Syracuse, N.Y. -- There are six candidates vying for three spots on the Syracuse school district’s board of education.
Democrats Nyatwa Bullock, Karen J. Cordano, Twiggy Billue and Republicans Gia Palermo, Susan McCormack and Michael Hunter are on the ballot this November.
The Syracuse school district has an annual budget of $480 million and serves roughly 20,000 students in 33 schools.
Syracuse.com asked all of the candidates to answer three questions and provide biographical information about themselves. Four candidates responded. Their answers are below.
Susan McCormick and Nyatwa Bullock did not respond to repeated requests from Syracuse.com.
Twiggy Billue
Age: 56
Address: 235 Rockland Avenue Syracuse NY 13207
Current occupation: Workforce Development Coordinator at Jubilee Homes of Syracuse Inc.
Do you have any children in the district?
A granddaughter at Brighton Academy, and a host of great nieces and nephews at Corcoran, Frazer, Latin Academy and Van Duyn.
Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please list.
This is my 2nd run for school board.
Please list the party lines you have on the ballot:
Democrat and Working Families Party
What do you see as possible solutions to the current busing crisis?
Commercial Drivers License (the license you need to drive a school bus or tractor trailer): Hold a series transportation and transit career fair and informational fairs. Conduct a monthly think tank comprised of SCSD, Centro, First Student, Bernie Bus, the City of Syracuse, BOCES, Tracey Road (those employers offering free in house CDL trainings) to plan and implement a yearly transportation Summit to plan for future needs. I’m currently addressing this via my job.
What do you think the district should do to increase the graduation rate?
Engage students current and former to offer recommendations on graduation obstacles and empower students to work with the district to implement solutions. Increase knowledge regarding college and getting career training, linking curriculum to career based themes and partnerships with businesses to allow jobs shadowing and hiring compacts. Curricula - courses must connect to future aspirations and real life examples, engage a speakers series of SCSD graduates connected to coursework to uplift current students.
Should the district continue to have school resource officers?
First, the entire school Safety Plan must be re-evaluated immediately. Expressly addressing entrances, cameras, security guards/sentries inside the schools, and Security Mobile Patrols.
Violence Prevention Contracts and Supportive Services Contracts must include groups already on the ground doing the work (in school and in the community)and implement de-escalation training for all staff and students.
I believe that SRO’s should be located on the school campus not inside the school building. They should be checking all visitors prior to entering the building and patrol the campus, unless called inside by the principal for a criminal incident.
Karen Cordano
Age: 44
Address: 682 Allen Street, Syracuse, NY 13210
Current occupation: Work At Home Mom
Do you have any children in the district? Two, a 5th grader and a 7th grader. We are entering our family’s 8th year in the district.
Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please list. Served on the Education Committee of the Mayoral Transition Team in 2017.
Please list the party lines you have on the ballot: Democratic Party/Working Families Party
What do you see as possible solutions to the current busing crisis? Immediately: Locate and contact retired drivers with (Commercial Drivers License) CDL “S” or CDL and invite them to work under contracts through this fiscal year with a signing bonus. For CDL holders facilitate expedited school bus training.
Long term: There is currently one local company large enough to service the SCSD. Instead of writing a single Request for Proposal each year, break bussing needs into several smaller RFPs so bidding is competitive, and we are not beholden to a company that knows we have no other option. Write into the RFPs that priority will be given to companies with the highest percentage of full-time drivers. In the 22-23 budget add line item to get the buses owned by the district back on the roads, including adding full time drivers that are employed by the district. Each year purchase a bus and add a driver until bussing is under the control of the district.
What do you think the district should do to increase the graduation rate? In the SCSD 81% of the students are economically disadvantaged, 18% are English Language Learners, 21% have disabilities, and many students regularly experience trauma. A majority of students are not ready to learn through no fault of their own. In order to increase the graduation rate this must change. The majority of districts across the state do not start at such a disadvantage. We need help and resources from the City, County, State, and Federal Government to provide wraparound services. On the district level we need more social workers in the schools. As we continue through the COVID Crisis therapy must be available to any student or teacher who requests it. Pedagogically, our approach must center our black and brown students by listening to their needs. We must annually train all teachers on Critical Race Theory, implicit bias, cultural competency, and rigorously incorporate anti-racism into the culture of the SCSD.
