The Syracuse Teachers Association voted earlier this month to not endorse any of the city’s remaining mayoral candidates.

Union members also refused to interview Laura Lavine, a Republican who has centered her campaign around education policy. Megan Root, president of the STA, declined to comment for this story.

Ben Walsh, who’s running on the Independence and Reform party lines; Juanita Perez Williams, the Democratic candidate; and Howie Hawkins, who’s running on the Green Party ticket, were all interviewed by the STA.

“The Executive Board voted against supporting a particular candidate,” Root wrote in a message to union members, Syracuse.com reported. “We had extensive conversations about this choice, but we feel that any candidate we endorse must be 100% on board with our agenda.”

Part of Lavine’s campaign platform includes a contentious mayoral control proposal, which would include common councilors picking people to fill spots on the Syracuse City School District’s school board.

“Is that how our educators in the Syracuse City School District are teaching our students?” Lavine said. “That the way to deal with someone whose ideas you think you have an understanding of, you just refuse to communicate with them?”

During STA interviews, other candidates discussed their views on charter schools, the possibility of a state constitutional convention, high stakes testing and safety, Hawkins said.

Hawkins, while on the campaign trail, has said he supports a constitutional convention, which would change New York state’s constitution. The STA is opposed to a convention, though, he said.

“We should go to the constitutional convention to strengthen our political, social, labor, civil rights and our environmental protection,” Hawkins said. “The people are ahead of the politicians on this.”

The Green Party candidate knew he would not be endorsed by the STA, he said, but was surprised none of the other candidates received support.

The only candidate not interviewed by STA members was Lavine. This teacher’s group reached out to the Republican candidate for an interview, but then “disinvited her,” the former LaFayette Central School District superintendent said.

Lavine said she also knew she would not receive the endorsement because of the group’s history supporting Democratic candidates.

“Whatever my opponents said to them obviously is not … to their liking or substantive enough,” Lavine added.

The Republican candidate said she does not support the constitutional convention. And the former superintendent said people misunderstand her stance on charter schools. Families in Syracuse are concerned about choosing their children’s education, Lavine said.

“You have the option to pay for your child to go to a nonpublic school, or you have the option to move out of the city altogether to go to a suburban school district,” she said.

Published on October 25, 2017 at 11:27 pm

Contact Kerri: kmcanene@syr.edu