New LMCS board members share their views

Smith, Park push for ‘connectedness’

By Miranda Wagner | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – In May, Livingston Manor Central School District residents headed to the polls for this year’s ballot vote. All propositions were approved and two of the four school board candidates were elected to three-year terms, starting July 1. Winners of the two open board seats were Jill Smith and Nicole Park. In its May edition, Manor Ink profiled each candidate’s platforms. The Ink then interviewed the winning candidates regarding their views on the often mentioned issues of student wellness and special education.

Issue: Coronavirus challenges

Jill Smith is a long-term transplant to the area. As a family photographer and parent to children in the Livingston Manor School system, she felt a strong desire to run for the open seat. She feels the pandemic effectively changed learning in ways that are only now being understood. Smith believes that the foundation students typically get in their formative years has been altered permanently. “We can’t just pretend that the time spent in virtual learning wasn’t literally our first rodeo,” she said.

“Some teachers opened their Chromebooks and flourished remotely, and because they did, their students accepted the change and flourished, too. However not all teachers had success remotely,” said Nicole Park. Park is a parent and graduate of LMCS, as well as the Sullivan County BOCES Early Childhood Education instructor for the last eight years. Previously, she taught at the Center for Discovery. For Park, running for the school board seat was a no-brainer.

Issues: Special ed, preparedness

As a parent of a child with autism, Smith is familiar with the special education system in New York and has insight into the changing learning environment for children and teachers. “I will champion any support for learners and their teachers to catch up on or redefine the standards.” That could mean taking a step back in standardized testing frequency. “It’s a different experience altogether for students and teachers when the focus is on teaching for skill retention rather than on test performance.”

The varied learning experiences of students during and after the pandemic have cast a spotlight on special education programs around the state. Recently, Superintendent John Evans and Director of Special Services Lauren Marrero took a trip to observe a Syracuse-area elementary school’s inclusive programming, where classes are co-taught with a special education teacher. 

Efforts like their “motor labs” help promote fine and gross motor skill development, and they interested Evans in implementing a similar program at LMCS to better accommodate all students

Park also mentioned another way she believes LMCS teachers might better serve their students. At BOCES, she receives a “cheat sheet” at the beginning of each year that includes the student’s name, testing accommodations and program modifications. “That way, I always know what my students need so that they can have the most successful school year possible,” she said. “I would like to see Livingston Manor create a similar form for their students and staff members.”

Issues: Student wellness, support

Smith believes the district has to prioritize how to support student wellness, post-pandemic. Students’ social connectedness starts with the staff, she said. It’s something both she and Park agree on. “A professional development day should not be spent sitting in a chair listening to someone talk,” said Park. Teacher aides are essential, too. “They are like what nurses are to hospitals, the support staff that provides order for a school. Historically, they’re underpaid with no benefits,” Smith pointed out. “They are hands-on with the kids, and some of them have extremely important roles working with children who are disabled.”

The athletics program at LMCS provides another look into the importance of social connectedness among students. As a school board member, Park wants to amend the policy of putting athletes on academic probation, doing so for smaller periods of time. For many students, having to miss games deters them from staying on the team.