Here’s what I’ll work for starting on day one.

Nyack is one of the most linguistically diverse communities in the Hudson Valley. Let’s build on that diversity.

Research shows that multilingual enrichment programs build cognitive skills, close performance gaps, and promote long-term academic success — reducing the need for more costly interventions down the road.

I’ll champion multilingual after-school enrichment programs so all students have a chance to grow up bilingual. These are proven investments in our children’s future.

Let’s close gaps and open minds.

Students need to learn how to use technology. Let’s do it safely and sensibly.

The evidence is clear. Too much screen time in classrooms impedes learning, wastes tax dollars, and exposes children to harmful content. In a 2023 national Common Sense Media survey, one fourth of teenagers admitted to viewing online pornography at school — nearly half on school-issued devices.

I’ll push for a thorough audit of classroom technology guided by a simple principle: keep what helps students learn and cut what doesn’t. I’ll advocate for active learning, not passive screen time. I’ll make sure we have guardrails in place to protect students from harmful online content, manipulative algorithms, and addictive technologies.

Let’s invest in what works.

Every student has a right to learn without fear, no matter where they are from. Let’s make that happen in Nyack.

I’ll push for a formal Safe Zone policy for our schools that prohibits staff from sharing students’ immigration status, requires court-issued warrants before ICE agents can enter school buildings, and establishes clear protocols for staff, students, and families so everyone knows our schools are safe.

We won’t be alone. More than 700 school districts in 33 states have adopted Safe Zone policies. They’re backed by the NEA, the AFT, and the ACLU — and grounded in the Constitution, federal civil rights law, and decades of Supreme Court precedent.

Let’s do the right thing and join them.

These priorities reflect what I hear from Nyack families and what the research supports.

Have thoughts? I want to hear from you: larry@larryfornyack.com