Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Candidates back K–12 review on teaching historical roots of hate after elementary incident
Summary
Following an incident at Lloyd Harbor Elementary, candidates at the Cold Spring Harbor forum said they would support reviewing K–12 curriculum on hate, symbols and historical context and expanding staff training; several cited the district’s Remembrance Bowl and state civics guidance as positive steps.
Parents at the forum pressed candidates to support a substantive review of how the district teaches the historical roots of hate and hate symbols across grade levels. The question followed a recent incident at Lloyd Harbor Elementary.
Candidates from both the incumbent and challenger slates said they would support a review and additional professional development. Kate DelliCarpini said recent state guidance on civic readiness is relevant and praised the Remembrance Bowl as a way to teach World War II history; Bill Wallman and Lisa Smith described prior curricular reviews triggered by regional and world events. Scott Kaufmann said the district should teach both the positives of diversity and the adverse impact of hateful acts so students understand consequences.
Mary Redden urged that a curriculum review "come from the top," combining the board and superintendent with parent and teacher input; candidates generally supported involving community stakeholders. Several candidates said they had invited Holocaust education programming and that the district’s social studies curriculum should encourage critical thinking while ensuring factual accuracy.
None of the candidates proposed a specific curricular program during the forum; they described next steps as examining current coverage, staff training and collaborating with parents and community experts. Several candidates asked the district to look at the Choices program materials previously discussed and to ensure any materials used provide balanced, fact‑based perspectives.
