Why run for the School Board?

By Joseph A. "Joe" Ferraro

The first question people ask.....

It's all about my kids -- Jacey and Kyrie -- their friends and our whole community.

I want to play an important role in making their schools the best they can be while remaining cost-effective.

I do not want to be someone who stands on the sidelines and complains, rather I want to work to be part of the solution and create a culture of excellence in education.

I want to help the school district to proactively "shape the future" rather than simply react and "face the future."

I feel that the Putnam Valley School Board in conjunction with administrators, teachers and the community should aggressively work together in a strategic way to plan the direction and future of our district.

Yes, we need to focus on student achievement.

Yes, we need to address challenges that face "at-risk" students.

But we also must embrace a model of education that is more than just about books and tests -- to one that nurtures and encourages the spirit of exploration and the education of the "whole student."

Society benefits when education is a top priority.

In my experience as a fundraiser serving over 100 charitable organizations and raising over a quarter of a billion dollars, data shows that one of the best ways to reduce crime, poverty, unemployment while increasing lifespan, income and civic participation is to build a culture of progressive and interventional education that provides the building blocks of success for today's kids.

A culture of educational excellence begins with parents and teachers and extends to everyone in our community.

The challenges ahead and issues that need to be addressed are numerous (in no particular order):

- How to best fund public schools
- Cost control
- Standardized testing
- Curriculum development
- Education funding in weak economic environment
- Educating the "whole student"
- Role of arts, activities and sports in academic performance
- Community and educators as partners vs. adversaries
- Upcoming teacher, administration, staff contracts
- Transportation
- Full-day kindergarten
- Environmental impact (recycling, watershed, etc.)
- Learning Commons Connector
- Role staff development for teachers plays in improving student achievement
- Balancing needs of students and wants of administration, teachers and community
- Engagement of the teachers in education beyond contracted services
- Unfunded mandates
- Shaping the future vs. facing the future

While I can list a number of the challenges that public education in general and the Putnam Valley Central School District specifically current face, ultimately the real reason why I've decided to run for the Putnam Valley School Board still comes back to doing my part to deliver the best possible public education for my kids and community to improve their lives for years to come -- all while keeping an eye on fiscal responsibility.