League Invites Public to Focus on Money in Politics
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- Written by Mary Beth Evans and Deb Morel
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In a rare show of unity, Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, agree that
money has too much influence on elections, the wealthy have more influence on elections, and candidates who win office promote policies that help their donors.
- New York Times, June 2, 2015
If you are among those concerned about money in politics, then plan to attend the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (LWVS) event on Monday, January 11 at 7 pm in the Scott Room of the Scarsdale Public Library. Following an informational presentation that is free and open to the public, the LWVS will conduct a consensus meeting for members to contribute to a review and update of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) position on campaign finance.
Important U.S. Supreme Court decisions in recent years dealing with campaign finance and the First Amendment (e.g., Citizens United 2010, McCutcheon 2014) have dramatically changed the political landscape. According to the LWVUS, "The Court drastically extended its views on free speech to allow unlimited independent spending in candidate elections by corporations and unions and entirely discounted any danger from any undue influence other than quid pro quo ('something for something') corruption."
The result has been to undermine the integrity and effectiveness of the nation's anti-corruption campaign finance laws and open the door to an explosive growth of money in politics. This is why the LWVUS is pursuing "a strategic, multi-dimensional approach at the federal and state levels to overcome or limit" the Court's decision in Citizens United. "League delegates are deeply concerned about the big money that is polluting our elections," said LWVUS president Elisabeth MacNamara. "At the [2014] Convention, we came together and pledged to educate our communities and fight in our legislatures to protect our democracy."
For nearly a century since its founding in 1920, the nonpartisan League has worked to encourage informed and active participation in government. To that end, the LWVUS position has been to support methods of campaign finance that ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office and allow maximum participation in the political process.
Since its position on campaign finance was last amended in 1982 and does not address the First Amendment issues raised by the majority opinions in recent related U.S. Supreme Court cases, the LWVUS is now asking members to consider whether the expression of views through the spending of money to finance election campaign activities should be protected under the First Amendment; and, if so, how should those rights be reconciled with those that the League currently believes should be protected.
We urge all members of the public and of the League to join the LWVS focus on an issue that is at the core of our democracy. For further information, including the list of Consensus Questions for League members to consider, please visit the LWVS website (www.lwvs.org) or contact advocacy@lwvs.org.
Contributed by Mary Beth Evans, Money in Politics Committee Chair and Deb Morel, President, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale.
Letter to the Editor: Scarsdale Board of Education To Vote on Whether to Include Mandarin in the Middle School
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- Written by Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez
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This article was submitted to Scarsdale10583 for publication by Claire He, Brice Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Joanne Teoh, Wanna Zhong, and Julie Zhu
Last week, Scarsdale Board of Education President Leila Maude exercised great leadership in requesting that board members vote on December 14th whether to include Mandarin in the Scarsdale Middle School starting in 2016. The Mandarin in the Middle School Initiative Team (MMSIT) would also like to thank her for the level of public accountability that she has exhibited in requesting that each board member explain her or his position at the time of the vote. Additionally, we are grateful that she acknowledged that our group submitted a memorandum with research and analysis to advocate for the importance of including Mandarin in the middle school. We encourage Scarsdale residents to attend the December 14th meeting and support us in increasing and improving foreign language choice and instruction in Scarsdale schools.
Scarsdale parents have been strongly advocating to include Mandarin in the Scarsdale school district for over a decade. It took our predecessors over five years to persuade the administration and the school board to start implementing Mandarin in the high school. In 2008, a World Language committee assembled by the Scarsdale school district recommended including Mandarin in the Middle School and offered suggestions as to how this could be done. A June 2008 New York Times article mentioned that Scarsdale would be including Mandarin in the middle school. Seven years have transpired and Mandarin is still not in the Middle School. In many cases, the children of those first Mandarin parent advocates have graduated without ever having been given a well-deserved chance to study Mandarin in Scarsdale.
Scarsdale is now significantly behind numerous school districts in the tri-state area which are already offering Mandarin at the middle school and sometimes even at the elementary level.
Nearby New Rochelle offers Mandarin starting in elementary school. Additionally, in several cities in New York state such as Jericho, Old Bethpage, Pasadena, Plainview, Syosset, and five elementary schools in New York City, students can begin studying Mandarin as early as kindergarten. In Linden, New Jersey Mandarin also instruction starts in the elementary schools. Back in 2010, Linden's superintendent stated in The Wall Street Journal that 'offering Chinese was a leap of faith, "in a working-class town that has no significant number of Chinese." Now, about 400 elementary school children in the Linden school district are studying Mandarin.
