McLaughlin Gets Ready to Say Goodbye to White Plains Board of Ed

For the first time in 15 years, on July 1 the White Plains Board of Education will be without Donna McLaughlin. McLaughlin decided not to run for re-election— will be taking her place—and talked to White Plains Patch about what it was like to serve on the school board for a decade and a half.

Here's what she said: 

Name: Donna O. McLaughlin

Age: 54

How long have you lived in White Plains? 30 years

What neighborhood do you live in? Soundview

Family: Married with 3 children that went through the White Plains School system K-12 

What do you do for a living? I stayed home with my children for 20 years and just went back to work 4 years ago.  I currently work for MTV Network as a Project Manager

How long have you been on the school board? I have been on the school board for 15 years. I was president 7 years.

Any other community involvement: I am the treasurer for the Lyndsey's TLC Foundation.  This is a foundation that gives funding to individuals with Cystic Fibrosis for expenses that are not covered by insurance.

Why did you decide to run for school board?  

I initially decided to run for the school board as I became more active in the PTA (president of the Post Road PTA) and started to go to school board meetings. I always thought White Plains was a wonderful school district and I thought I could help make it even better. 

I continued to run for the school board because there was always more to get done and I was still passionate about what I was doing and I felt I could still make a difference.  It was my way of giving back to the community and to the school district. 

What did you get out of serving on the school board for so many years?  

It is an interesting question because people always say to me what a thankless job it is, and I don't see it that way.  Believe me, it has been a lot of work and not always fun but it has been all worth it. I have seen a lot of positive changes in the district and the effect that it has had on our students is my reward. 

Every time a student gets accepted to a college or a club wins a championship or an athletic team makes scholar athlete, I feel like my time and hard work has paid off.

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What are some of the most important things you’ve accomplished during your time on the board? 

White Plains has always been looked at as a forwarding-thinking district that caters to a very diverse population. I have tried over my tenure, to continue to build on that reputation and to push to get us to think differently in order to service our students the best way possible. 

I always asked myself and the staff how can we work smarter to save money but at the same time offer more to our students in order to meet their needs better.

I am very proud of all the building projects I have been involved with during my tenure.  I was on the construction and finance committee for every single project.  I am extremely proud of the new Post Road School and the fact that it is one of the greenest schools in the states. 

Plus, I feel good every time I drive by the middle school and high school and see kids on the new turf fields. I was a major advocate of the new school and the fields and pushed very hard to get those projects completed. 

Most importantly I am pleased to say that the rigor of the curriculum, the constituency of the curriculum across each classroom and the variety of course offerings in the schools has increased during my tenure. In addition the use of technology in the schools has evolved dramatically over the past 15 years. I have always been an advocate of our technology initiative, knowing that students these days learn a lot different than we did and we need to recognize that and try to keep up with the changes. 

I am also very proud of the work I have done on the board's finance committee and the changes we have made with our union contracts. Decisions that were made during my tenure have saved the district a lot of money and it will continue to save them money well into the future. 

One other accomplishment I am proud of is the district's strategic plan.  I truly believe it is a well-written document that will help everyone, staff, parents, students and community members, work together now and in the future, to achieve the district's mission statement.

"The mission of the White Plains City School District is to educate and inspire all students, while nurturing their dreams, so they learn continually, think critically, pursue their aspirations and contribute to a diverse and dynamic world."

Change in schools takes time and it can be very frustrating but thankfully White Plains has a very dedicated staff that works extremely hard to meet the needs of all students and a community that supports its schools in many ways.  

What are your hopes for the school district?  

White Plains is a wonderful school district that prepares the students with a "real world" education because of its diversity. I know there are a lot of initiatives being pushed by the state with no funding and a 2% tax cap, it does not make things easy. 

But, that is why it is important to keep examining and evaluating what we are currently doing and see how we can do it better. I would like to see the district stay true to its mission and continue to provide the students the best education possible both in and out of the classroom.

Anything else you would like to add…. 

I would just want to thank my family and friends for supporting me during my 15 years on the board, it has taken a lot of my time away from them.  It has been an honor to serve on the school board and I will truly miss it.

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