03/30/2026
Equity - what does that mean to our district leaders? For me it is not looking at our students from an ideological perspective and pushing ideology, it is about giving all students equal access to resources and opportunities that all other Westchester County students have.
Two weeks ago my son walked into the WESEF Regeneron Competition alongside nearly 800 other student participants representing all Westchester County schools at Somers High School. It was very upsetting being met by educators and parents with the simple question, “what happened to Croton Harmon Schools?,” which, by the way, can be corroborated by one of the Croton Harmon Science Research I Teachers!
They repeatedly asked why we were not there for the the last few years (with the exception of one child whose mother made sure it happened). You see this is particularly upsetting to someone like me who has two older children and saw the benefits of such competitions for our older graduates- the challenge, the exploration, the rigor, and oh yeah the simple accessibility to what all other Westchester students whose goal it is to study STEM at competitive colleges and Univerities - and what doors it can open for them! There was my son seeing kids from other areas of his life, camp, religious school etc, not only present for often the second time - but already accepted to their colleges and universities! He was outright upset! He saw schools cheering and the camaraderie and realized the loss of his high school experience: but you see dozens of parents asked questions over the last few years- why aren’t our kids entered into these competitions - to be met with responses like “other schools do competitions.” You see that’s why every school in Westchester with the exception of Croton Harmon has experts in stem and in curriculum with PhD’s and who are aware of what academics means for all students. It is mandatory at every other high school that if you’re in science research that you enter a science competition- but not at croton.
You see in Croton Harmon schools, our administration, BOE and faculty believe that students like this simply want high grades to get into certain colleges- hence the one pointed presentation about colllege prep presented at the faculty development day and evening. It did not present a multidimensional perspective - and the entire premise was based on a wrong assumption that students try for high grades with one objective to get into ivies- it was absolutely an incomplete premise and message. The sole objective was to present a message that kids can go anywhere in life no matter their pathway. But all of us know that- every student should go to a school that is a good fit. Where on earth would anyone think this is informative or innovative or for that matter with wasting an entire day for professional development and an evening session? Where was the perspective that often certain colleges or universities offer unique experiences or programs and maybe that pathway is suitable for a child?
Instead we are in a district where some administrators and teachers are telling their students they don’t need AP classes and dual enrollment is fine. We took away an AP for dual enrollment. And yes that works for many students but not some. AP classes are the golden standard of some colleges when determining if students are proficient to be able to attend their schools, and rigor is determined if a child challenged themselves - and often taken as seriously as grades and Sat or Act.
So, when our students don’t enter a science completion as science research students, they are often immediately at a disadvantage and often not competitive with other Westchester (not Northern Westchester/Putman schools as the district tries to push) of even being considered for entry into many schools as stem majors! I do not need to go into detail of the disparity of my child’s college acceptances compared to others who did science research or want engineering and perhaps went by the croton model. It was horrible.
In every other school district across America, teachers and administrators are measured by measurable outcomes to determine if they get tenure, but in our school district, when I asked why a teacher who is teaching an AP science class who cannot get any students a grade of a five over multiple years, would be given tenure, especially when he did not enter anyone into science competitions, I was met with a simple answer by one of the members of the board who’s running again, “that we look at other factors like if they get along with colleagues!”
Every child deserves an equitable education. They deserve access to proper resources  that all other Westchester county students get. This nonsense of lumping us into Northern Westchester, Putnam Westchester Boces is because one of our incumbent board members is on that board. It has to end! We pay Westchester taxes. We are in Westchester County and all of our rankings are based in Westchester schools. There will be a board election soon. You l have to start asking questions. Why are our kids picking daisies in Croton point Park as high schoolers? why are they going bowling during the day when other kids have access to all the resources in competitions, art events, etc if they so choose?
I have been advocating long before my last child entered high school- asking the same questions. Where was our model UN Club? where was the debate club? Why weren’t we entering science and art competitions? How come when our kids who are excelling in the arts and music, aren’t entered into more public events and competitions? Why did my son have To get the district to reinstate AMC math competitions after 10 years? Why were the national merit commended scholars not publicized like every school in America for last 7 years, having many of us thinking there were none - until my son said something and then it was announced 48 hours later? There is a clear lack of understanding as to what the world does and what colleges look for- and no accountability of our BOE and administrators.
Equity is giving all kids the ability to reach their own potential and be challenged. They could strive for a trade school or an Ivy- but the BOE and administration have gotten away with no measurable outcomes for their superintendent - instead unethically extending a contract a year before it was due and before 3 new board members were elected. When asked based on what- they said qualitative, not quantitative - measures same with the aforementioned teacher.
Our ranking has dropped hundreds of points this year compared to last year.
This district has our children picking daisies in a Croton point Park in high school the way they did in elementary school  and staring at carrots in water and AP bio for an hour and a half. It’s a simple question to the community. Don’t you wanna know where your tax dollars are going and where the resources are? Don’t you realize there’s no focus on math they’re using the same resources in K through second grade that they’ve used for 12 years with the principal telling parents there’s no money to fix the problem. We need to get back to the basics, to educate all, from first generation to others by educating them in the basics of math, ELA and science and elevating the bar of expectations for kids to challenge themselves.
Why is our board member giving a presentation at an assembly instead of community or industry leaders? I want to know why community members are not being represented on these school committees. You need to know that there were many years with the former administration where they were evenings, where all community members were invited and welcome to give input, experts in academia in technology in the arts were invited to round tables. None of this exists anymore. It is all gone. Most importantly, I would like to know why every person in every job in America has measurable outcomes except for our board who doesn’t think that our administration or they should be held to the same ? We were told that there are other measures by which we give tenure, you know is he a nice guy and likes to work with people was the answer that was replied. Or other measures by which students are measured - hey not in the real world- talk to many angry soon to be graduates and parents of 2026.
I am writing this now because I know that if the ideologies of this school district were not at the forefront of their agenda, but simple academics, and meeting the expectations of the rest of the world- while concurrently teaching about passion and love of learning - the outcomes for the class of 2026 college acceptances may have been different. Many kids didn’t have an opportunity to have choices as my child does. All children should have choices! We can’t have faculty telling kids they don’t need AP classes or a school district allowing students and families to believe you don’t need to be competitive to have options. But that will be for my next post.
