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Written by: Wendy MacMillan

Published: 01 June 2026

Created: 01 June 2026

Last Updated: 01 June 2026

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On Friday, May 29th, community members were invited to join Jeannie Crowley, Director of Technology and Innovation, and William Yang, K-12 Coordinator of Digital Literacy and Learning, for a discussion about the District’s approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). High school administrators and teachers who have been actively involved in the District’s multi-faceted AI initiatives also participated in the fruitful discussion.

The session explored the development and implementation of AI policy, the District’s technology guardrails, and how teaching and learning at Scarsdale High School are evolving to meet the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about current practices, ask questions, and engage in an important community conversation about the future of education in an age of rapidly advancing technology.

The “Parent Coffee” came as interest, and concern, about AI continues to grow among students, educators, and families. The discussion drew a full house of parents, educators, and community members eager to learn more about how AI is shaping teaching and learning. Crowley and Yang emphasized that while AI presents exciting opportunities, the district is taking a careful, research-based approach to adoption.

Five Technology Guardrails Guide District Decision-Making

At the center of the district’s AI strategy are five technology guardrails designed to ensure responsible and thoughtful use of emerging technologies:

-Privacy Policy
-Safety and Well-Being
-Intentionality
-Collaborative Inquiry
-Digital Competencies

These guardrails encourage students, staff, and families to think critically about questions such as:

-How does AI work?
-How reliable and accurate is AI-generated information?
-What are the implications of AI for individuals, communities, and society?

These principles are informing district-wide conversations and professional learning opportunities as the District develops a thoughtful and balanced approach to AI.

Learning Together Through Inquiry

The district is supporting AI exploration through a variety of collaborative learning structures, including:

-STI Inquiry Groups
-Technology Teachers, Librarians, and Coordinators
-Administrative Council Learning Time
-Family Forum Sessions
-CFII Inquiry Proposals
-Building-Based Study Groups

These initiatives provide opportunities for educators and community members to examine emerging research, share experiences, and develop thoughtful practices around AI use.

A Measured Approach to AI Adoption

One of the strongest themes from the discussion was the district’s commitment to moving deliberately. Crowley and Yang shared that lessons learned from previous waves of educational technology have informed their current approach. Rather than rushing to implement AI tools, the district is monitoring ongoing research and evaluating evidence about AI’s impact on student learning before expanding adoption. “We have learned from past waves of EdTech trends and are being very measured in our approach,” Crowley explained. “We are waiting to see more research about the impact of AI on learning before moving too quickly.”

Changes in Writing Instruction

AI has already influenced classroom practices, particularly in writing instruction at Scarsdale High School. Teachers have adjusted some assignments to create more opportunities for students to produce authentic, in-class work. This shift has also enabled educators to provide more frequent and targeted feedback on specific writing skills. Educators noted that these changes have helped preserve opportunities for students to develop independent thinking and writing abilities while adapting to the realities of AI-assisted tools.

Developing Clear Guidelines

The district currently has AI guardrails in place for employees and is developing additional guidance that will provide more explicit examples of appropriate and inappropriate AI use. These forthcoming guidelines will likely include a “green, yellow, and red light” framework, helping staff determine when AI can be used freely, when caution is warranted, and when use is inappropriate. This work parallels ongoing efforts at Scarsdale High School to establish student-facing AI guidelines that can be adapted to the needs of individual classrooms.

Recognizing that AI use may vary across disciplines and instructional approaches, Crowley shared that teachers need the flexibility to explore and evaluate the technology within their own professional contexts. “There is variation between classrooms on how AI is used, and this is expected,” Crowley noted. “Faculty need space and agency to work with this new tool and determine how and when it can support learning.”

Guidance for Parents

Parents attending the forum asked what conversations they should be having with their children about AI today. District leaders offered several recommendations:

Acknowledge Different Expectations for Adults and Students
Parents are encouraged to explain that AI use in the workplace may differ from expectations for students. Research suggests that experts often benefit more from AI tools because they already possess deep knowledge in their fields, while students are still developing foundational skills and expertise.

Discuss Potential Risks

Families should talk openly about AI-related risks, including deepfake images and manipulated content. Parents are encouraged to create an environment where children feel comfortable seeking help if they encounter harmful or distressing online experiences.

Monitor Vulnerable Students

Special attention should be given to students who may be vulnerable to self-harm, eating disorders, or other mental health concerns. AI chatbots are often designed to be supportive and affirming, which can unintentionally reinforce harmful thoughts or behaviors for some users. Open communication and appropriate monitoring can help ensure student safety.

