New Board of Regents member Felicia Thomas-Williams has a lot to do
Felicia Thomas-Williams was recently elected to be LI's representative on the state Board of Regents. Credit: Brentwood School District
Education is just one facet of society undergoing broad transformation. This week, President Donald Trump’s administration moved to gut the federal Department of Education with the stated goal of closing it entirely. Any cut to education will have negative impacts, even for Long Island, which gives broad support to public schools and is one of the highest-achieving regions in the nation.
It’s important for Long Island to have strong, vocal and experienced advocates for our students. Helping to fill that role now will be Felicia Thomas-Williams, of Wheatley Heights, a Long Island educator with 30 years of experience who recently was elected to represent the region on the state Board of Regents. Her five-year term begins on April 1. Her predecessor, Roger Tilles, who has served since 2005, was appointed to an at-large seat for one year.
Thomas-Williams’ long tenure in Brentwood’s schools positions her well to understand the special challenges faced by numerous districts on Long Island. We hope that experience infuses her work on a broad range of issues that must be addressed to ensure that all of Long Island’s children receive the best education possible.
Among those critical issues:
Early education: Children under 5 need better and more instruction.
Attendance: One of every three New York high school students is chronically absent.
Mental health: Resources for students must be expanded and improved.
Healthy meals: Students need nutritious and tasty meals and food options; universal school meals should be on the table.
Graduation requirements: There is a role for standardized testing in ensuring that diploma requirements are rigorous.
Technology: Artificial intelligence is here. As technology continues to expand, schools must keep pace and write clear plans for the use of AI.
Money: More cash is not the answer to every problem. Increased funding for underperforming districts should come with clear and achievable goals.
Non-English-speaking students: Expand programs for English-language learners.
Charter schools: Long Island needs a plan that gives parents in underperforming school districts the opportunity to send their children to charter schools without detrimentally affecting public schools.
School buildings: Long Island’s schools are old and in some cases crumbling; renovations or replacements are needed.
Postgraduation paths: Expand and improve career and technical education programs. College isn’t for everyone, and many people have excellent and well-paying careers without a degree.
That’s a daunting list. Our students are counting on Thomas-Williams, a career educator with a “boots-on-the-ground” mentality, to be up to the task.
MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.
