BOE Candidates Silano and Piliero Share Their Plans For HCSD

The first of three contested races for a seat on the Harrison Board of Education pits four-time incumbent Philip Silano against challenger Robert Piliero, who is seeking his first term on the board.

The following is a question and answer with both candidates. The question will be listed at the top followed by answers submitted by each respective candidate. Voters will elect one of the two candidates to the board on May 17.

Patch: Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Silano (pictured left): I am a third general Harrison resident. I graduated from Harrison High School in 1978. I believe the most important mission we as a society should do is to raise our children to be honest, caring, and inquisitive adults. I believe the school district has an obligation to be part of that mission and I will continue to promote these values. 

Piliero (pictured right): I’ve lived in Harrison for 20 years, and now have two children in the District, a third grader at HAS and a sixth grader at LMK. Having grown up as one of five kids in a working class family in Flushing, Queens, I know the importance of a good education.  My good fortune in having been educated at Regis High School, the Univ. of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School and Georgetown Law School literally changed my life. I am running for a seat on the Board of Education because I believe our children‘s future deserves and requires more from our schools than they are now receiving. My wife, Rena Hecht, has been active in the PTA for seven years, as an officer and chair of numerous committees. My own participation in the district's educational affairs has not only been vicarious through my support of Rena's activities, but also direct, by co-founding the Parents Educational Partnership (PEP) and making repeated efforts to have individual board members recognize the need to improve the quality of education we're giving our kids.  The failure of these efforts led to my decision to run for the board.

Patch: Why have you decided to run for the Harrison Board of Education?

Silano: I am running for the Harrison School Board because I am committed to continuing to give every child the opportunity to excel. We have made significant progress and I want to devote another term to complete the good work that we have accomplished so far. Under my tenure on the school board the Harrison School District has reached new heights in academic success, financial management and improved labor relations. However, the most important qualification that I bring to the school board is my courage to remain committed to opening doors of opportunity to every child that attends our schools, despite pressure to make our numbers look better by leaving certain kids out.

Piliero: I believe that the majority of the board members (including the three incumbents who are seeking re-election) exercise no meaningful oversight over the superintendent, either with respect to educational philosophy or budget matters. Lou Wool is a charismatic and energetic administrator, but it is the role of the board to chart the educational course for our children and to ensure that school-tax dollars are spent wisely.  In the last decade our school taxes have soared by $34 million, or 60 percent, but the quality of education the district delivers to our children remains disappointing. As measured by standard academic performance metrics (SAT and Regents scores), Harrison ranks at the bottom of the group of 19-schools it has identified as its peer group, and the district’s elitist curriculum choices has produced a 48 percent failure rate on AP exams. I’m running for a seat on the Board of Education because a majority of the current Board is not serving the interests of the residents of Harrison and their children. 

Patch: Briefly describe your platform; what should voters know you stand for as a prospective Board of Education trustee?

Silano: I believe in the strategic plan that we adopted in 2003. That plan is built around a philosophy that all children can succeed and when given the opportunity they do succeed. I believe in our core values of access, opportunity, adaptability and rigor. These ideals have allowed us to create an environment where every child is valued for who they are, and are not reduced to a number on a spreadsheet. With that said, I also know we must be sensitive to the spiraling costs of education and must continually look for ways to reduce costs.

Piliero: The district’s decade-long experiment based on the elitist "one-size-fits-all" model of education has been a terrible disappointment. We need to provide our children with more academic choices than just Regents-level courses that are not challenging enough for many, or college-level AP courses for which many are simply unprepared. Additional course offerings should be provided on an open-enrollment basis so that, unlike the current situation, the students have real choices. Providing greater academic choice would align Harrison's approach with that of the 18 other schools in its peer group, all of which consistently out-perform Harrison in SAT scores, Regents mastery rates and every other meaningful metric of academic success. 

Greater course offerings would also enable our very fine faculty of teachers to practice their craft in an environment that allows them to attend to all their students' needs.  Our children are no less intelligent, and our teachers are no less qualified, than those in other Districts.  We need Board Members who believe in them, and who believe, as I do, that Harrison belongs in the top echelon of its peer group. Building a first-rate school system involves a lot more than simply declaring success.  

