We need oversight, not cheerleaders for a superintendent

Dear Editor,

A Board of Education isn’t meant to be an echo chamber for any ideology - liberal or conservative. Trustees who serve should come with questions and challenges for the administration and one another, not a rubber stamp for the aspirations of an activist superintendent of any stripe. It’s not a launchpad for political careers. And it’s certainly not a protective shield for the superintendent’s professional ambitions as we have seen play out for more than a decade here in Somers.

The role of a school board is clear: serve as a check on the administration, ensure accountability, and represent the interests of the students, families and taxpayers.

The incumbents running this year, President Amanda Kandel, Vice President Chadwick Olsen and Dr. Ifay Chang have clearly lost sight of this. These trustees—especially Kandel and Olsen—have spent more time as cheerleaders for the superintendent, hesitant to challenge decisions or demand transparency.

That’s not governance—it’s enabling. A superintendent is not a monarch. Their decisions affect students’ futures, teacher morale and the proper use of public funds. Oversight isn’t personal—it’s necessary. Kandel and Olsen just don’t seem interested in this part of the job. All too often, Chang seems more intent on lecturing rather than listening, and that can be just as bad.

Equally damaging is the trustee who treats the board as a stepping stone. School boards are not the place to rehearse political talking points or push ideological agendas. If you want to be a politician, run for city council or the state legislature. The classroom shouldn’t be collateral damage in someone’s career plan.

The school board’s job is to ask hard questions, review policies thoroughly and ensure the district’s actions reflect the community’s priorities, not individual ambitions. Trustees should focus on student outcomes, fiscal responsibility and making sure every child has a chance to succeed—no matter their ZIP code.

The moment school boards forget this mission, they stop serving the public. And the students—the ones we’re all supposed to protect—lose. School governance should be about stewardship, not self-interest.

Hold the superintendent accountable. Keep personal agendas in check. That’s the job. I know that Mike Rinaldi, Michael Ritacco and Jozef Vala will do it.

-Richard Mancini Jr., Somers