At first glance, the school election of 2000 was notable because it seemed to center around educational issues and not just personalities. According to the Journal News, the election was a “referendum on the district’s efforts to address an educational gap between white and black students.” Newcomer Claudette Clarke ran on a “Pro Education/ No Politics” platform, explaining that the achievement gap was “dividing the community.” Davis agreed, saying “people got pretty tired of hearing the same thing.” Their comments mirror the draft responses of both the administration and the school board to the Task Force on Equality and Excellence. In a nutshell, they say, “We conceed there’s a problem, but we’re handling it.”

Mary Wallace, on the other hand, ran on the platform that more needs to be done to close the gap and “create a level playing field.” She argued that making the black/white achievement gap public wasn’t dividing the community as much as revealing a division that already runs long and deep. Among the issues she raised were greater representation of children of color in advanced classes, a more thorough review of Nyack’s elementary reading program, and considerably more energy and funding devoted to outreach in hiring and to teacher training.

So, the election seemed to be about issues, but the campaign argued otherwise. Election posters read, “Mary Wallace is supported by PIE. Vote for Clarke” and “Vote for Valley Cottage Residents Clarke and Davis.” A Wallace supporter’s car window was smashed, the police were called on children passing out Wallace fliers, and the two public debates were marked by intense, often hostile questions. A newspaper insert asking voters to “send a clear message” by voting for Clarke/Davis was signed by two current presidents of the “non-partisan” PTA. Was the often vindictive, intense electioneering because of the racial issue, or was it more personal than that?

Again, the results appear clear at first. They certainly were overwhelming. Clarke received 2030 votes, Davis 2013, and Wallace 851 votes. While Valley Cottage delivered the most votes to Clarke/Davis (1000 to around 200 for Wallace), the pattern ran true at all polling places.

But if this was a vote to stop “dividing the community” over the achievement gap, the budget shouldn’t have passed. It did (by a margin of 1848 to 729), and in the process implemented a number of programs aimed specifically at the achievement gap. Those include full-day kindergarten, Reach For the Stars to motivate students to take advanced classes, bias awareness in grades K-5, restructuring of special education, and a student data system to track the gap.

The irony of this election may be the most notable thing about it. Two African-American candidates were elected on the platform that the district shouldn’t pay too much attention to how African-American children are doing. Voters overwhelmingly supported a budget full of programs designed to improve a situation those same voters seemed to indicate wasn’t important.

How will all this play out in the future? Clearly, the issue won’t go away. The New York State Regents decided in early May to start grading schools based partly on how well its children of color due on state tests. As a May 9, 2000 New York Times article put it,

“The new grades focus on what has become known as the achievement gap by making suburban parents stakeholders in solving it. Low achievement by minority students will no longer be a remote issue; it will affect the public perception of their schools and local property values.”

The election made clear that the majority of voters oppose Mary Wallace and PIE’s position that the achievement gap has to be a top priority. At the same time, it clarified that a third of the voting public agrees with us. Without those more than 800 voters, there’s a good chance the budget would not have passed. And there is certainly no guarantee that these voters will continue to support our schools unless there are clear signs that the situation is improving.

We applaud Mary Wallace for her six years of extraordinary service to the district, for being willing to raise and examine difficult issues. We will take Ms. Clarke and Mr. Davis at their word that citizens bringing issues to the school board will receive prompt and satisfying results. And we applaud the voters of the Nyack/Valley Cottage school district for electing two African-American candidates. May this majority of our community now work as hard for and extend the same support to the district’s children and employees of color.

Related Topics:

Other Topics: