2020-21 BOE Candidates
Samantha Holcman | Personal Statement
My name is Samantha Holcman and I live in Katonah with my husband, Brad, and our two daughters, Charlotte and Eleanor. We moved to Katonah in 2013 after moving to Westchester from Los Angeles in 2012. We fell in love with Katonah for its welcoming community, down-to-earth vibe, proximity to the city and beautiful landscapes. But what really sealed the deal was our visit to KES during its annual Halloween Fair. We knew the school district was strong, but we really got a sense for how connected the school community is, how respectful the students are and how much pride everyone has for their school. And now we are lucky enough to have Eleanor in kindergartener and Charlotte in third-grade at KES, and the school has far exceeded our expectations since that first glance back in 2013.
I have spent the last 4 years serving on the Katonah Elementary School PTO Executive Board, the last 2 years as Co-President, an opportunity that has allowed me to connect, listen, strategize and innovate with families, faculty, staff and leadership. These collaborations have inspired me to find solutions to existing problems and create new programs. I have honed my comprehension of the ins-and-outs of our district, and am able to quickly and effectively identify a need and set meaningful intentions.
My KES PTO leadership experience has been concentrated on enriching the lives of the KES students and families. As a School Board trustee, I want to build on that mission, focusing on the growth, wellness, safety, progress and success of all KLSD students. I believe in the whole-child experience and fostering an educational environment where all students are treated with respect, empathy and compassion. We need to support and augment the strong academic and extracurricular programming that KLSD is renowned for while adopting an annual budget that is fiscally responsible and does not exceed the tax cap.
With respect to district affairs and the dynamics of the school board, are you an agent of change or status quo and why?
KLSD is a powerhouse with strong academic and extracurricular programming and an engaged community. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for growth and improvement. I see change as progress, and aim to focus on what is already working and build on that momentum to be stronger and ready to address new challenges.
I approach planning meetings with fresh new ideas, solutions to problems, and varying perspectives from people in the community. I listen to people in my community and I make sure to truly understand the root of the problem before implementing a new idea. I am willing to take risks, ask hard questions and help find creative solutions.
During my service as Co-President of the KES PTO, I organized new programs for our students and parents with our back-to-school “Chalk the Walk” event, our “Boo Hoo/Yahoo!” first day of school parent mixer, and our “Kindness Day” event where students take part in meaningful kindness projects that impact our local community. In addition, I helped grow our before and after school student enrichment program, increasing course offerings and enrollment by over 200%. I spearheaded the effort for online PTO communication by starting our first social media account, built a new website and moved payment for events and programming online.
At Katonah Elementary School, we have a population of students where English is a new language in their homes. We identified a need to better communicate and connect with our families. I helped create our optional “ENL (English as a New Language) Buddy Program” where an ENL family is paired up with another KES family that speaks their native language. Having a buddy family helps ensure the communication divide is lessened, helps maintain student equity and helps strengthen our KES community as a whole.
These are just some examples of where I pushed forward new ideas and improved upon what was already in place, not because there was a problem, but because we can achieve even greater successes if we take the time to listen to one another. It’s not just about raising voices; it’s about raising each other up.
Do you feel as though the district was prepared for the closure of schools due to the pandemic? Do you have any ideas how KLSD could re-open in September while abiding by directives from the state?
The pandemic closure was an unforeseeable circumstance for everyone worldwide. Telecommuting was never something our public school district had to prepare for and KLSD was left to reinvent our learning community overnight. Like building a ship during a voyage, our faculty, staff and administration was faced with teaching and troubleshooting, while concurrently constructing virtual classrooms, gymnasiums, providing special education services and so much more. Reopening in the fall will depend on guidelines from the CDC, Department of Health and our Governor. We will likely be regulated to have a reduction in transportation and building capacity, only being allowed to fill our buses and schools with a fixed capacity percentage of student and staff. Because of this, our students will have to follow staggered schedules. For instance, each student will attend school in the building Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, leaving Friday as a catch-up day with virtual office hours.
I lived through the 1994 Northridge, CA earthquake where so much of the area’s learning infrastructure was damaged and uninhabitable. Institutions had to move students into tent cities and trailers in order to continue classroom learning. Increasing our square footage in order to social distance while on campus will be key. Can KLSD get approval from the state to reopen a portion of the previously closed Lewisboro Elementary School campus as space to host students? Does it make sense to relocate students, faculty, staff, administration, pay overhead costs of heating, cleaning, electricity, etc, and pay to transport our students off their home campuses? Or perhaps is it more cost effective to use our school grounds for learning and gathering in smaller groups.
