much. Um, and hearing from my colleagues about the need to to interact with teachers and get teacher input in appropriate ways, certainly that follow process. I look forward to learning about all of those processes, but the value for me is to hear what teachers need, to hear what they're struggling with, and to support them in their sacred work. I want
042to say out loud that I think many of our teachers are afraid right now because of the federal government's various attacks on our communities. And if we want our teachers to be brave and bold and stand up for our children, who are also under attack, we need to show them that we have their backs in so many different ways. That feels absolutely paramount to me at this moment. >> Thank you. Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> The question? >> How do you plan on working with teachers and educators in the district? How will you ensure the opinions of those working with students are heard? >> I volunteer in in the schools, not just the schools that my kids go to school at. I volunteer at other schools, too. Um, I think making yourself visible and accessible, maybe not
043at that specific time because while I'm volunteering I'm not there to see things. I'm not there to receive complaints, but I like to think that spending time that way makes a board member more accessible other times when a teacher may have something to reach out about. >> Thank you. Suzanne Jordan. >> Um I I do agree with Anthony. I think it's important that we be involved in activities around the district when we can be and make [clears throat] ourselves accessible. I think that having communication with teachers and administrators is really important in a respectful way. I think often people just need to be heard. You might not have the answer, but I think they appreciate if they can express themselves to you. Maybe they're frustrated about a program or funding or something, and if we
044can take that to the superintendent, sometimes it would be appropriate to take it to the board. I have never brought anything to the superintendent that he has not acted upon or gotten back to me about giving me more information, but I also think we have to encourage them to go to the person that can give them the answer. Thank you. Okay. We're back at the top with Mark Ryder. And our next question is what are the three most important issues you hope to address as a member of the school board? What are the three most important issues? >> The three most important issues that I think we need to address are first off, we we have to continue to increase not just our reading scores. And when I say scores, it improve our our literacy,
045but also our ability in in math and other areas, too. So, um continue to provide resources to the teachers so that we are providing that excellence in education. Two, I think we have to do something with sustainability and I think that it is not just for the environment, but for our economic sustainability. So, we have to look at at the electric bus mandate and and we have to move forward with some of those projects. We need to look at our our building and our building environment and how we can bring more sustainability. And then finally, like our fiscal issues and where we are in standing with the state like has to be addressed and and I think it should be best through redistricting, but >> Time. Thank you. Mike Detwiler. >> I would say up
046to there's again three core concerns I would have and and number one would be our again, our literacy. Is again, if they can't read math, music, everything else falls behind, okay? And we need to make sure that we have a reading department that has the tools and we that we still have a reading department, okay? Uh because that's again the bedrock in the primary years. That is the bedrock that forms everything there. And also, we need to look at our budget and how we're spending our money and making sure it's as efficiently as possible. And also, it's not just the school district. The people you know, you get the school district is here. The superintendent is here, all right? But the issues that are causing a lot of this are not here. It is orbital.
