The Messenger makes the following endorsements in the upcoming May 16 board of education elections around Long Island. For our criteria, please see the editorial published in our April 27 issue, available for review online.
The Smithtown Central School District is in dire need of change. As many of you will remember, distrust and contempt for the district’s management grew so great that three parents ascended to the board past Smithtown Teachers’ Association[1]backed candidates in 2021 with the help of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association.
Personal bias from several teachers had begun seeping into the classroom, with children of law enforcement officers made to feel insecure about their parents’ livelihood. Students deserve to learn in a politically neutral place and be left to formulate their own conclusions about the world. Yet, time and time again, the district, through its educators or its administrators’ acquiescence, has taken stances on controversial topics, promoting political and social divisions.
Now, with early reports indicating that the Smithtown Teachers’ Association utilized district emails for the purpose of electioneering and that the chairwoman of the Smithtown Democratic Party has been passing herself off as a Conservative Party member in her campaigning efforts, it is clear where everyone’s loyalties lie.
The Messenger endorses John Savoretti in his bid for re-election. No one could have expected such an explosive reaction when Savoretti announced his candidacy against the status quo. The ensuing media frenzy was exhaustive, and the campaign dollars spent against his candidacy numbered in the tens of thousands. In retrospect, it makes sense. Savoretti’s candidacy challenged the composition of a board of education in which the Smithtown Teachers’ Association (the teachers’ union) supported every member. As part of a team of parent-backed candidates, they are not bound to the union’s positions and could solely represent students and parents in the district. While this does not sound frightening to most, it is frightening for those accustomed to exercising carte blanche power.
His experience as a realtor and small business owner provides valuable insight into what districts around Long Island are doing to produce the most stable home prices. He has been a steady hand on the board, and we look forward to him joining the ideological majority.
The Messenger endorses Elena Guittieri over incumbent board president Matt Gribbin. The incumbent has presided over an ideologically divided board, freezing the three newly elected board members out of discussions. Gribbin was once even caught attempting to curtail the ability of residents to FOIL information – an act of official district business – through personal text messages to the district’s superintendent.
Guttieri’s election would elevate an educator and mother to the board. Her long career in education speaks for itself, while the elevation of a woman to the seat would bring a much-needed perspective to a board some accuse of sexism. Her election promises to bring the accountability the district has been sorely lacking.
The Messenger endorses Kevin Craine over Vlad Pean. For this open seat, Craine is not only an alum of Smithtown Schools but someone who decided to stay in Smithtown and raise his own family here. Not that this is his only appeal.
An educator himself, Craine has an intimate knowledge of what it takes to run a classroom and a school district. The Craine-Guttieri leg of this endorsement brings with it half a century of experience inside the classroom. While other perspectives are always welcome, adding two full-time educators on the board only bolsters a board stacked with educational expertise – if only the teachers’ union saw it the same way. Craine was a class president when he was in school. Thanks to him, the Smithtown Central School District mascot is the iconic Smithtown Bull. Practically, his accomplishment was only possible because of an environment that was receptive to student needs and encouraged student participation – something he is keen on restoring.
With these endorsements, we hope the ideological gridlock on New York Ave will come to pass come the swearing-in of two new board members. A school district is not the proper forum to engage in politics. The editorial board firmly believes these three endorsees possess the purest intentions and the choicest experiences of the candidates presenting themselves for office.
