Happy Homecoming!
Here it is World Series time and to much surprise, the best
example of courage stepping up to the plate has come in the
form of our very own Onteora School Board of late. Despite
having come together partly from protest, and partly from
unbridled idealism, as with so much of our political world
these days, our students’ and taxpayers’ trustees
have not shied away this term from facing a series of extremely
difficult junctures, and either making decisions or moving
toward understanding in an open, knowledge-seeking, ears-and
eyes-open manner.
Even their decision to hold a board retreat last week, questioned
by some as a possible infraction of state Open Meetings “Sunshine”
laws, seems to have yielded a very American sense of strength
through diverse opinion, rather than the creation of some
lock-step means of pushing an agenda whether the school community
wants it or not.
What did the board accomplish during their time together away
from public scrutiny? A lot of discussion, in the public part
of the meeting, about what they want to accomplish over the
coming years, to be released in the coming term as soon as
everyone gets a chance to look over what they talked over
with some care. Most of all, an opening up of their lines
of communication, in private, so they could better understand
each other without any of the bickering that thwarts so many
boards in our area… them included.
We applaud the way in which the board listened to the community
and passed a new policy regarding military recruiters at the
high school. Kudos to policy committee members Rita Vanacore
and Cindy O’Connor for working something out that was
even-handed and responsive, as well as responsible.
We also applaud the way in which the meetings have been held
about possible restructuring of the school district, as hard
a decision Onteora’s faced since its inception. Sure,
there have been some rough edges so far, and more bound to
come. Many people want some new options on the table. But
at least the process is being handled calmly, with patience
and apparent understanding. Anf the board is gaining new ideas
from their stakeholders.
We also look back at the way in which the board reversed their
decision to cut special ed funding last Spring. Even though
many feel they have quite a distance to go yet before restoring
much of their constituency’s trust on these matters,
discussion has been opened. And the district should be happy
not to have ended up on the list of a dozen or so schools
in the Hudson Valley who were actually chided for their bad
performances vis a vis special ed in recent reports.
Much of the current calm, we feel, is likely the result of
strong leadership on the part of interim superintendent Jack
Jordan. It’s been a difficult time as the entire district
has moved beyond several tragedies, from the loss of former
superintendent Justine Winters to the loud splits that occurred
over the onslaught of large parcel battles into school matters.
Jordan, and the new board, have been working hard at moving
beyond such things into as full a consideration of all that
really matters to our student’s education as our students
deserve.
Sure, there’s still a bit too much worrying about money
for some tastes. But that’s the nature of American politics.
For all Onteora’s faults, the district is unique, and
somehow lends those getting schooled within it both a strong
sense of wider community as well as a rare sense of individual-oriented
education.
By actually listening to each other, and the public, the Onteora
School Board seems much better poised towards making the hard
decisions ahead of it, from the search for and naming of a
new district-wide superintendent to restructuring, renovations,
and helping to move us all ahead into this 21st Century.
Who knows, what they accomplish may end up being just the
beacon the rest of our towns need to start getting along and
helping each other.
All good thoughts to consider this Saturday, October 14, when
the high school celebrates its annual homecoming with a big
bash. Idealism, community, and the future… the stuff
of any good education.
In a separate note, we’d like to reiterate and clarify
our own plans to hold a regional roundtable for our district
towns and communities. Because of the clamorous nature of
the current election season, to be followed shortly by the
usual slew of late autumn and early winter holidays, we’re
now looking to put together our event for Martin Luther King
weekend in mid-January. We’ll likely do our roundtable,
which needs space for everyone to get in a circle and listen
to each other, in one of our schools, the more centralized
the better.
But those details will come. And we’ll be sure and give
you plenty of time to make plans to attend, and speak.
And most importantly, to listen to each other as well.
Happy homecoming! PS