047It is formula changes. It is how education is funded on property taxes and solely property taxes. Which by the way, hasn't changed in probably 100 years. >> Time. >> Louisa Solomon. I think my priorities, as I've shared, are safe and excellent learning for all students, number one, and all that that entails, because I don't think we can address literacy or other academic concerns in a bubble. I think that in order to um fully educate our kids in the way we want them to be educated, we need to ensure that they feel and are welcome and safe. Um and that requires us to look at the New York State um education department non-discrimination law and make sure that we're closing the gap between the principle of the thing and its implementation in our classrooms. What it
048means to actually guarantee that. And then I would say process transparency, particularly around budget. I've already spoken to wanting community voice brought into that process. And supporting teachers, as we just discussed. Supporting our teachers in standing up for our students, supporting our teachers in accomplishing the academic goals we have for our students. >> Time. >> Thank you. >> Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> The recent law has seen the inclusion of student board members to the board. Um I think it's really important that we evaluate the role um of student board members to make sure that this isn't just something that we do because the state says we have to do. It's something that we actually utilize effectively for the students' voice. Um I think policy that is over 10 years old is something that needs to pick
049up a lot. We have not gotten very far in the years that we have started doing that. And I think making arguments on behalf of the taxpayer up in Albany. William Thayer. >> Susan Thornton. Um I think we always have to work to increase rigor and high expectations for all of our students. Um that has been hit by COVID and I think we have to really insist on that again. I think affordability in terms of what we can afford and are we using our resources as efficiently as possible to make sure that the money goes as far as it can. And also defending culturally responsive curriculum that we have worked so hard >> [clears throat] >> to implement and truth in education. I think that we have to fight for that. >> Thank you, Rita
050Worthington. >> Well, I think the you know, the challenge is to balance the student needs um staff support and fiscal responsibility all at the same time while um maintaining a transparent atmosphere. You know, many people have have um spoken to me and said that they don't feel that uh transparency is a huge issue with the board. And so that's one of the things that I would like to change. Uh I think that um if we're representing the community that they should be brought in on our decisions. And so we also need to take a look at that budget and see how we can allocate those resources by retaining our teachers and also deal with the problem of why uh student enrollment is down. I think that those are some of the issues that we need
051to look at. And uh hopefully that's what we'll do. >> Thank you. Okay, we're going to move to the next question. We're going to start with Mark Mike Detwiler. Of course, Mark and Mike are sitting next to each other. Um, what is your position on the prevalence and cost of education technology, contracts with software companies, one-on-one Chromebooks in our school district? So, that's a lot. Let me read it again. What is your position on the prevalence >> [clears throat] >> and cost of education technology, contracts with software companies, and one-on-one Chromebooks in our school district? >> Oof. >> That's a That's a little bit of a loaded >> That's a loaded one. It's It's a It's a big one. Uh, I firmly believe that technology has a place. I firmly believe that technology can also
052help level the playing field in some ways, depending on how it's applied. Uh, you know, it was very interesting at the start of COVID watching my family members trying to either take classes or teach classes from the dining room, the laundry room, the porch, okay? Uh, with little to no infrastructure at that point. And then, we moved on. Uh, they developed an infrastructure system. The issue I have now is whether or not it's We need to maybe go back. Screen time, number one, is what is that done with the young children and the developing brains? How much time are they on their cell phones? How much time are they on the tablet, okay? Uh, and the other aspect there is privacy and software companies, data mining, things of that nature. Uh, and how what role
053does that come into with our schools and with our children there? It is an effective tool. >> Thank you. Louisa Saldaña. >> Yeah, this is a complex issue. I think there are a few aspects of it that I can address. As Mike said, tech is a huge part of our society, whether we like it or not. But, one piece of this is that it's an equity issue. Uh, kids don't all have access to the same devices or internet use at home. Um, we want them all to get access at school and to become literate in the technologies that they're going to rely on in the workforce and in the present. Um it's also true that many kids with and without IEPs and 504s need technology of various kinds to do their work, and we want
054to make sure to protect that. I'd like to think about a part of tech learning I haven't seen a lot of in the schools, which is about internet safety, self-regulation, boundary setting um when using screens. There's ample research, right, showing that screens are are harming our children when there's an over-reliance on them. So, it's about finding that balance. How are we getting everyone access to technology, using it responsibly, and also making space for kids to communicate with each other? >> And I'll read the question again. What is your position on the prevalence and cost of education technology contracts with software companies, one-on-one Chromebooks in our school district, Anthony Fitzpatrick? >> Um I guess my stance on the prevalence of the technology in the schools is that it's important to keep pace with the prevalence of
