Copyright syracuse.com
A Syracuse City School Board commissioner who failed to earn a spot on the ballot is confident she can win a second term through a write-in campaign. Commissioner Nyatwa Bullock lost the Democratic primary to newcomer Michael Root by 270 votes in June. The ballot will list Root and commissioners Twiggy Billue and Karen Cordano as the Democratic candidates and Jason Petrone as the sole Republican. But Bullock is asking supporters to write in her name on the ballot. It’s likely a long shot. More than 19,000 people voted in the 2021 city election. The candidates are running for three seats open on the seven-member school board. Petrone has not actively campaigned and did not respond to a request for an interview. Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard interviewed Cordano, Bullock and Root. Billue was unavailable prior to publication. Cordano and Bullock said multiple times they would not discuss school board decisions in interviews. The pair declined to comment about a potential district contract with TD22 Consulting, a company owned by retiring Superintendent Anthony Davis. Cordano said she wants to be an advocate for the children. Root said he wants to make sure teachers are considered in board decisions. Bullock said she wants to increase the graduation rate and be a community voice. The school board position is part-time and pays a stipend of about $16,000. Early voting opened on Oct. 25 and lasts until Nov. 2. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Here is what to know about each candidate. Nyatwa Bullock Despite losing the primary — and the name recognition on the ballot — Bullock said she “has great chances of winning.” In order to vote for Bullock, a voter must write-in “Bullock” or “Nyatwa Bullock.” She said she did not do a great job campaigning prior to the June primary but has stepped it up since. “I spent all summer doing teachings, getting people registered to vote also, and just teaching about early voting, absentee voting as well,” Bullock said. “My chances are great and the community knows that I’m there for them.” Bullock is finishing her first term on school board. She was elected in 2021. She previously worked as a teacher’s assistant within SCSD, a community ambassador at the Center For Community Alternatives, and she currently works with kids at OCM BOCES. Bullock also has a nonprofit where she teaches students trade work. If elected, Bullock wants to increase the graduation rate by addressing attendance and the teacher shortage, expand career and technical education (CTE) programs and make sure students are taking advantage of AP and honors classes. During her time on school board, she is proud of increasing the number of CTE programs, hiring Davis as superintendent and increasing diversity in leadership roles. “I’m the only person that’s running currently that graduated from the Syracuse City School District, that worked inside of the Syracuse School District,“ Bullock said. ”I have proven over and over that I am invested in our youth and community.” Karen Cordano For Cordano, improving students’ education is the top priority. In order to create a better education, she believes students’ needs have to be met. “Until we are dealing with the actual underlying causes of poverty and trauma and violence, our kids are not going to be able to come to school ready to learn, and we are not going to be able to give them the academic outcomes that they deserve,“ Cordano said. During the 2023-2024 school year, 86% of SCSD students were considered economically disadvantaged, according to the New York State Education Department. Cordano said she wants to partner with county, state and federal governments in order to bring in better resources for students. Cordano was first elected as a school board commissioner in 2021. She moved to Syracuse in 2009 and became involved with the Ed Smith Parent-Teacher-Organization when her children started school. She decided to run for school board after seeing how the academic disparities were not students’ fault, but often dependent on their environments. Cordano is most proud of helping create a creative expression and design CTE program at Nottingham High School. She is also proud of how the district stood up for its students at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central in 2024. After a football player was erroneously ejected from a game, the team was disqualified from the playoffs. The district sued and got the decision reversed in 2024, syracuse.com reported. In a rare break with fellow board members, Cordano voted “no” on appointing the new superintendent, Pamela Odom, without doing a search. She did not respond to a question about that vote. Michael Root Root is a retired teacher of over 30 years and is married to another teacher. He was formerly the president of the Westhill teacher’s union. This is Root’s second campaign for school board commissioner as he narrowly lost the race in 2023. He said he’s learned a lot since then. Root is critical of decisions the Syracuse City School Board has made in recent years. He wants to ask the district hard questions he feels are not being voiced. “A $40,000 program here or a $25,000 program there, it may not seem like a lot, but they add up. Pennies do matter. So if we’re going to spend money, let’s make sure that we’re spending money on programs that have efficacy,” Root said. As a former educator, he wants to be the voice for teachers. If elected, Root said he wants to maintain wraparound services the schools offer, increase the literacy rate and provide individualized resources to teachers. “I feel that the teachers are not being listened to enough about what they actually need in class. I know everyone that sits on the board, they want to do what’s best. I have no doubt about that. But most of them have never taught in a classroom,” Root said. “Doing what’s best for the students is doing what’s best for the teachers and the TAs and all the professionals.” Twiggy Billue Billue has served as commissioner on the school board since being elected in 2021. She wants to better school attendance, increase and diversify school district funding and improve school safety, according to Billue’s campaign website. She is an education and community advocate in Syracuse. Jason Petrone