Most nearby middle schools offer three languages, and Mandarin is often one of them. In Croton-Harmon, students in the fifth grade can start studying Mandarin, French, or Spanish. In Brewster, middle school students have a choice of Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish. Mamaroneck requires all sixth graders to take Mandarin, Spanish and French. Then in the seventh grade, students can pick one language on which to focus.
Three nearby middle schools offer four foreign languages in the middle school. Rye Middle School and Pelham Middle School offer French, Mandarin, Latin, and Spanish starting in the sixth grade. In Rye, students are permitted to study two foreign languages and foreign language courses meet daily. White Plains middle schools offer students a choice of Mandarin, Italian, French and Spanish. Understanding the importance of leveling for different skill sets, White Plains offers different Spanish courses for native and non-native speakers.
In both middle schools in Westport, Connecticut, students can choose Mandarin, French or Spanish. Mandarin instruction there began in 2010 and is taught every day for 50 minutes each session.
Princeton John Witherspoon Middle School recently added Mandarin to its French and Spanish offerings; Mandarin begins in the seventh grade.
In Great Neck, New York, both middle schools offer Mandarin. Great Neck South offers four languages, French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish. Great Neck North offers five languages, the highest number of any public middle school in the tri-state area that we were able to find in our research. Middle school students at Great Neck North have the choice of French, Hebrew, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish. ''Long Island is by far the most outstanding region, with more elementary school foreign language programs than any other area in the state,'' said Harriet Barnett, co-chairwoman of the Early Foreign Language Committee for the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers. ''Long Island is a leader in what's becoming a national trend.''
Some nearby middle schools do not offer Mandarin, but do offer three language choices to their students. Sleepy Hollow Middle School offers French, Italian, and Spanish, while both middle schools in Chappaqua offer French, Spanish, and Latin.
Moreover, top area private schools, whose students compete with ours for college admission, have been meeting the need for Mandarin instruction, in some cases for over a decade. The more Scarsdale waits to include Mandarin in the middle school, the more difficult and possibly more expensive will it become to lure the best and the brightest Mandarin instructor to this district.
Letter: Mandarin Should Be Added to the SMS Curriculum
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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A group of Scarsdale parents, advocating for the inclusion of Mandarin instruction in the Middle School, wrote this letter and submitted it to Scarsdale10583 for publication. The letter comments on the results of a recent series of surveys on world language instruction and the Scarsdale School Administration's decisions based on those results. See details of the survey here. The names of the authors of the letter are shown at the end of the piece:
The Mandarin for Middle School Initiative Team (MMSIT) wants to thank the Scarsdale School Administration for running a total of four World Language Surveys in October. Two of them, the K-5th grade parents and the fifth grade parents' surveys, were to gauge community interest in foreign language expansion in the Middle School. The other two surveys, one for parents of K-11th and one for 6-11th grade students, were to solicit feedback on current foreign language offerings. We are grateful for the administration's time and efforts.
As Assistant Superintendent Ms. Lynne Shain stated at Monday's Board of Education meeting, the administration's objectives were to determine what the Scarsdale community thought about expanding foreign language offerings in the Middle School beyond the existing two Romance languages and to identify in which additional language the community was most interested.
The administration met its objectives, because the community answered. Out of those parents who responded to the K-5 parents' survey, an overwhelming 69% stated that it was important or very important to add languages to the existing Middle School curriculum. In the other surveys, those who wanted the language program expanded were also the majority.
56% of the parents in the K-5 survey chose Mandarin as the number 1 choice to be added to the Middle School curriculum, with much smaller percentages choosing other languages such as Arabic, Cantonese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, or Urdu. When parents were asked what language their child would take in the 6th grade, in both the K-5 survey and the fifth grade parent survey, Spanish and Mandarin ranked as the top two choices, with French as the third.
Given these district-administered survey results, it is very disappointing that the school administration is recommending that "based on the low response rates to the surveys, the majority of the parents and students are satisfied with the current world language offerings at the middle school and high school." The administration is recommending that the middle school program not be expanded to include Mandarin.
We were pleased that a number of school board members asked good probing questions of the administration. Answers are certainly needed. We offer an alternative interpretation of the survey results and urge the Board of Education and current administration to reconsider their recommendation.
There are two significant problems with the administration's analysis. First, the survey response reasoning is tantamount to saying that because voter turnout is low in most US elections, that the electorate is satisfied with those elected officials. There are many reasons that people do not vote: disaffection, apathy, exhaustion from work, etc. Equally, there are many reasons why Scarsdale parents did not answer the survey. They may not have received it. Maybe it is in their spam folder. It is possible that they are inundated with emails or overwhelmed with work. Perhaps multiple means of communications should have been used to insure that parents knew about the survey. Yet, is it anyone's right or responsibility to ascribe thoughts and views to those who did not respond to the survey? The school administration did not prove that those who did not respond to the survey are satisfied with the Scarsdale language program as it exists presently.
