AUGUST 2022
A Letter from BoE President
Sarah Carrier
Dear Croton-Harmon Community:

I hope you have been having a wonderful summer, enjoying time in your favorite places with family and friends. On behalf of the Board of Education, it’s my pleasure to bring to you this special edition of Croton Connections featuring information about the work we are doing, along with our hopes and thoughts for the future. We bid farewell to long-term trustee Iris Bugliosi while welcoming Theo Oshiro. We were also thrilled to have had Lucas Valentine as part of our team as our first ex officio student member and look forward to working with Molly Levitt this year. 

For me, the summer months are a good time to reflect as well as to envision and plan for the months ahead. Looking back on the 2021-22 school year, we are enormously proud of how much was accomplished and the resilience with which our faculty, staff and students embraced the year. At the beginning of 2022, we saw the transition of the Superintendent position from Dr. Deborah O’Connell to Stephen Walker. We have enormous respect and gratitude for Dr. O’Connell and appreciate all that she did to build such a strong partnership with the BoE and community, and to allow for such a seamless transition to Mr. Walker. As we’ve come to know Mr. Walker, we are even more confident in his ability to lead the district as we work collectively to set a strategic plan and vision for the coming years.

What’s more, I’m confident that I speak for all when I say that we were honored to take part in the moving-up ceremonies and graduations at all three of our schools in June. Trustees Mayyasi and Teague delivered remarks at the CET and PVC events, respectively, in which they had students graduating, and it was a joy to witness those special moments. The principals, assistant principals, and their teams did a fantastic job creating just the right tone and atmosphere to celebrate these very deserving students. The student speakers all spoke eloquently and authentically. Of course, the backdrop of our gorgeous Hudson River only enhanced the experience!  

As we embark on the 2022-23 school year, we are eager to see how the continued work on the strategic plan comes to life for all of our stakeholders. We are also excited to see the district's first 66-passenger electric school bus on our roads, along with our continued dedication to sustainability both in and out of the classrooms. Finally, we appreciate how many of you volunteered to be part of the district’s task forces and committees and we hope that you will continue to join us for the upcoming board meetings, the schedule for which can be found here.

Please remember that you can always email us with questions or ideas at boe@chufsd.org. We wish you an excellent start to the new school year and look forward to seeing you at the schools and in the Village. 

Sincerely,

Sarah Carrier
President, Croton-Harmon Board of Education
CHUFSD Celebrates Nine Years of Dedicated Service from Board of Education Vice President Iris Bugliosi
When Iris Bugliosi was elected to the Croton-Harmon Board of Education in 2013, the iPhone 5 was a hot seller, President Obama was a few months into his second term, and One Direction was ruling the music charts. Nine years later, on June 16, 2022, Iris completed her service at the last Board of Education meeting of the school year. 

During her time as a Board member, she served three terms as a trustee, including two years as vice president and three years as president. The Board and administration paid tribute to her for her unwavering commitment, providing guidance and insights and offering a unique perspective in each of her roles. 

Iris consistently strove to be student-centered, asking questions and making decisions based on what she believed to be in the best interest of all students. 

“The Board of Education is indebted to Iris for her unwavering support of all Croton-Harmon students and trustees throughout the years,” President Sarah Carrier said. “Our district has benefited greatly from her absolute dedication and service—I wish her the best!”

Prior to joining the Croton-Harmon Board of Education, Iris said she believed she had a clear understanding of the role of a trustee. After taking office, however, she realized she would have to expand her knowledge and even abandon some of her preconceptions. At one of her first community meetings, she found there to be a need to deepen the trust in the leadership team. 

In order to build that trust, she understood it was imperative for the Board members to be consistent communicators and active listeners who are open to criticism. These early lessons stayed with her throughout her tenure, guiding her as she worked with her fellow board members to make critical and, sometimes difficult, decisions, for the district. 