Since a recent study found that the virus is spread far more easily indoors than outdoors, we need to relocate learning and gathering to the outdoors whenever possible. I do foresee an increased need for faculty and staff to help keep our students safe while implementing safety guidelines. Our students will need assistance understanding and maintaining physical distancing measures.
There is so much purpose in being together and holding space for one another. Our students need to be able to sit closely and collaborate, play tag, hug a friend or read the look on someone’s unmasked face. I understand that the solutions are not ideal, but I look forward to prioritizing that sense strong of togetherness for our students, when they are apart.
Distance learning has been a challenge for everyone. Do you think the district was prepared and what do you think should have been done differently? If we have future closures in the 2020-2021 school year, what do you think it should look like for our students?
As mentioned in the previous answer, the district never had a reason to build a virtual learning environment and therefore had a steep learning curve when we switched over to distance learning. Moving forward, KLSD needs to ensure that every student is equipped with their own device while streamlining the use of technology. There needs to be an emphasis on teacher training on a variety of topics from social-emotional learning and effectively connecting with our students, to technology and other educational tools so our teachers and students can work smarter, not harder. We need to make sure we are appropriately assessing our students, academically and emotionally, and meeting curriculum benchmarks. Also, providing special services for our students is crucial for their educational development, but also for their growth as individuals and as a community.
If there are future closure in the 2020-2021 school year, KLSD needs to replicate the classroom experience and school day as much as possible. I believe online synchronous learning will help students better engage in mandatory learning. We also need to pair digital learning with the support of classroom supplies and textbooks. We are now better prepared to send students home with all necessary supplies that support the learning process. We don’t know what challenges the future holds, but by supporting and enriching our young learners, they will have the confidence to rise to the challenges ahead.
What do you think are the strengths of our district and what challenges do you think the district is facing?
As I mentioned before, KLSD is a powerhouse with strong academic and extracurricular programming and an engaged community. Our students are lead by faculty, administrators, support staff and coaches that truly are invested in their futures. KLSD strives to develop well rounded individuals that are well adjusted, independent and college ready. To be the best, there must always be growth and improvement.
Administrators constantly need to educate themselves on the various curricula to fit our students’ changing needs, such as early literacy programs, to ensure a level of proficiency so our students can reach their full potential.
With school security protocols always evolving, we are faced with training our students and staff while prioritizing the need to maintain a positive learning environment where our students feel safe.
We can’t do much to change the lack of racial diversity in our school district, but we can focus more on building an inclusive environment where we empathize with one another, share cultural stories, teach point of view, and celebrate our differences. I believe we need to expand on culturally responsive teaching practices. This pedagogy is very important in offering full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures.
Many of our students feel stressed, over-scheduled and anxiety-filled. There is a pressure to perform and fit in. I believe mindfulness needs to become more of a priority, whether through student programming or the implementation of double recess in our elementary schools, for more brain breaks during the day. Investing in school mental health professionals that take the time to communicate with our students and parents on social-emotional wellness and learning will go a long way in keeping our students healthy and building a positive school culture.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, changing financial circumstances will bring new challenges to our district. From potential decreased state funding to a potential increased enrollment and classroom sizes, our board needs to set an attainable vision, prioritize spending and fiscal responsibility, all while maintaining a high level of education, programming and services.
Catharine Oestreicher | Personal Statement
My name is Catharine Oestreicher. My husband and I moved to Katonah eighteen years ago. Our five children have attended or are attending KL schools: Margaret (JJHS ’17), is a senior at Villanova School of Nursing; Allison, (JJHS ’19) is a sophomore at the University of Vermont, a D1 athlete and majoring in education; Charlie (JJHS ’20) will be attending Duke University in the fall and plans to study math and physics; Walter is a rising sophomore at JJHS; and Audrey will enter the 7th grade at JJMS.
I was born and raised in Bedford and attended the Bedford Central School District. My husband and I moved to Katonah eighteen years ago because we fell in love with Katonah’s small town feel, sense of community and excellent schools.