Secondly, it is not accurate to say that the response rate to the administration's language survey was low. The administration did not provide a benchmark against which it determined what 'low response' means. In fact, the language survey response was far higher than voter turnout for the Scarsdale school budget. For the 2012-2013 budget, only 725 Scarsdalians turned out to vote; that is only 6.2% of the over 11,700 eligible Scarsdale voters. For the 2014-2015 budget, turnout was 8 ½%. Even in the very heated 2013-2014 budget vote when 3,222 voters turned up to vote, they represented only 27½% of the eligible voters.
Even with that lower voter turnout, the voice and will of the people pertaining to the budget are accepted. Why then, when the middle school language surveys received far higher turnouts of 39% for the K-5 parents and 54% for fifth grade parents is the voice of the Scarsdale community disregarded? President Obama and the White House have declared learning Mandarin a national priority, yet the Scarsdale administration is recommending that it is not a priority in Scarsdale.
Additionally, in the interest of transparency, it is important for the Scarsdale public to know why parents with foreign language experience were not included in the survey committee. Scarsdalians have the right to know the foreign language experience and expertise of the committee convened. Do any of them speak foreign languages fluently, particularly a non-Romance one? We find it very unusual that professionals who would speak a foreign language would not understand the importance of having native instructors and to have different levels of foreign languages taught based on the students' language expertise. Currently, for languages in the elementary and middle schools, students of every type of fluency level are thrown together, doing a disservice to all of them.
We are also concerned that the administration is emphasizing that some parents already pay for private Mandarin classes. Is the administration implying that if many parents pay for an activity, it does not need to be part of the curriculum? Parents pay for Mandarin privately because their tax dollars are not being used to fund Mandarin in elementary or middle school. Also, the current instruction in the High School is not meeting their needs.
Claire He, a Scarsdale resident and the deputy principal of the Huaxia Greater New York Sunday Chinese School, commented that while her school would not want to lose students in the future once the district offers Mandarin in more grades, she is supporting the Mandarin initiative as a Scarsdale resident because it is the right thing to do for the community, and it will benefit many students without Asian heritage to get exposure to the language and the culture.
Scarsdale parents often pay privately for sports, art and music lessons. Does that mean that those classes should not be part of the Scarsdale curriculum? As a community, we accept all of those courses in the curriculum, irrespective of our personal priorities, because we want to provide the next generation with a well-rounded curriculum. With the very limited Romance language program that exists in the elementary and middle schools, we are not fulfilling our role as a community to prepare our children to be competitive internationally in the future.
The administration also cited the significant dropout rate of Mandarin students in high school as evidence against the value of Mandarin instruction. On the contrary, we see this as strong support that Mandarin classes need to start earlier. High school students are under pressure to have a good GPA in preparation for college admission. It is very challenging to start a new language during those years. The ideal time to start would be as early as possible. During middle school years, children have the luxury to explore new interests and try new things. Once they have a foundation in middle school, they will no doubt do much better in high school.
The community has spoken loudly and clearly that it wants Mandarin added to the Middle School language program. Mandarin is an important part of a world-class education. Scarsdale, with its tradition of forward thinking and commitment to education, must continue its education excellence by including Mandarin in the Middle School curriculum. We hope the Board and the Administration will come back to the table to reassess the issue and reach a better conclusion.
Leo Cha, Eric Cheng, Rocco D'Agostino, Claire He, Thomas Kendall, Brice Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Laura Liu, Yadong Liu, Zhendi Shi, Joanne
Enroll Now For EMT Training
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In January, the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps will offer a five-month Emergency Medical Technician certification course in its Weaver Street headquarters. The course encompasses 138 hours of instruction over five months following the State curriculum. It assumes no prior medical knowledge and teaches the student everything from trauma and medical emergency fundamentals to the pathophysiology of diseases. After passing the State exam, an EMT receives a three-year certification and can oversee patient care.
First responders aren't the only one who take the class. "We also see people who are starting a career in the sciences or those who simply want to feel comfortable helping a loved one during an emergency," said SVAC President David Raizen. "Showing competency in a medical emergency is great for any resume, regardless of profession."
Last month, SVAC was approved by the New York State Department of Health as an EMS training center. It is one of only five certified training centers in Westchester.
"This is an incredible honor and opportunity for the ambulance corps," said SVAC President David Raizen. "The State rarely approves new training centers and has a very strict approval process. This has been many years in the making and a major milestone for SVAC."