“How could I—in my roles as a fiduciary and policymaker and hiring a superintendent—make sure our district had the necessary tools to best support our students?” said Iris as she reflected on the question she asked herself during her early years with the board and would ultimately become her guiding light as she navigated a range of complex situations and issues as well as increasing innovation in education. 

“Whether discussing building a five-year strategic coherence plan, introducing new courses in the arts, sciences, and languages, or initiating DEI (dignity, equity and inclusion) work, Iris always focused on the well-being of the students and believed they deserved nothing less than our best efforts,” said Assistant Superintendent John Griffiths. “I have enormous respect for Iris and learned a great deal from her.” 

Despite the district’s many accomplishments and stability throughout the years, Iris said she takes the most pride in having worked on behalf of a district that constantly strives towards improvement and continues to attract the most talented, student-centered administrators and staff in our region.

“Every time I had the privilege to watch a sporting event, play or concert, attend a district art show or science research symposium, celebrate our teams’ successes in DI or CACTI—these are all precious memories from my time on the board,” said Iris. “Attending moving-up ceremonies and seeing the joy on our students’ faces as they walked across the stage, knowing they were exposed to these opportunities—these are the moments I will always cherish.” 
Students Have Their Say
on Croton-Harmon Board of Education
Research shows that students who believe they have a voice in school are seven times more likely to be academically motivated than students who do not. Student voice also contributes to student self-worth, engagement, and purpose in school. 

For these reasons, Croton-Harmon Schools created an ex officio position for a student on the Board of Education, after the community overwhelmingly approved a ballot proposition in 2021. In September of 2021, the Board welcomed senior Lucas Valentine as its first student member, after he was voted into the position by his classmates. 

As Lucas’ term comes to a close, the Board is eager to welcome the next ex officio student board member, rising senior Molly Levitt. Student board members participate fully in the Board’s discussions but do not have voting privileges.

"Before this position was created, we did have a board member come to Student Faculty Congress meetings to talk to us and hear our concerns and opinions," said Lucas. "But they weren’t actual students; they didn’t get to really see firsthand what was happening in day-to-day school life and they may not have been as approachable for some students compared to a student member. That's where I see the true value in this role––the students are really getting a voice on school issues."

This school year, Lucas served as a liaison between the Board and Student Faculty Congress , attending meetings with both groups and sharing information with both. He also created an online 'suggestion box' form, available for the rest of the student body to privately share their opinions with him. 

Molly has been a member of Student Faculty Congress since her freshman year and distinctly remembers being excited by the first discussion with board member Josh Diamond about creating the ex officio position. She said that she is always actively looking for opportunities for the student body to be better represented and that “running for this position was the natural next step” for her. 

“I’m looking forward to taking on this role and getting to know more of the student body and their perspectives,” said Molly. “It’s my goal to represent all student voices at Croton-Harmon High School.”

Reflecting upon his term, Lucas shared his hope that in the future there can be more than one BOE student position so that a greater diversity of voices can be heard, and he encouraged future ex officios not to be afraid to speak their mind in meetings.

Molly said that Lucas has established a solid foundation for her and others. “From what I’ve personally seen and heard from the board members, Lucas has been doing a great job at establishing a relationship with the board and has been a consistently present voice for the students, and I hope to follow in his footsteps,” she said. 

During the last Board of Education meeting of the year, President Sarah Carrier took a moment to acknowledge all the retiring board members, sharing a special message for Lucas:   

“I wanted to take a moment to thank Lucas, who was our first ex officio trustee to the Croton-Harmon Board of Education. It's been such a pleasure to work with him—he provided a student perspective to our work that has been so valuable. We wish you the best next year at UMass, and thank you again for your service to the Board on behalf of your fellow students.”
We asked all members of the Croton-Harmon Board of Education a variety of questions about their service on the Board and their hopes for the district. Here are their answers. 
 
Sarah Carrier - Board President - Sixth year on the Board
 
Q: How would you describe your approach to serving as president and the importance of building community?
 
