Schools

Teachers' Union Backs Bavlnka, Connors for School Board

Deanna Bavlnka, Bill Connors, and Andrea Fusco-Winslow are running for two open Board of Education seats.

Although the president of the Three Village Teachers Association said the organization considered not endorsing any school board candidates this year, the TVTA has announced it will support incumbent Deanna Bavlnka and former trustee Bill Connors.

The third candidate in the race is Dr. Andrea Fusco-Winslow, a resident who owns her own office-based anesthesia business.

Claudia Reinhart, TVTA president, said in an interview Tuesday that the organization made its choice based on the candidates' level of related experience.

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"We contemplated not endorsing. ... We were impressed by all the candidates. At the end of the day it was experience," Reinhart said.

RELATED: Read an introduction to each of the three school board candidates .

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Following last week's "Meet the Candidates" night sponsored by the Three Village PTA, the three candidates for school board gathered again on Monday night at a meet-and-greet hosted by the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook.

During the meeting Fusco-Winslow said that the Three Village Teachers Association had asked her not to continue running, saying it made her redouble her efforts to win a seat. However, Reinhart said the union did not ask her to bow out.

"When we met her, we thought she was very bright and motivated and interested," Reinhart said. "It made it hard to make a decision."


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