By Eric Wolf Schoen
May 1 will be a day that Yonkers has not experienced since the 1990’s. A new Superintendent of Schools will take the helm running the 24,000 plus student district. His name is Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr. To borrow a question from the Passover Seder, you ask ‘Why is this Superintendent different from other Yonkers Public School Superintendents?’ The answer? This is the first Superintendent of the Yonkers Public Schools who was appointed from outside the district since the 1990’s.
We welcome Anibal Soler to Yonkers and wish him nothing but the best. As the official weekly paper for Yonkers under the leadership of Editor Dan Murphy, rest assured this paper will do the superb job covering the district that school staff, parents, students and the community rely on to know what is going on.
The daily paper for Yonkers, the Journal News won’t give you stories about the Valedictorian and Salutatorian from each of our high schools you get here. News 12, the cable television station broadcasting news does give you more YPS content, but their format is more regional. Your communications team must daily provide News 12, the Journal News and this newspaper with information about the exciting plans you have for Yonkers as well as school based events going on including everything from Flag Day to Thanksgiving celebrations and everything in between. We like to showcase the positive as long as we know about it.
I particularly want you to succeed. My grandmother graduated from Yonkers High School when it was on South Broadway in 1918. My mother graduated from the South Broadway building, my sister graduated from Yonkers High School when it was in the current Enrico Fermi Building, and I was a student in the first class to spend a full 4 years in the Yonkers High School building at its current location graduating in 1978. The Schoen-Roth families received excellent education in Yonkers Public Schools, and the diversity of the student body made our learning experiences richer.
After a career with the New York City Board of Education, Yonkers City Hall and various Yonkers agencies, I was called on to serve the District as Press Secretary for 10 years. I walked in with not only a good knowledge of the district but worked for Joe Farmer, my High School Principal and with Principals and Central Office administrators many of whom were my teachers in High School. I started as a columnist for the Rising Media Group newspapers covering Westchester and in particular Yonkers the week after I retired.
Bottom line is that my background to write this particular column is a lot different than a cub reporter writing on his first day on the job. My news colleagues upstate spoke well of you, as did my educational colleagues who are familiar with your work.
I won’t mention his name, but let’s just say the last Superintendent appointed from outside the district ended up not on the parallel bars in the gym but behind bars in jail. People in Yonkers remember this sad affair. And they have concerns about a Superintendent coming from outside the district.
There are some in Yonkers who believe a Superintendent from outside the district won’t work. These people need to learn about leadership in schools in America. As Dolly Levi sang in Hello Dolly about our fair city, ‘Out there there is a world outside of Yonkers!’
So now for my advice as you assume the leadership of a district that has gone through a lot including yearly budget problems that I refer to as the ‘Budget Tango’ to a Federal desegregation lawsuit that involved massive bussing to achieve its’ goals. I am sure that you are aware of the $87 Million budget deficit for 2024-2025, the latest Budget Tango. ]
The yearly budget tango is humiliating to students, parents and staff. It is bad when staff receive layoff notices which are usually rescinded when the ‘Night in Shining Armor’ comes through to save the day. With rare exceptions the cuts are reversed, but the damage and humiliation never go away. Particularly when staff go through this more than once. You will be everyone’s hero if you can prevent this disgusting process from occurring.
Parents unhappy with the school assignment for their child often will go to the Superintendent or other internal sources for change. If you do this for the child of someone in power, don’t forget the poor child living on Elm Street or School Street who asks for the same thing. He/she should be treated no differently than the rich and powerful.
In your office you have dedicated long term employees like Claire Calvi and Johanna DePierro who will be key resources for you to help you learn about the district and know the players. Don’t shake things up by bringing new people in. These ladies have vast institutional knowledge.
At the start of the year have all staff go over with parents the procedures for bringing problems to the attention of the appropriate District personnel. The chain starts with the classroom teacher flowing to the Assistant Principal, the Principal, the Central Office administrator responsible for the school, your Assistant Superintendents and anyone you add to the chain of command. Broader issues like $86 million deficits need your attention
Only in America do we speak one language. The population of the district who speak Spanish is growing. It is important that all staff have a basic knowledge of Spanish. It will greatly help in communication, and is extremely important in 2024.
You must have in place the tools to provide training to teachers and administrators so they are afforded the opportunity to move up within the district
I once had a chat with Mayor Spano who had the same concern I had that students living outside of Yonkers were attending district schools using resources allocated for Yonkers students who reside in the city. A system for residency checks for all students is critical. If mail is sent by the district to a family and is returned, this is a perfect way to commence residency checks!
I have seen a dedicated safety officer on Spruce Street by the entrance to Yonkers Middle High School go above and beyond directing traffic at this busy intersection for years. If the city can’t provide a police presence, this Safety Officer should frankly be paid a Police Officers salary. You are fortunate to have dedicated employees like this at other schools in the district!
With more schools being built on the West Side of town, let’s hope that bussing will decrease. Certain times in the morning and afternoon drivers have to avoid traveling in Yonkers. This is not good for residents nor for commerce. You had to bus in the days when 70% of your students lived on the West side of town where only 30% of your schools were. Busing is costly, kids don’t learn on a bus and residents fume when they are stuck in bus traffic. Kudos to the Mayor for putting cameras on busses to catch those who illegally pass. On the other hand parents need to be reminded to have students out and ready on the right side for the bus, not across the street. I see it way too often
Every district in Westchester with the exception of Yonkers puts on a musical at the end of the year. Still folks around who remember my star turn as Officer Krumpke in West Side Story at Yonkers High School in 1978. We must let our talented students perform in musicals. It is embarrassing and humiliating to them when the Journal News reviews and honors talented students and performers from throughout the region and they are not included.
Parents must be reminded that Disneyland and other vacation locations are for summer time enjoyment and when schools are not in session. When school is in session students belong in school.
Politicians love to take students out of school as they beg for more money and everyone has there picture taken on the Grand Staircase in Albany. This has gone on since I was in high school. Maybe it’s time for something different considering the head of the State Senate and the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee represent and have offices here at home.
Students should be taken out of their classes only when the activity provides a significant learning opportunity. We want our students to achieve and test scores continue to rise.
In closing, you have a big job ahead of you. Yonkers is a diverse city where the only meals some students receive are while they are in school. You are the Boss. There are some politicians in Yonkers who believe they know everything including how to solve the problems in the Middle East. Don’t let them interfere with your good work.
Good Luck. Buena Suerte! Welcome to Yonkers!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com, or friend him on Facebook Eric Schoen…just look for him in the picture with Joan Rivers!