This January's class is not the first EMT class to be held at SVAC. Previous classes were run by other training centers but hosted in Scarsdale. While these classes were at capacity, it became unpredictable to rely on other training centers, many of which refused to offer courses outside of their own facility.
"There is definitely a demand in our geographic area for high quality EMS training, and being our own training center allows us to capitalize on this need," said Raizen. "As an organization, we receive no direct taxpayer support and instead rely on donations, insurance fees, and volunteers. Having a permanent home in Scarsdale for EMS training ensures we can maintain a pool of qualified volunteers to help our community and neighbors."
SVAC responds to 1,600 calls annually in both the Village of Scarsdale and neighboring towns including New Rochelle, Eastchester and Hartsdale. Its three ambulances are staffed by a combination of paid paramedics and volunteers.
While the majority of SVAC's volunteers are EMTs, it isn't a requirement for joining. "A lot of our members joined SVAC with no medical background at all," said Raizen. "We give them initial training so they can assist our paramedics and EMTs. Once they feel the tremendous gratification from helping others, they typically progress to an EMT." SVAC reimburses its volunteers for taking the EMT class once they successfully pass the State exam.
In addition to offering original EMT certifications, SVAC also provides continuing medical education for existing EMTs to re-certify, and trains more than a hundred people annually in hands-only CPR.
For more information on education opportunities at SVAC, or to become a member, email info@scarsdalevac.com, or visit www.scarsdalevac.com.
Big Events Coming To Scarsdale Library
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Mark your calendar for two major events hosted by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. On December 3, the community is invited to preview the architectural plans for a major renovation and expansion of the library. Support the library by purchasing your tickets today. In addition, the sixth annual spelling bee will be held on February 5, 2016. Sign up by December 31, 2015 to be part of this fun event!
Books, Bites & Blueprints at Scarsdale Library on December 3
A celebration called Books, Bites & Blueprints will be held at the Scarsdale Library on December 3rd at 7:30 pm.
All Village residents are invited to kick off the holiday season with food, drink and music. The architectural plans for the new 21st Century version of the Library will also be revealed for the first time in public.
Tickets, at $50 each, may be purchased at www.scarsdalelibrary.org. The evening is being hosted by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. Event sponsors include Houlihan Lawrence, Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty, and Platinum Drive Realty.
BE[E] THE WORD!
Don't miss the opportunity to gear up now for the sixth annual Friends of the Scarsdale Library Adult and Teen Spelling Bee to be held on February 5, 2016 at 7:30pm in the High School auditorium.
Complete with raffle prizes, trivia contests, silent auction and refreshments, in addition to the suspense and entertainment of the spell-off itself, the evening is lively and buzzes with anticipation. Library Director, Elizabeth Bermel, comments, "I think the Spelling Bee is the perfect event for Scarsdale. It celebrates the written word and is fun and competitive at the same time. I look forward to it every year."
Josie Blatt, Scarsdale High School junior, joined as a sophomore and plans to enter again: "It was really fun participating... I watch the national Spelling Bee every year, and I know I'm never going to be as good as those kids, so it's fun to have a chance to participate in a less competitive environment. I like that there's a teen round, and I really like that the winner of the teen round gets to move on and compete against the adults and have a chance to prove that kids can be just as good at spelling as adults. I'm looking forward to competing again this year!"
The Spelling Bee, organized by Friends of the Scarsdale Library, will continue to support high level library programming that has brought StoryCorps CEO, Robin Sparkman, New York Times writers, Frank Bruni and Ron Lieber, as well as the Pollan Family table, to our community.
Forming a team or becoming a sponsor are important ways to get involved. But there are many ways for people of all ages to participate. Terri Simon, past Spelling Bee winner and President of the Board of the Scarsdale library, is looking forward to her new role as a judge: "What a terrific community event this is! The Spelling Bee is a fun evening for all ages and a lovely way for families to show their support for our wonderful Library. Whether you form a team to spell with some friends or join in the trivia contests or enjoy just watching the cheerful competition, you will be sure to enjoy the Bee."
Teams and sponsors are needed. Don't let too much time fly by before becoming involved! The deadline for teams to sign up is December 31, 2015 and the entry fee is $150 per team. Each team may consist of up to three members, high-school age or above. Throughout the Spelling Bee, team members collaborate to spell their words. Each team will write its answer on a dry erase board until the final round, when the top teams will spell their words orally.
Sponsor and Spelling Bee team application forms are available at the Library or online at www.scarsdalelibrary.org/friends. For more information, contact Spelling Bee Chairs Renu Lalwani at 917-584-8834 (renublalwani@gmail.com) or Carolyn Mehta at 914-584-5903 (carolynmehta@gmail.com).