I am running for the KLSD Board of Education because I believe in the importance of an engaged, relevant and active learning environment for our students. I also believe it is imperative that we focus on the physical and mental health of our students. If elected, I will strive to advance our students’ academic experience, athletic programs, arts programs, and extracurricular clubs. I believe the school board should support, lead and inspire our faculty and administration while remaining fiscally responsible.
I graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology. I continued my post-graduate education at Manhattanville College where I received a Masters in Elementary Education. I worked as a teacher for three years before starting my family. I began volunteering in our schools fifteen years ago and have served multiple years as Class Parent, Team Parent, supervised Staff Appreciation Luncheons and directed KES 5th Grade Variety Shows. I have served three terms on the executive panel of the JJHS PTO, first as treasurer and am now completing my second term as its president. I have served as a member of the JJHS Parent Council for the past three years and truly enjoy working with other PTOs and administrators to help develop and institute the very best educational experience possible for our children.
I believe that my extensive volunteer experience, educational background and life experiences accumulated through our five children’s elementary, middle school and highs school careers give me a unique perspective and makes me a strong candidate for the school board.
With respect to district affairs and the dynamics of the school board, are you an agent of change or status quo and why?
I believe communication and transparency between the board and the community is paramount. I believe the current board has worked hard to achieve both, but can be more successful. The responsibilities of a school board member are to listen to its constituents, establish a vision and goals, stay informed of policies, laws and regulations that can impact the work of our school district, maintain an annual budget that is fiscally responsible, serve as a leader and representative of the community, advocate for students and most importantly provide a safe learning environment for our students. If elected I will do my best to act on these responsibilities to the best of my abilities whether that’s as an agent of change or status quo.
Do you feel as though the district was prepared for the closure of schools due to the pandemic? Do you have any ideas how KLSD could re-open in September while abiding by directives from the state?
I believe the pandemic caused a sudden, massive disruption to every aspect of our lives. I do not believe our district was any less prepared for this global event than any other sector - government, economy, industry or education system. I do not think that the United States educational system or KLSD was prepared for an overnight shift to remote learning. But that was then, and this is now. I think our faculty and teachers worked quickly to implement remote learning and it has been challenging. We have a lot to learn because while we may not have been prepared in March, we definitely need to be prepared in September.
I have read many different opinions about reopening schools in September and while I hope for that outcome I believe we need to be prepared for the possibility that it might not happen. We need to continue to work on developing different contingency plans. There may be staggered half-day classes or one-day-on, one-day-off schedules so classes and buses can maintain social distancing. We will need to look at disinfecting options, limit crowded hallways, class sizes and lunchrooms. We have to look at what recess will look like for our elementary school students. We need to to meet the needs of our students with disabilities.
We know that social distancing and hygiene are vital to the safety and health of our students and faculty until a vaccine is found. That needs to be our top priority while still maintaining excellence in our education.
Distance learning has been a challenge for everyone. Do you think the district was prepared and what do you think should have been done differently? If we have future closures in the 2020-2021 school year, what do you think it should look like for our students?
I do not believe that distance learning is a substitute for in-school education. None of my children have learned, or enjoyed learning as much as they would have in the classroom - not to mention the lack of socialization, independence and maturity that comes with heading off to school each morning.
It breaks my heart. I can’t imagine what recess will look like for our elementary school children. Will our children need to wear masks all day? How will our students get to school? Will we be comfortable putting our children on the bus everyday? These questions need to be answered and need to be addressed now. We need to be thoughtful in our decisions because we aren’t just looking at our education system but also at our children’s physical and mental health. I want to play an integral role in this decision-making process. I want to help decisions get made by actually envisioning what the answer might look like for my own child.
Distance learning has been a challenge for everyone. We made some mistakes and those mistakes need to be remedied. In order for us to be successful at remote learning we need more clarity, review, checking for understanding, and prompt feedback. We need to look at new technology, better software platforms and more instruction. Distance learning has to be more interactive; we need to engage our student and encourage them to become active participants.
What do you think are the strengths of our district and what challenges do you think the district is facing?
I believe the core strength of our school district is the dedication of our faculty and staff. Our athletic program is among the best in the section and our commitment to the arts remains strong. Our amazing extracurricular clubs and activities are hugely popular, have enjoyed incredible success and continue to integrate their programs into the middle and elementary schools.