A: One of the main reasons I continue to be committed to the BOE is my sincere belief in the importance of civic engagement. This work gives me the opportunity to support our students and the community as a whole in a meaningful way. Our district has a team of incredibly talented and dedicated staff, and it is truly a privilege to collaborate with them and our community to support the mission and vision of our school district. 
 
Q: What do you see as the most important issues before the Board in the coming school year?
 
A: This year we will be reviewing and evolving our Strategic Plan, creating a new Facilities Plan and exploring the ways we can drive innovation for the benefit of all of our students, to name a few initiatives. It is an exciting time to be on the Board and I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and digging in!
 
Josh Diamond - Tenth year on the Board

Q: What do you think are some of the more important roles of a Board member?

A:
  • Fostering brilliance: We must create an environment in which students are exposed to new ideas, new possibilities, and new perspectives, empowering them to go beyond the limits of their current thinking. 

  • Providing the best possible education to every student in our district: This includes addressing the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on learning over the past two years, and of course, ensuring that our curriculum resonates with all of our students, no matter who they are, where they come from or what they look like.

Q: What do you see as the most important issues/opportunities before the Board in the coming years?

A:
  • Supporting the physical well-being of our students: We must give students greater opportunity for physical activity and foster healthy lifestyle habits by investing in building a highly effective athletic staff, and modernizing our buildings and facilities.

  • Supporting the social and emotional well-being of our students: It is important that we teach students how to be confident in their own abilities, resilient in the face of difficulty, to be kind and compassionate friends, and to understand that all human beings are worthy of our respect, regardless of our differences.

  • Investing in the arts: Art, music, engineering, drama, writing, etc. are among the ways students learn creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills - and should be a district priority. Sustainability: We must teach our kids to be effective stewards of the planet by making sure that everything from our bus fleet to our ventilation systems to our use of resources is as efficient and clean as possible.
 
Neal Haber - Twenty-fourth year on the Board
 
Q: What do you see as the most important issues before the Board in the coming school year?
 
A: I see the following subjects taking our attention in the coming year: next academic plan, and tying into our professionals' work on future-focused schools; our district's facilities plan, including "must do" repairs along with enhancements to improve academic spaces, upgrade athletic facilities, and prepare for an electric vehicle fleet, for which a bond proposition will be presented to the voters in late 2022; ensure the district’s fiscal stability; and continued work on equity and inclusion. As part of the work around equity and inclusion, we aim to ensure outreach to and connections with members of our community for whom English is not their primary language.
 
Q: What do you think are some of the more important roles of a Board member?
 
A: The Board's roles include:
  • being a sounding board for the community; 

  • working with the administration to identify district priorities and allocating resources in line with those priorities; 

  • reviewing Board policies to make sure they are lawful, reasonable to follow, and protect the rights of all in the school community; and 

  • being active participants in the celebration of student achievement, whether academic, cultural, artistic, or athletic. 
 
Omar Mayyasi - Second year on the Board. 

Q: After serving on the Board for a year, what have you found to be most surprising or interesting?

A: One of the main tasks of a BOE is to hire the superintendent. The process we went through to hire Mr. Walker was intense and thorough. I am proud that we were able to recruit such a talented and dedicated individual to build on the great work of the previous administration. 
 
Another core responsibility of the BOE is to approve the budget. This year’s budget includes many initiatives that will move the district forward – from a coaching model for faculty to IT investments, to bus electrification, to funding early intervention. Early intervention done right has the potential of changing the trajectory of a student’s academic career. Of the many items we worked on, perhaps the one I most appreciate the district putting forth was expanding academic intervention services for math and ELA at PVC. My hope is that these services will reach more students and help them get comfortable with the core material that is the foundation of their future learning.
 
Q: What would you tell someone who may be considering running for the Board in the future?

