Q&A: Sayville's BOE candidates

This year's candidates:
John Verdone (incumbent, uncontested)
Keith Kolar (incumbent, uncontested)
Carl Cangelosi (incumbent, uncontested)

Q: Please provide a biography.
A:
VERDONE: I am a retired electronics/facilities manager medical/dental device manufacture who moved to Sayville due to its small-town charm and the quality of the schools. I was appointed to the board of education June 2003 to fill an unexpired seat.
I currently serves as president of Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, past president and current-vice president Islip Towns School Boards , Board of Director REFIT (Reform Educational Financing Inequities Today).
KOLAR: I have lived in Sayville my entire life. I am currently in my 21st year of my teaching profession. I am a parent of four children, two of which are currently enrolled and two have graduated.
CANGELOSI: I am a proud graduate of Sayville High School. In addition, I earned a B.A. in economics from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in liberal studies/education from SUNY Stony Brook, and an M.S. in sustainability management from Columbia University.
I worked at an investment bank right out of college. After that, I taught in Eastern Suffolk BOCES, and the Corpus Christi School in Mineola, N.Y. Since 2001 I have been teaching middle school social studies in the Lynbrook School District.
My wife Elizabeth and I are the proud parents of Sofia (age 14) and Carly (Age 12). Both girls attend Sayville Middle School.



Q: (From the Islip NAACP) How do you define critical race theory? How do you feel critical race theory relates to school BBP policy and curriculum?
A:
VERDONE: Declined to answer.
KOLAR: Declined to answer.
CANGELOSI: Critical race theory sheds light on the causes and effects of institutional racism in the United States. The latest revision of the NYSED Curriculum does a noteworthy job of embedding critical race theory into the Social Studies and ELA curriculums. One of the primary responsibilities of our educators is to teach the curriculum. If that is not being done than there needs to be greater oversight by the department chairperson, assistant superintendent for curriculum and ultimately the superintendent. The role of the board is focused strictly on developing and voting on policy, while making sure the superintendent enforces our policies effectively. In addition to ensuring that we hire the most qualified teachers and that they teach the state mandated curriculum to fidelity, we created a dedicated position in our administrative cabinet, the director of student services, to enhance social and emotional learning opportunities for our students. Our director of student services, Jillian Makris, has spearheaded numerous initiatives that have and will continue develop our students’ ability to identify and combat racism by empathizing with and advocating for marginalized groups.

Q: (From the Islip NAACP) The 2019 Hofstra study on teacher diversity on LI’s public schools indicated that our teacher workforce on Long Island does not reflect the diversity of Long Island’s student body. What do you feel is the role of the Board of Education in fair hiring practices? Do you have a strategy to recruit and retain teachers and administrators of color?
A:
VERDONE: Declined to answer.
KOLAR: Declined to answer.
CANGELOSI: Again, our role is policy driven and our only supervisory role relates to the evaluation of the superintendent. I can assure you our administration has and will continue to abide by town, county, state, and federal hiring laws while ensuring our candidate screening process goes above and beyond the law to remove bias of any type from the process. In addition, we strive to hire the most qualified candidates that apply for open positions regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Our primary goal is always to hire and retain the most qualified candidates for each position.

**PLEASE NOTE THERE WERE NO RESPONSES FROM OUR INQUIRY FOR CONSTITUENT QUESTIONS OTHER THAN FROM THE TOWN OF ISLIP NAACP**