Looking Ahead

As AI continues to evolve, district leaders emphasized that the conversation is far from over. Ongoing research, community dialogue, and thoughtful experimentation will continue to shape local policies and practices. The district remains committed to balancing innovation with caution, ensuring that any use of AI supports student learning, protects privacy, and aligns with the community’s educational values.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 20 May 2026

Created: 20 May 2026

Last Updated: 20 May 2026

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What do your friends and neighbors think about the political climate in Scarsdale?

A series of events that some characterized as antisemitic occurred in April, ultimately causing the school board president to step aside from his leadership role. Tensions were high on May 11 at the first meeting of the Scarsdale Board of Education following the events, when students, parents and community members stepped up to share their feelings.
If you want to know what was said – we won’t rehash it – you can read it all here.

But if you’re wondering why this occurred, here are some thoughts on the underlying reasons for the disagreements. Perhaps some lessons can be learned from the experience to avoid future conflict.

We caught up with a few friends around town to gather their thoughts in the wake of this uncharacteristically discordant period in our usually peaceful Village.

Here is what we learned:

We asked a school administrator why he thought people here seemed so angry and he surmised that global conflicts, injustice, and lack of civility from the outside world are spilling into our local conversations. It’s disturbing to witness a war abroad, polarization, the breakdown of our political and justice system, and loss of free speech to name a few – and TO feel powerless to right the wrongs. So when something occurs in an arena where residents have some control, they speak up, injecting local discourse with the same rancor they see in the national news. Rather than radiating our spirit of civil discourse outward, we’re absorbing the world’s venom into our conversations in town.

Another observer offered this view on community conflict: She cautioned our leaders not to listen to the loudest voices in the room. She suggested that only a few extremists on either side of the debate were making it appear that the entire community was up in arms. This was amplified by television reporters coming to town and seeking out only the most irate residents who made it seem as if the fabric of Scarsdale were coming apart at the seams. Angry words and memes spread quickly on social media. In her observations, for the most part, she sees her neighbors and friends as consensus builders who seek a middle ground and do not believe that our community is so divided. Her advice? Seek out the quietest voices in the room and find out what they are thinking.

We heard a few comments from people who thought that the parents were the problem. Referring to the rancor among the adults, one woman asked, “What kind of message are you sending to your kids?” If the parents had not gotten involved in these school events, would the kids have been quietly disciplined – and spared Scarsdale from an appearance on the nightly news?

A former PTA President suggested that the “buck stops” at following school rules. The culpable students broke the rules that govern political and apolitical conduct alike. She said, “The kids know what they are allowed and not allowed to do.” She saw it as an open and shut case and was surprised that there is controversy surrounding blatant violation of the long-running rules at student performances. In response to recent events the district has released their Guidelines for Student Expression at School-Sponsored Activities.

Hopefully, codifying these rules will prevent further misconduct and familiarize everyone with these longstanding policies. Some conduct however, like tearing down signs and placing them in urinals, is beyond codification. For that, there is no explicit rule. Who would think to do something like that! So this one is on parents to do their best to teach common sense and good values at home.

A recent SHS graduate reflected on the importance of respect and suggested that conflicts often become more divisive when people focus on trying to impose their political views on others rather than listening and finding common ground. She said, “Many people are not especially concerned with the political opinions of teenagers but are far more interested in seeing students treat one another with maturity, understanding, and respect.”

To that end a few suggested that the schools build lessons on civil discourse into the curriculum, so that students can learn how to effectively state their views while listening to other opinions. In other words, we need to learn how to agree to disagree with civility.

A wise woman I met in the board room shared her takeaway from the events. She said, “Although the full duration of the public comment at the Board of Education meeting on Monday May 11th was clearly diverse in the perspectives discussed, what stood out to me as a listener was that everyone really wanted the same thing: to be safe, to feel respected, and to be able to express their beliefs and views in a way that is uplifting to them while (ideally) not demeaning or threatening to others.”

So what can we take away from this period of strife? To the girl and mother in their keffiyahs and the boy in the kippah I have a few words of advice. Respect one another for your cultures, respect one another for your beliefs and even respect one another for the dress you wear to represent your identities.

If we follow the rules, engage in civil discourse and respect diverse people and viewpoints, maybe we can find common ground. Let’s be embraced for our differences, not targeted because of them.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 12 May 2026

Created: 12 May 2026

Last Updated: 14 May 2026

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Superintendent Andrew Patrick addressed recent events and the divisive times in which we live at the opening of the Scarsdale School Board meeting on Monday May 11, 2026.  The following morning he announced a new community initiative, Common Circles, Understanding Ourselves and Others in a community wide email. See the details about this new program below.

