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Valley Stream Herald 03-14-2024

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Vol. 35 No. 12

MARCH 14 - 20, 2024

MARCH 18TH

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Solages salutes local Women of Distinction By REI WolFSoHN Correspondent

Keith Rossein/Herald

Women from Elmont, Franklin Square, Valley Stream, Laurelton, Floral Park and South Floral Park were recognized for their efforts to hellp others in their communities. Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, top row, center, presented the 15 women of distinction their awards at Sewanhaka High School on March 9.

The many accomplishments of amazing local women are making the annual selections of Women of Distinction honorees tougher and tougher. Last Saturday, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages presented the Women of Distinction awards to 15 accomplished women in the 22nd district community. She noted that the selection of the women to every year as the number of nominations increases. The women are discovered through nominations from community members or are identified when Solages and her team hear about them, sometimes through the Herald. “We spot people who are doing great things and we add them to the list,” Solages said. “We just uplift those in the community we feel need uplifting as well. Every year it’s so difficult. This year we honor 15 women, because we had so many great candidates we ContinuEd on PAgE 18

School funding was a focus at leadership breakfast By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com

Valley Stream families and students heard from local lawmakers and school administrators and got their questions answered on pressing education issues at the annual Valley Stream Legislative Breakfast. The public forum March 9, hosted by the Valley Stream Council of PTAs, has promoted itself as a rare occasion for residents to sit down with local leaders in a genuine dialogue on the best ways to deliver better educational outcomes for students going into the new year.

This year, Assemblyman Brian Curran and State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Republicans, sat shoulderto-shoulder with Democratic Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages as legislative panelists. The conversation ran the gamut of education topics from top statewide issues like the expansion of universal pre-K and the quandary over the governor’s new state aid funding formula — down to more local concerns including shoring up more culturally sensitive language teachers to new ways of transitioning special education students into adult life. Unal Karakas, District 24

Superintendent, was tapped to speak on behalf of his fellow superintendents and board of education members. In his speech, he outlined an extensive list of education policy reforms he urged the trio of lawmakers to take to Albany including: ■ Ensuring a legal pathway to make school funding permanent for the federal free meals program ■ Make state evaluations of teachers and principals less test-score-driven ■ Fuller access to funds for universal pre-K funding by

eliminating certain funding restrictions based on class-size requirements But perhaps the issue overshadowing all others was the question of state aid funding.

School leaders, lawmakers say ‘no’ to state formula changes Karakas, who, like many school district leaders on Long

Island, made no effort to hide his opposition toward Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to change elements to the state aid f u n d i n g f o r m u l a — wh i c h decides how much state dollars get pumped to support schools— described it in plain terms as a financial blow to public education. ContinuEd on PAgE 19


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