Should the district continue to have school resource officers? The safety of our students is paramount. We must overhaul the role of resource officers in the district with the goal of promoting both safety and equity. At various forums over the last year students have voiced that officers have made them feel unsafe or harassed. Black and brown students in particular have a reason to be scared, given that racial bias in policing is a long-standing national crisis. Beyond friendly conversations to build positive relationships, resource officers should not interact with children unless the child is in imminent danger or breaking the law. They certainly should never be used to discipline children in the district. Teachers, administration, and sentries perform that function. We must develop and deliver annual teen centered, black and brown centered de-escalation training to resource officers, and to all staff in our high schools.
Michael Hunter
Age : 57
Address: Helen St. 13203
Current occupation: Lan tech, political consultant
Do you have any children in the district? Two boys and a girl, all recent graduates
Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please list.
Since I was 18 been active in conservative party as city chairman, county exec committee, judicial delegate and state committee. First presidential campaign was Ronald Reagan’s, most recently Senator Ted Cruz.
Please list the party lines you have on the ballot: Conservative and Republican
What do you see as possible solutions to the current busing crisis? Reduced busing by having students attend their neighborhood school. I never took a bus, never had to walk more than a half-mile to school in K thru 12. I attended the original Lincoln on top of Vine Street, was the first class to attend the new Lincoln and I am a graduate of Henninger.
What do you think the district should do to increase the graduation rate? Dismantle the current system, which was designed for a community the no longer exists.
Should the district continue to have school resource officers? Yes
Gia Palermo
Age: 49
Address: 300 Hickok Avenue Syracuse, NY 13206
Current occupation: During the Covid shutdown and the demise of my then industry of event producing/coordinating, I simultaneously fell into place as an informal navigator of the SCSD for families across neighborhoods— out of need. The District had shut down communication between parents in the “Talking Heads” Zoom sessions…we were (and are) sick of being talked AT. I created a Facebook group over a year ago (now 300 plus strong) in which families can support one another and share information. (During the initial shutdown, we were all confused and suffering in trying to support our homebound kids.) I had no intention at that time to run for school board. My passion from years ago came back to the forefront of my life. I happened to be at a nomination meeting to support a friend, and I left that night, being nominated myself. I accepted the challenge.
My previous jobs have uniquely positioned me to be the best candidate for this position. I have worked Corporate (NYC), NYU, as well as Le Moyne College Liberty Partnership Program— serving within Henninger, Nottingham and Huntington K-8. My most recent job—running The Palace Theatre, allowed me to not only produce and manage cultural events, concerts, etc... it allowed me to meet so many people all over the region and beyond, in bringing solid programming (some child-centered) into Eastwood.
Do you have any children in the district? Yes. One biological child and one stepchild at Henninger High School. Both fathers and I are all Henninger alumni. Our roots in the area are multi-generational, and very deep.
Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please list. I do not. I believe there shouldn’t be any politics attached to school board. Unfortunately, here in the “Big Five” SCSD, politics is a factor. My relevant experience in civic (volunteer) duty includes TNT Facilitator for a number of years in the Eastwood area. During that time, I spearheaded the Public Arts Committee, and focused on the neighborhood schools. We placed many pieces of art throughout the neighborhood, especially at schools, in which I included teachers and students to be an integral part of the process. I also served as Vice President to Parents for Public Schools for several years, as well as PTO VP at Huntington K-8. Co-founded All-City PTO and Eastwood Parents Network.
Please list the party lines you have on the ballot: Syracuse United/Republican, Conservative
What do you see as possible solutions to the current busing crisis? The district released its solution on busing this past week. We got word that start, and end times would be changed for some schools to try and accommodate students because of the busing shortage. With this “solution” we are losing learning time (but better than kids waiting out for a bus for two hours). There are so many factors at play here. Workforce shortage set in motion by the pandemic, poor foresight, and our previous Superintendent Contreras who overhauled a district without understanding the fabric of our community. She was an outsider who implemented massive change without much understanding of our city. She taxed the system and intimidated administrators, teachers, and parents. Our current superintendent had a lot of pieces to pick up. There are only long-term solutions to this problem.
What do you think the district should do to increase the graduation rate? Curriculum. Curriculum. Curriculum. Give the students a reason to want to be at school. Engage them. Teach them things that are not only interesting, but relevant to life itself, and set them up for either college or the work force. We need classes that teach life skills and offer the trades across the board—no matter what school you are in. “School Choice” is not working.
Should the district continue to have school resource officers? Yes, absolutely. Unfortunately, given the state of our city—we absolutely need them, especially at the high school level.
Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people, public affairs and the Syracuse City School District. Contact her anytime email | Twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246.
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