(Monday night May 11, 2026)

Good evening to everyone who has joined us both in person and online. While we are here tonight to conduct the business of the Board of Education and the regular work of governance that keeps this district functioning, I know that is not the only matter on the minds of our community tonight. I want to take a few minutes to acknowledge the last several weeks in our community and to share some thoughts about how we move forward together.

Our community is hurting deeply, and is wondering what it means for the future, and what comes next. I have served as Superintendent for four years, and in that time I have been guided by two unwavering principles - our work must be driven by the needs of our students, and trust with our community requires honesty and transparency. As we gather tonight, I say to you honestly and transparently that moving forward will require the collective work of our entire school community. That means that we are listening, seeking to learn from all of the feedback we are receiving, and putting our deepest, most concerted effort into promoting a safe, welcoming, positive school environment with the tools at our disposal- education, policy, and dialog.

We are living in divisive times. Our country is engaged in conflict on the other side of the world. Our domestic politics feel increasingly polarized. And members of our community are feeling the impact of these larger forces in very personal ways. When global issues reach into our schools, into our shared spaces, into our homes, we feel it deeply. Many of you are here tonight because you are carrying both what has happened here and what is unfolding in the broader world.

It must be said clearly: we are also living through a moment in which concerns about anti-Jewish hate have intensified in ways that are deeply felt by Jewish families in our community, contributing to a palpable sense of fear, vulnerability, and destabilization. National data helps explain why: although Jews make up roughly two percent of the U.S. population, they are the target of nearly seventy percent of religion-based hate crimes. Jews have been murdered in antisemitic attacks in the United States in Washington, DC, Colorado, Pittsburgh and elsewhere, attacked physically in communities across the country, and targeted in violent incidents in places like London, Australia, France, Belgium, and Canada.

At the same time, hate-fueled violence is not limited to any one community. Multiple minority communities are also experiencing heightened bias, hostility, and fear. Here in the United States, we have witnessed the shooting of Palestinian university students in Burlington, VT and the murder of a 6 yr old boy, because he was Palestinian. It is not surprising that these broader dynamics cause members of our own community to carry their weight. But bias, hostility, violence, and fear have no place in our country.

As Viktor Frankl wrote after surviving The Holocaust, there is a space between what happens to us and how we respond—and in that space lies our freedom to choose what comes next. We are in that space right now. Tonight. Together.

As an educational institution, we are holding closely to that idea. The students in our care—and the adults in this community—are being asked to navigate a difficult moment. Between events that have caused pain and the actions we take next, there is an opportunity to be deliberate and to act in alignment with our values: kindness, respect, care, and empathy for all. It is also true that, in recent weeks, some of those values have felt strained.

The intersection of advocacy, politics, and bias in this moment can cloud our ability, and at times our willingness, to acknowledge when harm is happening, including in our own community. While that may be a human instinct, it cannot be where we stop. We remain responsible for engaging these realities with clarity, care, and accountability.

In this community, we will not rank suffering or turn away from one another. We stand with our Jewish neighbors, and with anyone targeted by hate, bias, or harassment. That commitment to the safety and dignity of every member of our community is foundational to who we are.

As an educational institution, we are guided by a core premise: when issues become difficult, we do not avoid them, we turn toward learning. Education gives us a framework for naming what we are seeing, understanding how bias operates, and building the skills required to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. That includes being clear about how anti-Jewish bias manifests today, sometimes overtly, sometimes in more coded or distorted ways, and ensuring that our response strengthens, rather than fragments, our broader commitment to the dignity and safety of all members of our community.

In the near term, we will be putting forward a structured plan to move this work ahead. One component of that includes new Guidelines for Student Expression at School-Sponsored Activities, which appear in tonight’s agenda. These guidelines have been developed in consultation with experts, and a link appears in Item 12.01 for members of our school community to share feedback. Other components of this plan may include opportunities for input through surveys and small, facilitated focus groups, as well as engagement with outside experts who can help us assess where there may be gaps in knowledge and skills, particularly around civil dialogue and engaging across differences. This moment has surfaced the need to strengthen those capacities, and we are actively considering how to ensure that our students, especially at the high school level, graduate with stronger skills in these areas as they prepare for college and beyond.

