Challenging Times

To state the obvious, we are in uncharted waters as a society. People are dying at an alarming rate yet we are also concerned about how this will affect the education of our children. We would like to publicly thank the District staff and teachers, as well as the District Administration, for the countless hours that they have put in to initiate e-learning. This was not a scenario that could have been anticipated and we are confident that they are sparing no effort to make the best of our “new normal.” Please support them and don’t be hesitant to email constructive ideas to the Board (boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org) or Dr. Hagerman (thagerman@scarsdaleschools.org). We are confident that your suggestions will be met with open minds as we all try to navigate this disruption. A consistent message that we have heard in communications from subscribers to our list is a desire for more synchronous learning. We ask that the District make every effort to increase such opportunities, where appropriate and possible. Much to the chagrin of many parents, our kids miss school, their teachers and their friends. Maintaining this social connection is vital to their well-being.

It has been some time since we have reached out to you. Over the past half-year we have undertaken significant work behind the scenes regarding the security situation at our schools. We are pleased that significant progress has been made, on many fronts, with respect to securing our infrastructure. We are appreciative of the District’s more recent focus on security and will continue to support additional measures. We continue to believe that there is much work to be done. We renew our call for an independent audit of Altaris’s work for the District and the creation of an independent Board subcommittee on security to monitor District progress. We are hopeful that the newly constituted Board will take this up in the Fall. We further support the adoption of an integrated system allowing any teacher to initiate a lockdown from any location inside or outside of the school buildings. Such systems are prevalent and several states, including New York, are considering making their adoption mandatory. Scarsdale should lead, and not follow.

Board of Education Overreach?

Scarsdale School Board elections were held on May 21st of this year. Three of the seven seats were up for election, or nearly half of the Board. Two of the outgoing Board members had decided not to run for re-election, despite being eligible to do so. If they wanted to have a say in the future of our schools, there were free to run for a second term. They chose not to. On June 10, 2019, during the regularly scheduled Board Meeting, the contract of Superintendent Thomas Hagerman was extended for five years, beyond the term of the newly elected Board members. Not only was this significant action taken with no advance notice to the community, or opportunity for public comment, but it was taken by a Board comprised of 3 lame duck members. These outgoing Board members have effectively removed the newly elected members from the most important decision affecting our District. They will be required to run for a second term in order to have any say in the decision to employ our Superintendent.

This lame duck action was disingenuous and in direct conflict with the decision made during Board elections. Our community made the decision to have Karen Ceske, Carl Finger and Ron Schulfof represent us on the Board. They were chosen to exercise their best judgment. Unfortunately for them, and us as voters, much of their input has been usurped by people who have chosen not to serve any longer. This action was inappropriate and should be reserved for the incoming board. Dr. Hagerman’s contract was not set to expire until June 30, 2021, providing ample time for the new Board to provide considered input. According to documents produced by the District, there has not been a five-year Superintendent contract since 2001. With one exception, one of Dr. Hagerman’s agreements, all contracts and extensions have been for three years or less. We think it no small coincidence that three years is precisely the term of a Board member. We also find it interesting that the Board of Education does not keep a record of how each Board member voted on a particular subject. In other words, there is very little accountability. Most elected, representative bodies keep records for this very reason.

We fail to see any reason for such a rush, two full years before the expiration of the current contract or for any reason to extend the contract past the term of the incoming Board members. Did the outgoing Board have a lack of trust in the newly elected members? The Board of Education should govern their actions in light of the wants and desires of the community that elected them and to solicit input before simply enacting far-reaching decisions. This was not done and simply ignored the election results just shortly before. This is exactly the type of behavior that we have come to abhor in Washington, DC. We expected more from Scarsdale.

Where are the police?

In an active shooter incident, the average shooting time is usually less than ten minutes. In Parkland, 17 people were killed and 17 injured in seven minutes; in Sandy Hook, the active shooting time was ten minutes and less than two weeks ago, the police arrived at the STEM school in Highlands Ranch, CO just two minutes after the first shots were fired. In Scarsdale, where there have been two unplanned, potential emergencies, the police weren’t called until 14 and 12 minutes after the lock down/in was called.

Where are the police? They are in their patrol cars, in their station and around the Village, ready to respond at a moment’s notice. What’s missing? The proper procedures to give them that ‘notice’. The District’s policies regarding school safety fail to address timely notification of police. There have been two lock downs/lock ins so far this school year. These were not planned drills, but potentially active events of unknown severity. Even seconds can literally cost lives. Why were there enormous delays in notifying the police?

We asked that very question numerous times subsequent to the QRS bomb threat in late October. Dr. Hagerman’s email response to the incident at QRS stated that “an investigation was immediately initiated jointly by the school… and our law enforcement partners.” Dr Hagerman went on to say that “the police were called within a few minutes.” Dr. Hagerman seems to equate “immediately,” “after a few minutes,” and 14 minutes. There has been still no mention of the 14 minute time period, which has been substantiated by eyewitness accounts and police dispatch records. Why try to mislead parents and the general public or ignore the situation altogether? We have continually asked specific questions regarding the delays and have been met with silence. From the time that the Middle School lock down was initiated until notification of the Scarsdale Police 12 minutes elapsed. Is this the result of our school protocol in an emergency? The Board of Education is seemingly accepting of this situation as they have not posed this question to the administration. Is anyone on the Board concerned about delays in notifying police? If they were, perhaps they would ask that question of Dr. Hagerman and Mr. Mattey in a public forum. They have not. It seems they may be more concerned with maintaining the image of the District Administration. First and foremost, the Board should ensure the safety of our children and not simply accept whatever the District administration has to offer.

Our specific questions have, once again, gone unanswered. Does the District Administration believe that they can ignore legitimate safety questions and concerns from parents? Current behavior would suggest they believe that they are not answerable to us. Thankfully neither incident was an actual emergency because if it was, the result of a 12-14 minute delay in contacting police could have been catastrophic. Our children deserve better and we must ensure their safety if the Board and District Administration won’t.