June 2021 - Local Candidates for School Board Answer Questions on Sustainability
As the Green Screen for Sustainable Warwick, our goal is to interview candidates running in elections for Town, Village and School Boards on sustainability issues. We want to learn the views of all candidates on key aspects of sustainability and share these views with our members and your readers.
For the upcoming elections to the School Board, there were seven candidates running for 3 seats. Incumbent candidates Sharon Davis, Dave Eaton and Lynn Lillian all responded to our request and their responses are below. Unfortunately the other four candidates — Bill Faros, Tiffany Howell, Bob Larsen, and Joe Melder — did not respond to our several requests for a meeting so we cannot share their views on conservation and sustainability.
The questions and the candidates’ responses are:
1. How do you feel about the effects of the sustainability efforts in the WVCSD and what would you prioritize in the future?
SD: I am very proud of the work the District has done. .All our schools are Green Ribbon schools, we were the first to install solar fields, focus on recycling, create environmental clubs,to make sure there is a meaningful environmental curriculum woven into it.
We have a rigorous academic offering that has meaningful environmental education throughout the curriculum. We have reduced energy consumption which saves the District money which is always a good thing.
Covid took us off track but we are looking forward to implementing the plans we had in place before likes participating at the New York School Board Association meeting and more communication with the Orange County School Board so we can all share our activities and achievements with sustainability to help spread the word.
DE: I am proud of what the schools have done for sustainability. Some achievements that come to mind are: our recycling program and our Green Teams. Of course the solar array is an amazing accomplishment. We have won four national Green Ribbon School awards. Schools Sustainability has become part of our early grade curriculum. We have started buying natural gas powered school busses and would like to go electric. We have worked on finding the most efficient school bus routes, however the BOSCES transportation continues to be a big issue.
I would like to continue to increase awareness of sustainability at all levels and to expand embedding sustainability ideas into the curriculum.
LL: The Warwick School Board is one of a handful out of 700 schools in the State that has a Sustainability policy. Examples of the he success of this policy can be seen in the solar field and the bacterial composting among many other accomplishments.
All four Warwick Schools are Green Ribbon Schools which is very impressive. There is still a need to expand the learning focus on sustainability and the environment into the curriculum. When the pandemic is over we hope to focus more on this aspect of the urgency and complexity of the challenges that will face our students in the future.
2. Do you feel that climate change presents a major threat? How should we be preparing our students to meet this challenge?
SD: Climate change is a very real threat. 85% of Americans believe in a green, renewable energy economy, we would like to see this uniting the country.
The students need to be ethical, global citizens following all the guidelines laid out in “Portrait of a Graduate” which sets out our goals for helping students achieve this. We have to deliver a high level of teacher training and academic offering, as well as extra curricular activities to help our students face this challenge.
DE: I believe that climate change is an existential threat. The Ice caps are melting , hurricanes are intensifying, there are fires in Australia and California. I have read Al Gore’s work agree with him. We need to infuse sustainability concepts into the curriculum where ever we can. I would support any efforts to make sustainability a key issue a key issue. I would also support using the Green Teams to help the kids be involved.
LL: Yes indeed, climate change is a major threat for all generations, especially those currently in the school system. The Board believes in planning for their generation, not the past. The Schools must prepare the students to be successful in a global economy. The knowledge that is needed for our school kids to be successful is changing, especially since the turn of the century and it is key to have a School Board that is collaborative, professional and can communicate with everyone. The “Portrait of a Graduate” sets out the goals and tools that are necessary here for all students to help them be a success in a rapidly changing world..
3. Do you see any need for significant changes from current Board policies and goals? Please be specific about the changes you would endorse.
SD: I believe our School Board deserves to be proud of the policies and goals they have set out, and achieved. For example, only two schools in New York State currently have a Sustainability Policy. We can do more to create a culture of environmental awareness not just in the academic curriculum but in the culture we create. We will continue with our reduced energy consumption .
DE: We have done a lot but need to put more emphasis on the curriculum. We already see a lot of engagement in the Elementary schools and need to keep working on the whole district. For example students need to understand the geo political problems like migration caused by climate change.
LL: Much of the policy here is dictated by State and federal Education law. Sustainability policy is set separately by Warwick.. We always note that a policy is only as good as its implementation so oversight by the Administration and the Board is the key to success here. We believe that when the School Board is working well it is stable, provides unity and is constantly evolving to adapt to new challenges.