By Talia Reiss
On May 18th, the Nyack community cast their votes for two of three candidates vying for a spot on the Board of Education. The results are in!
Incumbent Karen Hughes was reelected for a fourth term. Her impressive track record--which includes the development of programs like Project Lead The Way, AVID, Music Technology, and dual enrollment--enticed voters who sought a tenacious, experienced leader. In her next three years on the Board, Hughes plans to “provide the highest quality of education for ALL students, narrow the achievement gap and provide stretch goals for our high achievers, and ensure that teachers are encouraged, empowered, and rewarded to think outside the box.” Learn more about her vision for Nyack here.
John Duval became the Board’s newest member, though his website cites 15 years of experience in the field of education. With the Young Men’s Initiative, Duval worked to “eliminat[e] the racial opportunity gap for Black and Latinx students,” and his leadership on the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy (IDEA) Committee at Upper Nyack Elementary School helped open the door for a broader discussion on equity. He plans to use this experience to “continue the hard work of improving our schools and creating even greater opportunity for our families.”
The Spectrum Staff extends our gratitude to outgoing member Damon Bender, who, in his six-year term, played an important role in Nyack’s transition to 21st century education, including renovating our libraries, improving social-emotional learning, and upgrading security systems. His commitment to bettering our community has left Nyack with higher graduation rates and state assessment scores, and a highly qualified new superintendent to replace Dr. Montesano. We are grateful for his enthusiasm and hard work.