In the medium term, I am honored to announce some important news. After many months of collaboration and preparation, we will be introducing a new program to our schools next year called The Common Circles Experience: Scarsdale. The program features two connected parts: We Are Scarsdale! Bridging, Belonging & Building Community and Voices Against Hate: Lessons from the Holocaust. We are very excited about the opportunities for students, faculty, families, and community members to help shape and become part of the experience itself through local stories, photography, art, and participation. The program is an immersive research-based experience that blends art, technology, and storytelling to explore our shared humanity, build community, and teach the lessons of the Holocaust. In a moment marked by growing polarization, rising antisemitism, and increasingly dehumanizing rhetoric, the exhibition celebrates identity and strengthens historical understanding while inviting reflection. Above all, the experience encourages dialogue and fosters a space where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.
While these are important steps, we also need to continue to listen to our community. Tonight is part of that process, and your perspectives will help shape what comes next. We will share more details about those next steps in the coming weeks.

I want you to know that we see you, and we understand that this has been a challenging moment.

Our goal tonight is to listen carefully, to learn, and to take responsibility for how we move forward. We are committed to doing that work with seriousness, with care, and with a clear sense of our responsibility to one another. The fact is, we can't do it alone, and we can’t do it all in a matter of days. But we will move forward as a school community, together - students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, our Board of Education and our broader community. I appreciate the opportunity to share these remarks.

We Are Scarsdale: Bridging, Belonging and Building Community
(Sent May 12, 2026)

I am writing to share some exciting news related to a program we will be bringing to Scarsdale during the 2026-27 School year. The program is called Common Circles: Moving to Understand Ourselves and Others, and it is an immersive research-based experience that blends art, technology, and storytelling to explore our shared humanity, build community, and teach the lessons of the Holocaust. In a moment marked by growing polarization, rising antisemitism, and increasingly dehumanizing rhetoric, the exhibition celebrates identity and strengthens historical understanding while inviting reflection. Above all, the experience encourages dialogue and fosters a space where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.

We have been working to bring this opportunity to our students for nearly ten months. The exhibit was installed at Rye Country Day School during the 2024-25 school year, and I, along with building leaders and teachers, had the chance to visit. We were struck by the power and effectiveness of the learning experience, and eagerly discussed its potential applications to our learning community. At the end of last school year, the installation moved to Southern Westchester BOCES for the summer. I organized our annual summer Administrative Council leadership retreat to take place there, and our full leadership team had the opportunity to take part in the experience first-hand. Since July, we have been discussing the potential value of bringing this opportunity to our students, and we have invited faculty and parent leaders to the experience as well. We have finally reached a point where we can announce a personalized version of Common Circles, The Common Circles Experience: Scarsdale, thanks in part to the generous support of SSEF (Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation).


About the Experience
In the first section of We Are Scarsdale! Bridging, Belonging & Building Community students and visitors are invited to go beyond first impressions through art, photography, optical illusions, and interactive installations that reveal the multi-layered individuals in our shared community. Visual storytelling invites reflection on how we see one another and the world around us, and how easily both people and history can be reduced to a single story. By beginning with this exploration of connection, the experience prepares learners to encounter Holocaust history not as distant events, but as deeply human stories.

The second section is called Voices Against Hate: Lessons from the Holocaust, and is presented in partnership with USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony. Visitors to this portion engage in life-like conversations with Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and Jewish American liberator Alan Moskin. Using advanced interactive technology, visitors ask their own questions and hear firsthand testimony. This section also provides historical context, examines antisemitism past and present, explores Jewish life and peoplehood, and highlights local stories of hope and survival that connect global history to contemporary community life. Because visitors first encounter one another as layered human beings, they can meet Anita and Alan not only as survivor and liberator, but as unique individuals. It is also important to note that this second portion - Voices Against Hate - holds the potential to change over time to examine other historical events. Thus, Common Circles is an experience that can evolve and develop with input from our rich, multicultural community.

Curriculum Connections

The Common Circles exhibit will build on our Developmental Relationships work and serve as a powerful catalyst for our existing curriculum, creating a cohesive thread of empathy, interdependence, and inquiry from elementary through high school. It will logically extend the identity work at the elementary level, and connect to the practices emphasized in Responsive Classroom. The exhibit also mirrors the core values students experience at SMS through units of study that emphasize culture, identity, and understanding of diverse experiences and hardships faced by different groups throughout history. This work helps students build a deeper awareness of society and develop empathy for a wide range of perspectives. These concepts are also embedded in creative ways throughout our classrooms and addressed through the advisory program.The exhibit complements the rigorous work on civic engagement and global interdependence that takes place throughout the disciplines at SHS, and invites consideration of audience, purpose, perspective, and bias when confronting opposing viewpoints. In short, Common Circles serves to foster school environments grounded in respect, connection, and a shared commitment to understanding one another and the uniqueness of our experiences as individuals and members of a community.