055the technology in society. Um one of the things that I'm kind of disappointed is I I don't see advertised as much as with the one-on-one Chromebooks comes um the opportunities to teach good digital citizenship. Um you know, if your kid takes their Chromebook and, you know, enters the keystrokes that are deemed to be appropriate, they get flagged right away, and they learn an important valuable lesson. >> Thank you, Suzanne Gordon. >> My personal opinion is I'd like to go back to pencils and notebooks. But um I know that that's probably not going to happen. So, I would just say that I think we have to find balance. I would like to see kind of a relationship with the younger the child, the more time they don't spend on computers and see it increase as the
056kids get older. But, I just think that brain food is very important. I would go for teaching longhand again and uh spelling. But, um that is not my role as a board member. I could just advocate for that as a citizen. But, as a board member, I just want to be sure that what is being uh suggested is based on the best science that we have for children and their learning. >> Thank you, Rita Burlington. >> Well, um absolutely technology is important, right? We saw that with COVID, right? So, um but yeah, there has to be a balance. I mean, we have to keep up with tech and the pace that it's going right now. But, there also has to be a balance. I definitely don't think that technology should uh replace uh teacher-student uh
057interaction. And so, um as far as the uh software contracts, you know, um if it's if it's not efficient, you know, if we're all we're trying to do is keep up, then maybe we should take a look at that. You know, making sure those resources are allocated the the most efficient way. So, yeah, tech tech plays an important role in our society today. But, it doesn't replace uh student one-on-one student interaction. >> Thank you, Mark Ryder. >> Yeah, I think technology is a a necessary evil in in the schools. Um I'd like to see it limited time in the classroom and I think it is my daughter's a seventh grader at Bailey and her heavy binders tell me that, you know, it's about 30 lb. It tells me that there's still lots of learning outside
058of a Chromebook that's happening when she's bringing papers home. So, I think that it's really on the teachers to know their own balance on how much screen time to use in the classroom. Um we're providing curriculum that has diagnostic testing and other things, but you know, there should be in-person off-the-screen time learning as well and I think that's happening. I am following and interested in the i-Ready lawsuit and so I've asked um questions and and just want to understand that more. Um it's about them potentially selling information in Massachusetts, not not involved with our school district, but you know, I it's something we're paying attention to on the board currently. >> Thank you. Okay, we are going to go to the final question. Um we did not answer every question, but I did my best
059to sort through and make sure that we were covering a variety of topics because many of you expressed uh questions around similar topics. So, our last and final question will begin with Louisa Solomon. How will you continue to support students, teachers, and other support staff in schools despite the budgetary restrictions the school faces? How will you continue to support students, teachers, and other support staff in schools despite the budgetary restrictions the school faces? >> That's a great question and one that I would want to turn back to the community and have a lot of conversation about. So, we have to face these budget cuts clear-eyed and some of them are happening, are going to happen, and they're going to hurt. Um and we have enormous resources in the community. Just today I was talking with
060another parent about how do we better coordinate parent parent volunteering across the district so that it doesn't replicate inequity um geographic inequity. How do we pool resources more effectively across the district to offset some of the impact of these cuts? And how do we create these fora for conversation with teachers, with community members, with students? How do we collect the information about what is most needed and how we can um resource them even as we face these tremendous budget constraints? >> Anthony Fitzpatrick The way the budget vote works is you get two shots. If if you fail on both, you got to go to the contingency budget. Um since 2018 the budget has seen uh a supermajority support. Um I think that the district should put first put a budget that takes care of the
061staff as it is. Um and then if that fails, they should put the budget that is the budget that they're putting down now. If that fails, then But my point is we we could override the the tax on it and leave it up to the voters to decide. >> Susan Jordan I think the best way to support the school community is as a board member is to just do the best that I can on the board to be respectful of my colleagues, to be respectful of the administration, and to know that um any judgment that I'm asked to make is fair and measured so that the teachers and families and students can feel confident that we're doing everything we can to support them. Um I also think it's important that people in all parts of
062the community, the school community, the families and all of our friends in the community that support schools are part of the process of advocating for fairness, uh for the budget at the state level, at the federal level. And I think the more that we can create a group of us that are respectful and after the same thing, which is excellence for our students. I think that's the best way to support. >> Rita Verde. >> Yeah, I mean I have to echo that. I think the best way to to support them is again to uh make sure that they feel like they're being heard, that their voices are being heard, um to collaborate. Also to make sure that they feel like they are respected. You know, um sometimes it goes beyond the money. Sometimes it's just