A: I encourage anyone who is interested in education and community service to run for a board seat. I personally am finding it to be an extremely rewarding experience. There is definitely a learning curve with a lot of material, rules and regulations to go through and learn. However, the environment is extremely supportive, with seasoned members of the board always willing to lend a helping hand. As a group, board members are committed to the success of the students and the district as a whole. While we have our unique viewpoints, we all recognize that the work we do is for the betterment of all students. 

Theo Oshiro - First year on the Board

Q: What do you hope to achieve in your role on the board?

A: I am honored to be on the board and have the opportunity to work for Croton's kids and families. There are various things I hope to achieve: I want to make sure that more Croton families engage with our schools, the Board, and the district in general. I know many Croton community members experience barriers to participation - whether it is language barriers or hectic schedules - and I want to work to ensure that we are doing all we can to include historically unheard voices. I also want to make sure that issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continue to be at the forefront of how we do our work as a district. It is crucial that we continue the challenging work of achieving greater equity -- we owe it to our kids to make sure everyone sees themselves in their schools, materials, and have every opportunity to succeed in our district and beyond. 
 
Q: What do you see as the most important issue/opportunity for the district? 

A: We must work collectively to utilize the strategic coherence planning and capital improvement processes to ensure a bright long-term future for Croton's schools and families. We must ensure that we continue to grapple with equity issues, environmental issues, and social-emotional health in creative ways that we come to via a robust input process from the community. This is a huge opportunity for us to make our mark and our collective futures! 
 
Ana Teague - Second year on the Board
 
Q: After serving on the Board for one year, what have you found to be most interesting? 
 
A: In my first year, we hired a new superintendent. Meeting with various candidates and hearing their perspectives and insights on education was an interesting introduction to Board service. Experiencing the transition from one superintendent to another within my first year highlighted for me the strength of our administrators and greater CHUFSD community.
 
Q: What do you hope to see the board accomplish in the upcoming year? 
 
A: I would love to see the Board accomplish plans for the upgrade of arts, classroom, and athletic facilities. I would also love to see the work regarding DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) achieve tangible goals with measurable outcomes. And I hope we will be able to better engage the community in communication regarding the work of the Board.
BOE President Sarah Carrier Brings Her Expertise to Westchester Putnam School Boards Association’s Board of Directors

The Croton-Harmon BOE is proud to share that President Sarah Carrier has accepted an invitation to join the Westchester Putnam School Boards Association’s Board of Directors (WPSBA). WPSBA was established to provide leadership and support for all of its member districts, a vital responsibility for school boards who are increasingly managing a range of challenges and opportunities.

“I have participated in WPSBA events for a long time, and it has been an extremely valuable experience,'' said Ms. Carrier. “When I was asked to join the Board of Directors, I jumped at the chance to collaborate with peers in the region.”

“I am eager to have a role assisting WPSBA continue to be a vital resource for school districts and BOE trustees,” she continued.

Upon joining the WPSBA, Ms. Carrier will contribute to their effort to provide the necessary support for member districts: she will help promote effective district and board governance through training and education, facilitate communication, serve as a resource on public education policy issues, advocate for legislation that supports public education, and foster relationships with organizations that share WPSBA’s goal. She also says that she looks forward to taking on a greater role in helping support other BOE members in the area while representing the Croton-Harmon school district.

Ms. Carrier believes that, in the coming year, it will continue to be imperative to broaden access to student mental health support programs, revisit the foundation aid formula, create innovative ways to support the diverse needs of all students, and continue to incorporate technology in a thoughtful manner. She will also serve on WPSBA’s Finance and Audit Committee. 

“As BOE members, it goes without saying that we are always focused on the priorities of our individual districts, but I have found it is really helpful to have a window into the issues affecting other districts in our area and—more broadly—public education as a whole,” said Ms. Carrier. “WPSBA provides the necessary network to learn from each other and often takes a leading role in advocating for public education to our legislators. I am honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with this amazing group.”
Think. Create. Reflect. Respect. 
Challenging all students 
to be critical and creative thinkers. .
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