K-L Teacher's Association Needs New Leadership

Written by Peter Breslin, Outgoing K-L School Board Member.

I was never one to be politically correct, so now at the end of my tenure, I certainly am not going to start now.

This district has significant challenges ahead.  I am certainly not the one with answers—that’s the job of the incoming BOE and district leadership.   But I am concerned that these challenges are many and do not have easy solutions.  

First among these is the cost per student in our district.  With all three association contracts expiring this month, clearly this is a unique opportunity to bend the curve on our spending.  We’ve already made some major progress on this front through the recently negotiated healthcare changes.  But the State of New York does not make it easy for us.  Our pension costs, not in our control, have skyrocketed over the years I’ve been on the BOE.  And they continue to increase.  And the insidious Triborough Amendment ties our hands at every juncture and enters every conversation about negotiations.  Despite all this, we need to make sure all our employees are fairly paid, but not at or near the highest salaries in the County.

I remain very concerned about the relationship between Katonah-Lewisboro District Teachers Association (KLDTA) and the governance team.  To me, this issue takes up far too much time of the BOE, our attorneys and the Cabinet.  I’m going to say what I believe is on the minds of many, but seems to remain unsaid.  KLDTA needs new leadership.  Until that happens, the situation will not improve.  The current KLDTA leadership seems obsessed with getting rid of the Superintendent.  And their mantra seems to be anyone who disagrees with this mission is an enemy of the state.  We need well-meaning folks in leadership positions, as we do on the Board of Ed.  I urge the rank-and-file teachers, who must know they are not being well-represented, to rise up and take ownership of the group that represents you.

I am also concerned about the experience level of the new BOE to be seated in July. Collectively, just a couple of weeks from now, the BOE is going from 30 years of experience, or 4+ years average per trustee, to 15 years, which is just over 2 years average.  I believe this group is up to it, but clearly they will need to get up to speed in a hurry.  And they will need to work among themselves and the Cabinet better than we did in the year just past.

I leave it to others to judge whether my tenure on the BOE was beneficial to the district or not.  I hope the community appreciates the time and effort that goes into serving on a BOE.  I’m not sure many people do.  We certainly don’t do it for the money.  We do it because we want to serve the community and above all, be an advocate for our stakeholders, the most important group being the kids we educate every day.  I believe that I did my best, and I hope that was good enough.  I will miss my many colleagues over the years, both on the BOE, in administration and the community members on our various committees.  Thanks again to all of you.  It was an honor and a pleasure to serve with each of you.  I will likely attend meetings to chime in from time to time.

Thanks to the community for electing me three times.  And thanks to the BOE and the various district leaders I’ve served with, for putting up with me all these years.  And thanks to my family and especially, my wife Liza, for enduring the late nights and my occasional venting about district issues - OK, maybe more than just occasional venting.  I will certainly miss the people I’ve been privileged to meet and work alongside, and will endeavor to stay in touch with all of you.

Thank you…

Peter Breslin
South Salem, NY