The upcoming vote on May 16 is about so much more than the budget and the bond, it is about protecting our community.
I consider myself an advocate for all children.
Professionally, I’m a college counselor for over two decades (I used to work in a public high school on Long Island as a guidance counselor) and I am the mother of two children who have benefited from the Great Neck Public Schools.
Working with families across Long Island, Westchester, and NYC, I can tell you how lucky we are to live in a community that fully supports its public education.
Our Great Neck schools are not perfect, but they are locally and nationally recognized for the quality education they provide.
Our teachers are ranked No. 1 in New York according to Niche, an independent organization that compiles data on U.S. schools and neighborhoods.
Yet our teachers are not ranked top on the pay scale.
If our budget does not pass, we stand to lose teachers, science and technology labs, AP and honors classes, extracurricular clubs and athletic teams, arts and music programs, special education services, and so much more.
One only needs to attend a school concert or musical, a robotics event, or a science fair at our schools to appreciate the opportunities our children have to learn and grow inside and outside the classroom.
Here is the good news — we have the numbers on our side. IF every single person who is eligible to vote within GNPS, supports our budget and our bond, we will win.
There is no place for apathy or complacency.
Let’s stand up together to protect our children and our community.
Say Yes to the budget, yes to the bond and support Sassouni and Shi as two candidates who will defend public education in Great Neck.
Jill Madenberg
Great Neck