063about communication and and listening to someone. And so um I think that's the best way that we can support them. Now, it breaks my heart that um so many uh positions are being let go. But while that is happening, you know, we just need to respect respect our teachers, listen to them, you know, have a collaborative spirit. It was really not It's not about us. As a board, we're making a decision that's for uh uh the district and community. So, of course, they should have a voice in those decisions. That's what I believe. And so, that's how I would support. >> Thank you. And I'll read the question again. Mark Ryder, you're next. How will you continue to support students, teachers, and other support staff in schools despite the budgetary restrictions the schools face? >>
064It's why I've talked about a couple times like reimagining our our district and how we are are delivering these services. I I really do think we need to have a year-long conversation with our community that involves teachers, administrators, board members, members of the community, taxpayers, families that is open and and really have the conversation on do we How How do we move forward with this being the new normal? Do we look at moving um some of the grades like fifth grade or even fifth and sixth grade to the elementary schools? Do we look at shifting things in a major way so that we can continue to restore as many positions both on the teaching side and support service side as we can and and per- provide everything that we do, AP courses, >> [clears throat]
065>> special education, high school, all those things. >> Hi. Mike Dettwiler. >> Uh yes, it's it's time to think out of the box. It's time to collectively have gathering of the heads. And I'm not just talking educational experts, I'm talking people in the community. Uh everybody has a vested interest. Uh everybody has a child uh or has had a child in this in this community uh going through this process. And these are our uncharted territory in ways at times we're entering into. So, it is time you know, the board is going to have to make difficult choices and we're going to have to make sure that everything is communicated clearly and concisely and and you know, it's a two-way street. And at the same time to execute these decisions as painlessly if at all possible
066as possible and and as effectively as possible so that there's a transition is as smooth as it can be. Be it redistricting, be it downsizing. Uh It's unfortunate, but that's where we're at. >> Time. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you all. We're going to move into closing comments and statements and we'll start back at the top with Mark Rider. You've got 2 minutes. You'll receive a 30-second pace uh reminder and uh take it away. >> All right. I stumbled over that opening statement. So, I'm going to jump back [clears throat] a little bit. Um this was not an easy decision for me. So, my wife Natalie teaches down in Beacon City School District. Um I have two daughters in the district. My eldest Hannah is heading into her senior year next year and my daughter
067Nora is heading into eighth grade. And so, there was a time where I was like I I really need to just focus on family. And on top of that, I coach soccer and also um oversee Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency as I said. So, but then as we were going through this process, I took a step back and I was like A, do I want to leave the district um in a way that I I see it being left? We're in very difficult times. Um and and do I want to just serve one term and then be done? And B, I wanted to be able to step up to the challenges. I had 10 years experience in municipal government as a deputy county executive. I I understand budgets and and can look at the recommendations
068that the superintendent gives with with a different perspective. I'm also the chair of the the finance and audit committee. As I've stated, the the issues that we've had financially the last 2 years and last year's mainly went unnoticed because the positions that were removed were done through attrition and not layoffs. That's not going anywhere soon and we really need, as Mike said, to think outside of the box. We need to look at how we are providing all of the things we currently provide, athletics, music, AP, special ed, and and providing the resources that students need to catch up so that they can graduate on time or slightly behind time in the summer with summer schools, the next was different things like that, alternative education. [clears throat] We need to look at all of that and
069we need to be innovative with it and so on. So, I'm all in for it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mark. We'll move on to Mike Detwiler. >> If I haven't stated it, which I probably have three or four times, let me know. I come from a family that really believes in education. As a matter of fact, we're all in my house, in my family, teachers. One way or the other, we're all teachers. I had four children go through this district and they had a remarkable experience. Um three of them are teachers. My wife's a teacher. And I like to think of myself as a teacher as well. And there's to me, and I know to them, there's no greater joy than seeing the light go on behind the eyes when the student starts to
070get it. And to see that fire take off. And the number one goal in these times is to make sure that doesn't get snuffed out. To make sure it gets offered to everybody across the board, as equitably and fairly as we can. Uh and again, it's going to take everybody putting their heads together. I I put my mom's house on the market last last week for you know, she passed 2 and 1/2 ago. Uh just really quick here. It was stunning to see what the tax bill was on her house, on her property. This is a woman who counted every penny and valued keeping current. Uh over half of her income went to property taxes. When they bought that house in 1961, the tax bill was $85. Now, monthly income was the yearly income was