I believe the quality and dedication of the people on our staff are the backbone of our district and I would like to take a moment to applaud the vast majority of them who have worked so hard during this difficult time of distance learning. Many of them had never used the various platforms required for distance learning and had to learn them on the fly and teach our students at the same time. They worked hard to implement new lesson plans and creative ways to keep our students active and engaged. In addition, many of them have their own families and needs. Thank you for your hard work!
I believe the most immediate challenges facing our district will be as a result of COVID-19. I believe our school board needs to continue to be vigilant about exploring different educational programs and mechanisms that can improve the academic life and social well being of our students. I believe that we must deliver an even more meaningful education experience for our students going forward. The KLSD Board’s established vision and goals for the district have propelled us to be one of the most competitive schools in our state but there is more work to be done. I would like to be a part of this challenge and look forward to working collaboratively with the board and our community. Thank you for your consideration.
Bill Rifkin | Personal Statement
My name is Bill Rifkin, and I am a trustee on the KLSD Board of Education. I am finishing my second term and am running for a third term on the Board. I would like to tell you a little about myself.
I moved to Cross River in the Town of Lewisboro with my wife in 2003, just in time for our oldest son to start kindergarten. We picked this community in large part due to the reputation of the school district.
We are now on the ‘other side of the looking glass’ having had both our sons graduate and move on to college (2016 and 2019). By all measures, our boys got a wonderful education from the district, the district served them well. They got into the colleges of their choice and felt very well prepared for college. They had a wonderful experience, due to the teachers, the coaches, the guidance counselors, really everyone involved. One of the reasons I have and would like to continue serving on the Board is to ‘give back’ to the district that has given us so much.
Another reason I am running is that I believe retaining some experience on the Board is important because we have some big things coming up. Whether it be the obvious ‘how do we handle distance learning’ if it continues in the fall, or how do we handle possible budget issues. We may face a reduction in State aid as the State has been contributing to other things right now. Health insurance costs may go up and we may have to contribute more to the employees’ retirement funds, as this is tied to the stock market. When the market goes down, our required contributions go up.
It’s going to be a bit of a fraught time coming up, and I wanted to give the voters the option of retaining some institutional memory on the Board of Education.
I would be very honored if I can have your support for another term. Its been one of the privileges of my life to serve for the past six years, and I’d love to continue. Thank you!
With respect to district affairs and the dynamics of the school board, are you an agent of change or status quo and why?
I think the answer to this for myself would be “a little bit of both”. Depending on the details and situation, both the status quo and change can be most appropriate. In terms of status quo, I think it is fair to say that the Board of Education has sought out stability and predictability in some areas, and in those cases, I fully supported this.
To give an example, I would mention the district’s commitment and prioritization of academic excellence. In my role as chair of the performance metrics committee, I helped the district develop the tools and means to measure and monitor how well the district was doing by its students. The information that went into this analysis was multi-faceted and comprised much more than test scores (although those were an element too), including student engagement, extracurricular and co-curricular activities, like art, music sports and student government, to name just a few. Making sure our students have the best possible offerings from which to choose, rigorous scholastics and sufficient opportunities such that every student can find their niche, can be painted as trying to maintain the status quo. The details may change, and should evolve over time, but the emphasis and overarching goal should not.
In terms of being an agent of change, I would once again draw upon my work helping the district develop valid, and fair means by which to try to measure “how the district is doing” in serving its students. The goals mentioned above are unchanging, but I brought new rigor to how the district looks at and develops evidence by which to see if we are “doing well”. By way of example, the measures I help set in place varied from test scores to level of participation in extra-curricular activities (eg, how many students took part, how did they do so), and from college acceptance analysis to how robust were our music, art and theater programs.
I truly believe that our district does and should offer the opportunity for every student, no matter their abilities and interests, to find their passion, to explore their strengths and to identify and address their areas of opportunity to improve. But in order to achieve this, we have to have the willingness and ability to measure or quantify what we do, evaluate whether it is “working” and what, if any, modifications are necessary. In this area, I am an agent of change.
Do you feel as though the district was prepared for the closure of schools due to the pandemic? Do you have any ideas how KLSD could re-open in September while abiding by directives from the state?