We also need to have respect for the taxpayers’ money, not only (but especially) in these very challenging economic times, but always. I believe the current budget proposal is irresponsible. At $103.1 million, it contemplates a spend rate of $29,290 per student, second highest in its peer group (only Scarsdale is higher, but only by $89 per student), and a decade-long surge of $34 million--all with no measurable improvement in the quality of education we offer to our kids. That is irresponsible management by our Board of Education. Nonetheless, I believe that voting the budget down would likely make the situation even worse.  A "no" vote would give the current board an opportunity to pass a different budget by early June and, if that also fails, we would be stuck with a budget mandated by Albany. It is unlikely that the priorities exhibited by this board in this budget proposal (firing teachers, but retaining all the 27 supervisory-level positions, and hiring a $70,000 per year public relations person) would produce a better budget the second time around. And no one can seriously want Albany setting our priorities.  It would be better to elect three new board members and have it done right next year.  

Patch: What would you bring to the Board of Education? What skill set do you offer?

Silano: I care deeply about my town, education for all and a commitment to spend tax payer dollars wisely. I know what the Harrison schools used to be like. It was a failed system that tracked children by perceived “ability” and limited their future opportunities. That system gave us a Regents graduation rate of 60 percent. Today over 90 percent are receiving a regents diploma and 92 percent were admitted to four year colleges. I am an accountant and finance person by trade and will continue to practice sound financial management.

Pilierno: My experience as a commercial litigator in the financial sector requires that I think critically, and not merely accept what I’m told; and that full and accurate disclosure of all relevant facts is absolutely essential to a search for the truth. These are skills that are sorely needed on this board.

Patch: How would you rate the quality of education given at Harrison's schools as a whole?

Silano: Today, I would rate the quality of education as “AAA”. We have seen unprecedented success in all areas of our program. The culture has shifted from one of apathy and ignoring the needs of some children to a proud expert faculty that empowers all of our kids, 10 years ago only 60 percent of our children received a Regents diploma; today it’s over 90 percent. Today, 93 percent of seventh graders passed the state exam; 71 percent percent at the mastery level, which is the highest in our region and among the highest in New York State. Ninety-three percent of our children were accepted into four colleges. In our district all means all!

Piliero: I believe our teachers are first-rate, but they are shackled by an educational philosophy that proceeds from several irrational and elitist premises: 1. That all kids learn the same way and at the same pace. 2. that only the top echelon of students is worth educating (hence the focus on college-level AP courses and the commitment to the IB program—which the district itself intends to benefit only a small fraction of the students and produce only 20 IB diplomas); 3. That each student can somehow achieve his or her maximum academic and intellectual potential merely by sitting in classrooms teaching college-level courses, even when they have not received adequate (or any in some cases) preparation for them; and 4. That a first-rate school system can be created by firing teachers who refuse to “toe the line” by supporting the administration’s failed curriculum choices (turnover rates for HHS teachers has been 32 percent, 20 percent, 26 percent and 13 percent in recent years—despite the fact that this administration has been in place for a decade).  I would rate the educational system in this district as needing help. 

Patch: If you could change one thing about this district what would it be?

Silano: We need to continue to review every part of the district including curriculum, finances and facilities to determine if they are meeting the needs of the children and the community. Our goal is to constantly improve. 

Piliero: There are actually three aspects of the district’s philosophy that are interrelated. The commitment to "universal acceleration" should be reconsidered. It is irresponsible to force kids into courses (AP and otherwise) for which they are unprepared just so the district can misreport that we have a 500 percent increase in students taking AP courses over the past 10 years, without reporting that 48 percent of the AP tests are failed.  We need to provide our students with broader course opportunities so they are not forced to choose between what may for them be an unchallenging Regents level class or a college level AP class for which they are unprepared.  We need to re-examine the district's misapplication of the "differentiated learning" teaching model. Because of limited course offerings, classrooms are populated by students of wildly divergent abilities and at different stages of academic development, but we irrationally expect our teachers somehow magically to bring out the best in each kid. Our teachers are highly skilled, but the "differentiated learning" model was never intended to be used in the circumstances the district has created through "universal acceleration" and inadequate course offerings.

Patch: Name one issue you intend to address in the next three years, how do you plan to do so?

Silano: I want to continue to examine the cost of education to determine if there are ways to reduce cost without reducing program opportunities for all children. I’d like to expand the use of the Sound Shore Consortium to reduce costs in the areas of administration, transportation and purchasing. I would continue to work with legislators to reform both the way education is funded and the Employee Retirement Systems.

Piliero: Accountability—by the Superintendent to the Board of Education, and by the board to the residents and taxpayers of Harrison.  That accountability must be based on an honest and comprehensive report of what’s really going on in the district—curriculum, performance and finances.  Meaningful and constructive change can only occur if there is full disclosure and an honest and open dialogue about the “good, the bad and the ugly.”  This campaign has demonstrated the lengths to which this administration, the incumbent board members, and their “Friends” (who are surely no friends of Harrison students or taxpayers) will go to obscure the truth, misrepresent the positions of their opponents and cling to their elitist agenda.  It is said that “sunshine is the best disinfectant.”  It’s time for summer in Harrison.

