The following are answers submitted to The Messenger.
Why are you running for school board?
DiLorenzo: For the last few years, I have been advocating for the students, including my three young children. I wish to continue to advocate for them so that they can obtain a sound education at Connetquot and be set on a path to pursue whatever future they would like, whether it be college, the military, a trade school, etc. They should receive an education that is academic-based and focused on the subjects they are expected to learn. They should be able to carry their Connetquot experiences with them throughout their lives.
Why are you running for re-election?
Augulis: I am currently the Vice President and serving in my ninth year. There are a lot of things that I advocated for, and a lot of them have come to fruition. We have made tremendous advancements in our educational and STEM programs, increased mental health, and made significant improvements to our facilities with the gratitude of voter approval. I’m so excited about the programs/incentives we’ve put in place, and I look forward to seeing the short and long benefits as a result. We are in the process of hiring a new superintendent, so I’m excited about the prospect of working with this new superintendent. When I attend many of these school events and see our children thrive, it warms my heart. A part of what the Board of Education does is to provide for the needs of our children and implement initiatives to empower them on their road to success and meet their goals.
What relevant experiences can you bring to the school board?
DiLorenzo: I bring the experience of being a parent, but I also bring the experience of being a children’s librarian for close to 20 years. I mainly work with children from preschool through grade 5. Most of my classes are educational and focused on STEM. Another experience I would bring is my undergraduate education in Applied Math and Statistics from Stony Brook University. I have always had a deep understanding of numbers, and I can bring that quality to the table when it comes to looking at the statistics of programs and initiatives to determine how effective they are while remaining fiscally responsible. I am on the Bohemia Civics Board as secretary, so I pay great attention to our community’s wants and needs. I am also an active member of four different PTAs as well as Connetquot’s Mental Health Advisory Council, Curriculum Committee and T-Bird Project.
What experiences do you bring to the school board?
Augulis: While serving on the board, I have opportunities to attend seminars/ webinars/committees to learn different components of the educational system. My background in finance, as a tax accountant, means that I have a great knowledge of the budget. Yesterday, they did a presentation on our budget on how much the taxpayers have saved over the past few years – almost six million dollars – and I’d like to feel that I played an intricate part in that savings. I spend hours going through the budget, and I try to decrease certain budget lines without infringing on or impacting programs for our students. I’m very proactive and mindful about keeping programs in place for our students. Aside from the Board of Education, I serve on the Bohemia Civic Board as Vice President, and I am the President of the Greater Islip Association. I feel with my involvement with these various groups it helps to provide more opportunities to work alongside our communities.
What does curriculum transparency mean to you?
DiLorenzo: Curriculum transparency is the ability for parents to be able to view the curriculum as if they are in the classroom with their children. This is especially important in today’s climate, considering that topics are entering schools that never entered before. Parents should know if and what their children could be learning that may deviate from traditional academics. Curriculum transparency benefits all parents and students no matter where they stand on any issues.
Augulis: It has always been my strong belief in the nine years I’ve been serving on the board that there should be a home-school connection. I feel it’s vital for parents to be involved in their child’s education because together, WE can work towards our students’ success. When you have an involved parent, the chance of success for that child increases dramatically. So, if you have a parent that is looking over the study material or homework and their child is struggling, curriculum transparency gives parents a window into their child’s day and helps parents to work alongside educators to benefit the child.
Connetquot Central School District has come into the news recently for its new classroom flag policy and the removal of the “progress pride flag.” Can you comment on this situation?
DiLorenzo: I support our American flag and our New York State flag. Any other flags on display in a classroom should be curriculum-based. For instance, in a foreign language class, displaying the flag of that country would fall under the curriculum and subject being taught.
Augulis: Currently, there should not be any politics in schools, so to speak, or anything that would be a diversion from the educational process. The classroom is a room in which all children should feel comfortable and invited. When the pride flag was originally in the classroom, children never had any issues with it. It wasn’t until this new flag (the progress pride flag) was introduced that some children spoke to their parents and had questions about ‘what is this new flag.’ I believe that anything that creates a divide among children should not be in a classroom. What we need to do is make the school environment very welcoming for ALL children. One of our community members spoke a few months ago and said his teacher didn’t have any symbols in the room, but he knew she was a safe person to whom he could speak about his sexual identity. I thought that was very powerful because the teacher did not have any flags; she just made her classroom very warm and welcoming for this student. I feel creating a safe learning environment is paramount for all of our students’ success. Our Schoolhouse should feel like a second home for our students to express who they are, and they should be uplifted to their fullest potential.
