Croton School Board Candidate: Brian Aspinwall

On May 21, Croton school district residents will vote on a $44.5 million budget proposal and elect two new school board members. Below is a brief bio for school board candidate Brian Aspinwall.

Aspinwall is a tax preparer who has lived in the Croton school district since 2004. He is involved with the Cub Scouts, Little League, PTA and is the treasurer of the Croton-Harmon Education Foundation. He has a son entering Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School and a daughter entering 2nd grade. 
Patch: What strengths will you bring to the board?
I was taught to think critically in college. I think it's easy to get swept up in the status quo, and I think I would bring some critical thinking while keeping an open mind on the important issues which will be before the board. I have attended many board meetings over the past 4 to 5 years, and I feel like I have a good background on the issues and will be able to hit the ground running. 

Patch: What issues facing the district do you feel most strongly about? 
We need to control costs. Pension and health care costs keep rising. This is the hardest thing to accomplish and that's why I want to try to address it.  I also am very interested in how the Common Core and standardized testing get incorporated into kids' and teachers' lives; we need to have testing to get accurate assessment but as it is now it's too onerous. 

Patch: Describe the quality of education you think students are getting in the district. Are there measures you would take to improve upon it?
I think overall the teachers and administrators are doing a very good job. As a general rule, the role of the board should be to set policy and provide oversight, not to get down in the weeds and make adjustments to curriculum. Individualized instruction and project-based learning are the direction we need to go in; the board and administration have this very much on their plate. 

Patch: This was another tough year for the district in terms of developing a budget. Are there any areas you would consider cutting during next year's budget process to stay under the tax cap?
The problem here is that what ends up getting cut is program. I think we need to address some of the structural costs that originate in Albany. Of course, this is much more easily said than done, but I would hope to advocate, and get voters to advocate, for change in Albany. 

Patch: What do you think the long-term impact of the tax cap will be on Croton schools? (Do you support or think it's hurting public education?)
I support the tax cap. This is the means by which voters and school districts are forced to address the structural costs, which are unsustainable. We can't keep going to the well. But there's no question that it ties the hands of the school board, and this board has been very fiscally responsible. It's my hope and belief that our school district will be able to work within it and preserve the programs which directly affect our kids. 

Patch: What do you think about the Common Core standards? Will they benefit Croton students?
I like the Common Core standards; kids need to have these fundamental abilities. But we need to be vigilant that the curriculum is not narrowed; that it doesn't come at the price of art, music, sports. Ways of learning vary widely both between and within children. There are capacities and abilities that no test can measure, and we can't deny any of them. 

Patch: Is there anything we haven’t asked that you would like the public to know about you or your candidacy?
I really like the schools here, and I like our town. My wife grew up here and I feel like I married into a great town. There's always criticism, and indeed there should be, it's healthy. But I'd like to take a moment to tip my cap to all the teachers and administrators who work so hard.