Do you believe in cut scores for advanced classes at the high school level? What are your thoughts about open enrollment? What would you change about the current pathway system at Harrison High School?

Silano: I do not believe cut scores (tracking) are appropriate for deciding whether or not a student can take a course. The College Board and colleges tell us that we should be opening the doors for our children and that test scores are one limited measure of a student’s ability. We use a system that includes a student's performance, interests, willingness, input from his teachers and parents to guide him to the best choice of courses and programs.

We make many changes to our high school options regularly, most recently we implemented an applied mathematics strand, and we have reorganized the ninth grades into teams and have added expanded time for English and social studies for all ninth graders. We will continue to review our program every year with the superintendent to be sure that we are meeting the needs and challenging all of our students.

Piliero: Absolutely not. There should be open enrollment and no “cut scores,” with maximum flexibility between curriculum pathways, so that students are not forced into, or locked out of, courses and pathways that make the most sense for them.  The Harrison schools do not have a “pathways” system at all.  There are only two choices: college-level AP classes for which many students have not received adequate preparation, or Regents level classes that are not sufficiently challenging for many of them. That’s not a “pathways” system; that’s a denial of opportunity.

Patch: Describe your feelings toward the way Harrison has budgeted in the past, would you eliminate more to reduce the taxpayer burden or bring back some of the programs recently affected by cuts? What would you like to see more money invested in? What would you like to see less money invested in?

Silano: Every year we go to great lengths to prepare a budget that balances the needs of our children with the needs of the taxpayer. This year is no different. Our track record over the past four years is a testament to the hard work of the administration, teachers and staff. The tax levy has averaged 1.4 percent over that time and I believe it meets our goal. It is also below the Gov.'s proposed tax cap.

I am committed to the long-term financial stability of the district and will continue to practice sound financial management, which is evidenced by our continued “AAA” rating from Standard and Poor’s. This rating allowed us to refinance our debt and save the tax payers $814,000. In addition the district will be debt free in three years. Tax certioraris are planned and paid for as they occur, eliminating the need to borrow money and pay interest.

The year’s budget maintains class size and continues to provide a wide range of academic choices and co-curricular offerings to serve the needs of our diverse student body. 

Piliero: It’s very difficult to provide “program-level” proposals when the district is playing “hide the ball” with the budget proposal. There was a so-called budget “hearing” on May 4, but the proposed budget was not made available until late the day before, and only in a format that concealed both the amount proposed to be expended by each school, and the amount of expenses associated with each program. As I commented above, at $103.1 million, requiring another tax increase of 3.18%, I believe the proposed budget is irresponsible, and that a priority system that fires teachers, but retains all 27 supervisory-level positions and hires a $70,000/year public relations person, is utterly unjustifiable.

Patch: Harrison has recently been accepted as an International Baccalaureate school, do you support this move?

Silano: I fully support the IB program and believe it will become a huge success. This is an excellent example of our long-term planning. This was proposed as part of the strategic plan back in 2003 and we carefully implemented this process with help and guidance from our teachers and community. I believe our students will be working in an international environment and this meets our commitment to prepare them to be successful.

Piliero: Saying Harrison was “accepted” into the IB program is like saying that a dealership “accepted” your very large check for an expensive sports car that only a few members of your family will be allowed to drive. I believe it may be a worthwhile program for the district to explore some day, after it fixes the many problems it has created and ignored over the past decade, and after it has put programs in place to provide opportunities to all our children, not only the top few.  But the IB program is far too expensive, and will benefit far too few students, to justify it at this time.

What additional ideas/changes would you consider bringing to the school district, if any?

Silano: I believe Harrison is a great community and our school district is on the right path. We need to continue to examine our education program and to ensure all of our children are being given opportunities to succeed. We need to rethink how education is funded, it cannot be solely on the backs of property owners. I will work with my board colleagues to influence policy at the state and federal level that helps us better support the needs of our students while working to reduce the cost to local taxpayers.

Piliero: In addition to fiscal responsibility and the curriculum changes discussed above, and as part and parcel of the greater transparency and accountability sorely needed, I believe that: 1. The superintendent and the board should set and communicate goals that are measurable, and time periods for achieving them.  Without that, we will be unable to distinguish between mere declarations of success and true educational accomplishment. 2. The superintendent should be accountable to the board, not the other way, which is how it now operates.  

Check back for a Q and A with the four other Board of Education candidates later this week.