The Exhibit is Us

One of the things that makes this experience unique is that it is customized to our community, with multiple opportunities for teacher, student, staff, and community involvement. One of the more powerful components is The Stories We Live in which members of our school community and broader community are featured in five different outfits that reflect aspects of their lives. These images are surrounded by words that characterize the individual. Other ways that members of our community can contribute include:

Common Threads: What Do We Have in Common - a tower of trading-card style biographies
Stories of Hope & Survival - personal narratives from members of our community or those connected to them about their experience.
Interactive biography - a tool that enables students to create their own digital interactive biographies.
Student artwork is also a central component of the exhibit.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 May 2026

Created: 05 May 2026

Last Updated: 06 May 2026

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Will Con Edison pay to repair resident’s sewer laterals that were damaged during the installation of a gas transmission line along Walworth Avenue and Fox Meadow Road?

A memo from Scarsdale Village about the issue is somewhat vague, but Allan Drury, the spokesman for Con Edison said this in an email to Scarsdale10583: “Yes, I can confirm that if the contractor’s work damaged a sewer lateral, we will repair the sewer lateral at no cost to the homeowner.”

On this point, the FAQ from the Village of Scarsdale says, “Sewer laterals are private infrastructure owned by the property owner and are typically the homeowner's responsibility to maintain. However, where damage is believed to have resulted from third-party construction work, such as a utility project, responsibility may depend on the specific facts and circumstances. Homeowners may wish to consult with legal counsel to better understand their rights and options.

As background, the multi-year project to install the large gas transmission main started in 2021 and caused major disruptions for residents for years - as portions of the street were often closed – and even driveways were blocked by the construction equipment, digging, and repaving. Some sections of the road were repaired and dug up multiple times without explanation. The project extended down through Fox Meadow but was never completed. It’s on pause and no one knows if the work will resume. And is the line in use? Who knows?

What came to light in 2025, is that the installation of the gas main damaged the sewer pipes of some homes along the west side of Walworth Avenue and possibly Fox Meadow Road. The gas pipe caused the sewer laterals to sag, break and in some cases separate the lateral line from the main sewage line running down the street.

Under a new law enacted in February 2023, homeowners are required to have their sewer laterals inspected prior to a sale. In the process of selling their homes, residents did these inspections and some found the lines were damaged.

At first, concerned residents who thought they were affected were told to hire an inspector and then turn in a receipt for reimbursement. The cost is around $400. Those who did so, are now wondering if they will be reimbursed. More troubling, is that the estimate to repair a damaged line is around $40,000 and those wishing to sell their homes now have to either make the repair themselves or deduct the cost from the sale price.

This week Con Edison agreed to retain an independent inspector who will schedule video inspections of the sewer lateral lines that will be shared with the homeowners. Information is supposed to be hand delivered by Con Edison to those who are thought to be impacted during the week of May 4, 2026 and this work is supposed to be done over the next month.

For those whose lines have been damaged, the Con Edison spokesman is saying that the utility will make the repairs.

But will they? Scarsdale Village is speaking in more measured terms saying, “Con Edison has committed to holding an in-person meeting with impacted residents following completion of the televised inspections. At this stage, the specifics of the in-person meeting are unknown, but details will be shared with impacted residents as soon as they become available.”

Commenting on the above, Greenacres resident Karen Lee said, "Thanks for contacting Con Ed's spokesman and providing the community with an update. I think your 5/5/26 article struck the right balance of faint hope and abundant caution.

At last Wednesday’s GNA meeting, dozens of Walworth homeowners came angry and disappointed. We were vocal about our David-and-Goliath fight against Con Ed. We did nothing but tolerate the noise and disruption kicked up by Con Ed’s contractors for over a year, only to end up with damaged sewer laterals (buried like ticking time bombs under six feet of asphalt).

Mayor Arest seemed empathetic and ready to press for action on behalf of affected homeowners but could not guarantee Con Ed would assume full responsibility and do the right thing. He knew empty promises were not going to fly with us. We left the meeting a little less angry but still deeply disappointed that we even had to deal with this maddening situation."

(Photo Credit: Joe Lawrence)