Dr. Alan Resnick Seeks Re-Election to Syosset Board of Education

On May 15, school districts across New York State will be holding their annual elections for budgets and trustees of the local boards of education.  In Syosset, residents will vote on a $198 million budget, as well as for three local resident volunteers to represent the community on the school board.

One’s willingness to serve on the school board must be completely unselfish.  No candidate should be seeking any gain except for that which helps every taxpayer in Syosset:  schools that provide each and every child with an outstanding education, and maintain Syosset’s reputation as an extremely desirable community; one that potential new residents will seek out for their families.  Serving on the school board should be a positive experience, and the election should be conducted in a similar manner.  This is not a political campaign in which we elect paid elected officials to our government in order to represent partisan views.  This is an election for unpaid local homeowners who volunteer to serve their community for everyone’s benefit.  Unfortunately, this year’s election has evolved into a largely negative political campaign, complete with name-calling, because candidates who have no professional or management (or in one case, even higher educational) experience, have determined that a constant barrage of insults directed at fellow candidates and the administration and school board serves them best.  There exists no role for name calling, sign stealing, or any attempts at voter fraud to sway the results of this election. This “win at all costs” approach is certainly not representative of the values that I have instilled in my children.  It is irresponsible, disrespectful, and I firmly believe that the Syosset community does not desire, nor deserve, such a mentality to pervade our Board of Education.

My name is Dr. Alan Resnick, and I am proud to be completing my first term serving as a trustee of the Syosset Board of Education. As a physician with a practice on Long Island, I had many options of where to raise, and more importantly, educate my family, but I moved into the district in 1992, with my wife and 1-year-old daughter for one reason – the quality and reputation of the schools.  After having two other children, we decided to reside here permanently.  Today, my son and youngest daughter are both students in Syosset High School, and my oldest daughter (a 2009 Syosset High School graduate) is a junior in college.  Throughout the years I have been an involved parent, just like most others in the district.  I have coached multiple youth sports teams for both boys and girls.  I have actively participated in school activities, whether serving pizza in elementary school, participating in carnivals and sports nights, attending concerts and plays, and attending every parent-teacher conference possible, all while juggling the demands of an extraordinarily demanding practice.  Ten years ago, I became one of the original board members of Syosset Youth Lacrosse (SYLAX), a position I resigned upon my election to the school board, so as to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. I am no different than hundreds of Syosset parents. I simply want the very best possible education for my children.  My children have benefited greatly from the education they received from Syosset schools (most of which occurred prior to my election to the board), and current and future students deserve the same.

I am a firm believer in the value of public education.  I was raised in Queens, and am a product of the New York City public school system.  In addition, I earned my Bachelor’s and Medical Degrees from public (SUNY) institutions.  I have been a practicing Cardiac Anesthesiologist at St. Francis Hospital for the past 19 years, and I have been involved in managing a large and growing group of physicians.  Since 2008, I have also been the Director of the Operating Rooms at St. Francis and coordinated the integration of all types of medical personnel to allow the safe, efficient use of 20 operating rooms.  I have always taken my professional career very seriously.  It is with the same seriousness and dedication that I have committed to my role as a school board trustee.

I initially decided to run for the board in 2008, when the national and local economies began to struggle.  My property taxes were increasing, just like everyone else’s and I wanted to see how I could make a difference.  After speaking with numerous people around town, friends and neighbors, other parents of young athletes and musicians, teachers, PTA officers, etc. I was encouraged to run for a vacant seat on the school board. I was fortunate enough to be elected in 2009, and in my term on the board, I believe I have made a difference.  The past 3 budgets have had the smallest increases in decades.  Each year, I have examined the proposed budget LINE BY LINE to find expenses or revenues that I call into question. During my term, we have reduced costs by $15 million, via consolidation of services with other districts, attrition, and elimination of administrative positions, to name a few without taking away any programs.  If this year’s budget is passed, we will save an additional $5 million in expenses.  The success of our school district remains a cooperative effort.  Our Superintendent has taken a pay freeze, and has vowed to never take another increase in her salary.  Every one of the bargaining units, from the principals and teachers, to the custodians and civil servants, has taken some sort of pay freeze to ensure that we could present a budget that met the state imposed tax cap.  As a school district we are legally bound by New York State to pay for the increase in benefits and pension payments.  That increase is in the millions.  I would like to see a budget without any increase as much as any other resident.  Unfortunately, without an obligate and significant decrease in the educational offerings to our children, it is simply not possible.  I have always been available to the residents who have questions or concerns, and those who have contacted me can attest to the fact that they have gotten a response from the district.

The most important issue facing all school districts this year, and by no means unique to our own, continues to be the ability to provide the very best and most varied education for our children in the face of the struggling economy.  For the first time this year, the state government has imposed a tax levy cap, but has done so despite the addition of mandated costs to our district for new APPR (performance review) regulations, pre-school special education costs, common core curriculum, etc.  These changes have increased the demands and strain on our district in an environment of declining resources.  The idea of fiscal responsibility is not new, however, and in Syosset we have worked diligently to decrease costs.  Syosset students, as a whole, achieve outstanding results on the state mandated tests, and the overwhelming majority who go on to higher education are well prepared, whether they attend the top universities in the world, or community colleges.  Our challenge is to maintain these results for our current and future students.

It is vital that each and every resident votes on May 15th.  It no less important that each and every vote be cast seriously and responsibly.  In this complex time for public education, we require a cooperative, experienced, mature school board to maintain the high standards of both our school system and of our community residents.  

Comments or questions can be sent to:  alanresnickmd@gmail.com

Please keep them respectful.