Do I think the district was prepared for the closure of schools? Frankly, no, but I would immediately add, that no one was. I do not believe any educator, school administration or district was truly ready for the enormous shift in how and where we educate our students. While a pandemic like the one we are enduring now was always an acknowledged medical possibility, I do not think educators could be faulted for not having a ready, off the shelf, fully elaborated plan for how to proceed in the situation in which we find ourselves.
Having said that, it becomes all the more mandatory that the district now consider various options and contingencies and draw up various plans (to be implemented depending on the contingency) so that we are as fully prepared as we can be for the future. In the question below, I will comment further on distance learning, but in more general terms, the challenge before us is daunting. It is for this reason that I decided to run again for the Board. Not because in any way am I indispensable, or a source of unique wisdom, but rather my judgement is that now is a good time for some consistency, and preserved “institutional memory” on the Board.
In terms of ideas about reopening in the fall, I cover that a bit below as well, but I think it bears some repetition that a key will be learning as we go. This summer will be spent evaluating “how things went” this spring, and making adjustments as necessary. It will be important to be open to any and all possibilities and to be willing to make changes.
Distance learning has been a challenge for everyone. Do you think the district was prepared and what do you think should have been done differently? If we have future closures in the 2020-2021 school year, what do you think it should look like for our students?
As I said as part of the answer to the previous question, no one was truly prepared for distance learning. All districts were thrown into this and have had to adjust on the fly. I think all school personnel (teachers administrators, as examples) have been working very hard to make this work as best we can. I think the important thing is to be willing to make adjustments in short order and be flexible. What works for one age group, may not work for another. What is beneficial for some children may not work for others. Certainly by the fall of 2020, we will have our own experiences, as well as those of neighboring districts, to draw upon to design the best possible system and set of standards for next year. It will also be important to continue to monitor our successes, and areas in need of change.
As to the good questions, “What should have been done differently, and what should things look like next year”, I think it important to bring up a certain point. Members of the Board of Education are responsible for oversight, creating policy, and setting responsible budgets. We are not educational experts. Our role, certainly, includes taking the pulse of the community, collecting information, and listening closely when community members and students bring us their impressions. We are a link between the community and the administration, and that role is very important. At the same time, it is not the Board’s role to make curricular decisions. What we must do is hold the administration to account, as well as watch outcomes and student experiences closely. The proper role for the Board of Education is to monitor “how things are going”, give voice to community concerns, and make sure the educational experts are given the resources to achieve their goals.
What do you think are the strengths of our district and what challenges do you think the district is facing?
I think the district has many strengths. We continue to provide top-notch academics whether we are compared to the rest of the State, the county or our local peers. We offer a broad array of opportunities for students to discover and pursue their interests. We continue to have success in placing graduates at top tier schools, where there is lots of competition.
At the elementary level, we have dedicated the resources to maintain small class sizes, and to continue to prepare students for the middle school, and likewise from the middle school to the high school. The Board visits each school every year, and we get to see our teachers in action. In addition, the Board hears presentations all year long from teachers and students engaged in the whole spectrum of the district’s activities and efforts. These visits and presentations are the highlight of the board’s duties. I come away very impressed and gladdened by what I see and hear.
Important strengths of a district are to identify and attend to areas in need of improvement and prepare for anticipated challenges. As I mentioned in response to an earlier question, our district does monitor outcomes and progress and is willing to acknowledge when change is indicated.
One area to pay a lot of attention to, of course, is the previously discussed remote learning experience. Another area to watch closely is our declining enrollment. While the size of each year’s decrease is slowing, it is ongoing. This can manifest as an issue, for example, as reduced numbers of students selecting certain high school courses. How do we maintain options for student electives in a reduced enrollment district?
Another, related, challenge will be budgeting. Our finances are overall in very good shape, in fact, the envy of neighboring districts. This is due to prudent planning over the years by the Board and the administration, and generous taxpayer support. This year’s budget includes zero year on year increase in the amount the district will ask of the taxpayers (tax levy is flat). In the current economic climate, this is appropriate. An important aspect of maintaining the strengths of our district is to keep the finances in order, such that we are responsible stewards of public funds. Like other districts, we will have to face the likely reality of reduced State aid. The pandemic has forced the State to increase spending elsewhere in the budget, so prudence demands that we plan for the possibility of reduced aid. In our case, State aid does not represent a very large share of our revenue, but even so, it will be something to account and plan for.