0715,600. So, do the math. That was a little over 1%. And even then, there was talk with school districts trying to get legislation to find alternate means of funding education other than property taxes and find a way to help people on fixed incomes. So, I think we need to the beating on the schools at times is also look at the state and the federal government and see if we could collectively change that formula. >> Thank you. Louisa Solomon. >> Thank you so much, Ms. Davis and KHS for having us. These are truly scary times and I'm just going to go way off script for a moment because we didn't talk at all tonight about how to protect immigrant students, students from immigrant families, trans students, all of whom have to hear the president undermine their
072humanity on a daily basis. That is an impediment to learning. That is an impediment to us succeeding at our mission of excellent education for all. So, what is our role? What is our role on this national stage as a school district? Might we be a beacon? Might we be a true north? A place that provides actually safe classrooms for all the communities that are under attack right now. What would that require of us? That's why I'm running for school board because I genuinely believe every kid deserves excellent education and this is a piece of it that I bring a lot of knowledge about from my background as an as a rabbi, organizer and activist. I want to collaborate with board members who have other skill sets that I lack and I hope that they'll benefit
073from my knowledge. And then we need to fix this transparency thing. We really need to hear from the community, to benefit from the community. At the budget meeting the other week, the community surfaced some incredible ideas. I want those ideas on the table before decisions are getting made. I know we need to figure out how to do that within the process. I'm I'm not here to destroy the process that's been built and hard won. Um, but but I think this is essential. And in history this is just not a moment for backing down or simply doing things the way they've been done. I'm hearing my colleagues talk about thinking outside of the box. I want to do that. I want to do that with them and with community. So let's fight for funding and for
074services and for training and support and stand with our teachers so that they feel they have the courage to stand with all of our kids. Let's get these mechanisms for community participation in place and be a role model to the country. >> Anthony Fitzpatrick. >> I believe in putting the staff and the students before the system. >> Suzanne Jordan. >> All right. I want to start by saying that I know that when we talk about education, when people come to the board, they're very passionate because they're talking about their children. And their children are their most valuable treasures. So, I understand that there's sometimes a lot of passion behind that, and that will sometimes make people feel um that they're not being heard, but they are. This is a very challenging time for public education,
075which serves every student. We turn no one away. And I believe it's the cornerstone of our democracy. We must advocate for sufficient resources and a fair funding formula that represents the true needs of our students and resources of our community without further burdening our local taxpayers. Just as rising costs affect our families and local businesses, expenses have increased greatly for our school districts. We must provide a quality education for all, transport our students, heat and maintain our buildings while foundation aid is being cut due to a funding formula that is unfair and skewed. I will continue my advocacy for fair funding and hope you feel comfortable supporting me in my desire to continue to serve Kingston City Schools. Thank you. Rita Worthington. >> Thank you, Dustin. Thank all of you. So, I'm not going to
076pretend that I have all of the answers as to the way the board functions and what we should be doing to make things right. I will say, however, that I'm here to learn, that I believe in every child's potential. Um I had one of those kids in this school, and where the district's one of the staff members saw the potential in my kid, and because of that, he graduated from Kingston High School. Um our beloved Mr. Ardella, who just recently passed away, was significant in my child's life. So, I I that um support is necessary. You know, I'm running because I have a track record of doing my best to make Kingston strong and to make the community strong and where every voice matters. Every child matters and there's good representation on the board. I
077want good representation and I think that I can bring that to this board and I think that I am I have a good skill set set with listening and hearing people and not making rash, not jumping, not being reactive but rather being proactive and because of the turbulent times that we're living in right now, I think that's what we need. We need stability and I want to be a part of the solution not the problem and so thank you all for your vote and let's get to work. >> So this evening has been live streamed on the Kingston City School District Facebook >> YouTube YouTube [clears throat] >> YouTube, wonderful. So please encourage your neighbors to watch and listen so they're able to make an informed decision when they're at the polls. We'd like to
078thank all of our friends and neighbors for attending this evening. Thank all of the candidates for your willingness to serve and step up here in the community and this concludes this evening's meet the candidate forum. Thank you all. >> [applause]