Dan Mahoney: Why I’m running for School Board

To the Editor:

The Supreme Court wrote in Wisconsin v. Yoder, “The history and culture of Western

civilization reflect a strong tradition of parental concern for the nurture and upbringing of

their children. This primary role of parents in the upbringing of their children is now

established beyond debate as an enduring American tradition.” The importance of

fostering collaboration between parents, students and education professionals creates an

optimal learning environment for every student’s success.

Citizens exercise their privilege at the ballot box determining which candidates to entrust

with one of the most important responsibilities: helping to plan for the education of their

community’s children. School boards are a unique American institution. As elected

officials, self-government is the cornerstone of democracy.

The pandemic has had devastating impacts on learning and academic normalcy is out of

reach for many students, due in part, to school districts waiting on guidance from Albany

rather than establishing goals and objectives to meet the needs of local stakeholders.

Warwick’s ability to minimize these impacts was built around the school board and

superintendent’s desire to provide parents with a choice in their children’s educational

needs. Parent’s voices were heard through the use of surveys enabling the administration

to ensure as much in-person learning as was available. Warwick was one of the few districts

that established this precedent early on. As the negative effects become more evident,

from lockdowns and continuous remote learning in other districts, positive collaboration

between parents and the administration will have been proven a true success.

Dan Mahoney

Warwick