Announcing My Candidacy -- A Letter to the Gazette

An open letter to the Croton-Harmon community,

I (too) am running for a seat on the school board for the Croton-Harmon School District. Our schools, like our community and country, have reached a tipping point. Yes, we face uncertain and difficult economic times and challenges brought on by an increasingly global and stressful existence, but we cannot let discouragement set our agenda and determine our outcomes. An excellent school system is the backbone of our community. I think I could help strengthen Croton by holding a seat on the school board. This is what I bring to the position:

• Knowledge of our schools: I’ve had the privilege, with Donna O’Malley, to co-found Croton’s first Special Education PTA (CH SEPTA) in 2003. This PTA supports special education students from pre-school through high school, including those attending school out of district. We served as Co-Presidents until this fall, spear-heading many educational activities and initiatives in service of not only CH SEPTA members but the greater school and Croton community, for example a Mental Health Forum last spring. I have attended 50+ meetings as a Parent Member for the Committee on Special Education, again for students pre-K through high school, both in and out of district and now serve as CH SEPTA middle school liaison. These experiences have afforded me opportunities to work with the administration, teachers and staff in every Croton school and the district office, meet regularly with parents and hear about their individual concerns, and have given me a thorough overview of our children’s educational experience.

While special education students comprise but a segment of the student body, special education services comprise nearly 25% of the district budget.Some question if this is too much. In truth the entire system is strengthened and monies are saved when students receive the right support to be successful learners. I believe that I could bring important insights to the board and our new superintendent when discussing how to efficiently expend and allocate resources for the greater good of all the district’s children.

• Knowledge of our community: I moved to Croton ten years ago with my family in large part because of the reputation of its schools. After commuting for seven years, I transitioned to working where I live, which has given me a broader and deeper understanding of our town and neighbors beyond our schools. I have cobbled together a number of part-time jobs in which I am currently employed: Daycare worker for 3-5 year olds at Childrenspace, a full-day pre-school on Maple Avenue; Marketing and Public Relations consultant for the Croton Cortlandt Center for the Arts at Charles Cook Park; and Office Manager for the very busy physical therapist practice of Anne Samojedny, on Grand Street, which specializes in CranioSacral Therapy for adults and children, including those with learning disabilities.


• Skills and experience in communications, advocacy, fundraising and volunteer leadership: Before my present employment in Croton, I was Communications Manager and Director of National Art Programs for the home office of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for 17 years. In that capacity I was known for developing new ways to get our story across (http://www.faceofms.org/ is a site I produced) and utilizing programs –such as developing holiday cards through our art programs --to bring in new income through sponsorships and donations while raising awareness about our cause. Before that I worked in development as assistant director for the International Council at the Museum of Modern Art, an elite group of art patrons. I was integral in starting up the CH SEPTA parent network and helped develop its key fund raiser: the mini version of the district’s school calendar.


• Rapport with children: Our schools exist to support children, and I enjoy working with and spending time with them. In addition to my work at Childrenspace, I have been closely involved with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop 1198 which was formed ten years ago and still has a dozen participants; acted as co-producer of PVC’s musical this spring, Aladdin; and have organized a group of high school volunteers for CCCArts, for examples. I also developed and managed art programs for children across the nation who had loved ones living with MS for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.


• Ability to work with people but not afraid to speak up: I have good relationships with the sitting board. In fact I was recruited to run. However, if you have attended recent school board meetings about the proposed budget, you will know that I have spoken out against teacher and modified sports cuts and have asked tough questions about resource allocations.


• Other relevant information: As a parent, community member and citizen I feel that it is my patriotic duty to do everything I can to help provide the very best schools and educational opportunities for our children – to the benefit of us all. My primary areas of focus for the school board would be: 1) to engage the community in advocacy on all legislative levels to improve our funding and thus keep our tax increases low and prevent future teacher cuts 2) to improve communication with parents and the community at large utilizing as many avenues as possible; and 3) to develop and expand volunteer community involvement in our schools to provide support and foster stronger relationships.

I invite you to join my campaign and would like to hear from you! On Thursday, April 23rd, and on future Thursdays, until the election on May 19th, I will be at the Croton Colonial Diner from 7:30-8:30 pm to meet the public, discuss issues and answer questions. I would be honored if any of the other candidates would like to join me. If you are not able to get out and would like to begin a discussion, please visit andreafureyforschoolboard.blogspot.com. I will post this letter and update the site regularly. I appreciate feedback and comments. I can be reached at 271-7640 (home), 539-2971 (cell) and at andreafurey@msn.com. I thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Andrea Furey