East Ramapo honors 14 community "sheroes," highlights job fair, scholarships and a plea to back the district budget

Carol Anderson opened the Regent Judith Johnson Sheroes 2025 program in Spring Valley on March 27 by asking attendees to observe a moment of silence for former U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey and NAACP New York State Conference president Dr. Hazel N. Dukes and saying the event reflected a wider community effort to improve local schools.

Anderson, the event organizer, said the honorees “exemplify that it takes a village to come together to make the needed changes to better the education for all the children in East Ramapo.” The program recognized 14 women — pulled from students, parents, educators and community activists — who the committee credited with advancing education and advocacy in the East Ramapo Central School District.

The event combined awards presentations with student performances and short remarks by several honorees and district staff. Interim Superintendent Anthony DeCarlo attended, and district executives Ellen Angiello, executive director of elementary schools, and Dr. Beverly Jones, executive director of secondary schools, were acknowledged for supporting the program.

Among the honorees were community organizers and advocates who have been active in district and county efforts: Olivia Castor McNeal, a Spring Valley High School alumna and Harvard graduate who helped organize student activism; Donna Lieberman of the New York Civil Liberties Union, whose organization and allied law firm involvement were credited in the program with securing a legal victory and support services for East Ramapo parents and students; and Darnette Davis, owner-operator of Kids Net Childcare Center in Spring Valley.

Organizers highlighted community partnerships that have supported students and the program, including the NAACP, Proyecto FARO, the Rockland Coalition to End the New Jim Crow, and legal support from NYCLU and the law firm Latham & Watkins. Anderson noted that some legal and philanthropic support resulted in a donated fund to help East Ramapo students, though details of the court case and the fund were not specified in the program remarks.

Event speakers also used the platform for district outreach. A district staff member announced three upcoming job fairs for applicants interested in bilingual/TESOL, general education, special education supports, administrators, substitutes, assistants, therapists, clerical, grounds and maintenance positions: Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; Wednesday, April 9, 4–6 p.m.; and Thursday, May 8, 4–6 p.m. Flyers were reported to be available at the event entrance.

Representatives from the Rockland Community Foundation announced that more than 34 scholarship opportunities administered by RCF are open to graduating seniors across Rockland County and encouraged East Ramapo seniors to apply via the foundation’s website.

Anderson closed by urging community members to vote for the district budget, saying the proposed budget compiled by district staff “put a budget together to try to restore some of the cuts that were made in years past.” No vote or official budget action took place at the event; the remark was an appeal to voters ahead of the district’s budget vote schedule.

The program also included student readers who presented bios of each honoree and musical performances that organizers said illustrated the positive outcomes when schools and community organizations work together. Organizers said the 2026 Sheroes program was secured in the district budget after outreach involving Regent Fran Wills and the interim superintendent.

The ceremony was largely celebratory and informational; it did not include formal board action, motions, or votes. Attendees were given posters and informational flyers, and organizers provided contact details and web references for the job fair and scholarship listings for follow-up.