Wantagh Parents have submitted these questions to Board of Education candidates

In an effort to increase the information available publicly regarding candidates’ positions on key issues facing our schools, Wantagh Parents has created and shared a list of questions with the candidates running for the Board of Education. We submitted these questions to Dawn Conlon, Jessica Elmazi, Jennifer Perfetti, Laura Reich and Jennifer Strauss – all of whom are running for two trustee positions.  We’ve communicated our process for how we’re publishing their responses and sharing this with our readers as well.

• All candidates  were all contacted via Facebook Messenger as a single group, so everyone receives the same messaging from us
• All candidates have the exact questions, which are shared below
• Candidates have 7 days to submit their responses
• Submission of responses is acknowledgment and approval to publish responses on the website
• Responses will be unedited
• The format will be as follows: Question 1, Responses from candidates (in alphabetical order), Question 2, Responses from candidates (in alphabetical order), etc.

Here are the questions being asked of each candidate:

1. Briefly state your experience in the community and qualifications for the school board. 
2. What do you think will be the number one issue facing our school district over the next 3 years?
3. Define the success of a school district and what your ideal school would look like. 
4. What is your platform to improve curriculum and instruction k-12?
5. Are there books or a curriculum you believe do not belong in the Wantagh School District? Which ones and why? (please be specific)
6. How would you support the needs and the inclusion of students with disabilities?
7. What do you think the role and responsibilities of a board member are? 
8. How would you respond to community members who disagree with decisions you make as a board member?
9. The NY State Board of Regents launched an initiative to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in schools across New York State. According to the board, “they expect all school districts will develop policies that advance diversity, equity and inclusion – and that they implement such policies with fidelity and urgency.” How would you address diversity, equity, and inclusion policies as a board member?
10. How would you address school security as a board member?
11. What is the best way to evaluate teachers?
12. How would you engage the community?
13. In your view, has the district administration done a good job providing our students with a high-quality educational experience?  Please provide details supporting your view.
14. What do you think were the most important lessons the district learned from the pandemic?
15. What are some of the best ways we can address any student learning loss that occurred as a result of disruptions to in-person instruction from the pandemic?

Our mission has been to expand the sharing of information on key issues related to the educational experience in Wantagh. The emergence of Facebook private groups and the spread of misinformation makes it difficult for a parent or community member who simply wants to understand what’s happening in our school district.  As candidates for the Wantagh BOE, it’s important that members of the community have access to information regarding the candidates’ positions, as they will have a significant impact on the direction of our schools and our children’s education. We hope our efforts will fill that information gap. Our goal is to have responses published on May 12th.