Endorsement from Laura K. Fallon, A Letter to the Gazette

To the editor:

I am writing to you today to ask next week when you vote for new school board representatives, please consider voting for Andrea Furey. I have known Andrea since she first moved to Croton. Andrea is an incredibly talented human being, who is caring, smart and has a real drive to make a difference in her community. Andrea has juggled many different volunteer jobs in Croton for many years and has done so with aplomb.

Andrea's background is incredibly diverse and lends a huge wealth of experience for this position. Andrea will ask the right questions, is always fair, want the best for every person she encounters. I have been to many of the parent meetings that Andrea has arranged for SEPTA and they were excellent programs and her experience with SEPTA just add so much to her candidacy. Not only does she understand the dealings of being a parent of school-aged children, but she also knows what it is to deal with all the other issues that encompass having a special needs student. It was a vital service that Andrea founded and nurtured and for that I thank her.

We Croton residents will be very lucky to have such a wonderful, intelligent, caring person looking out for our best interest on the school board. Please consider voting for this very capable person.

Kind regards, Laura K. Fallon

Endorsement from Kathy (Leonard) Reynolds, A Letter to the Gazette

I am writing to support Andrea Furey’s candidacy for the Croton-Harmon School Board.

Andrea’s greatest asset is her ability to communicate. She is a communications specialist who has used her talents working for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Museum of Modern Art and the Croton Cortlandt Center for the Arts. Her work as Co-President of the Croton-Harmon Special Education PTA has resulted in greater dialogue between parents, teachers and administrators. For those voters who do not have children or no longer have children in the schools, Andrea is the candidate for you. She understands the need to communicate with everyone, not just to parents of children in the district. Andrea also recognizes the importance of an open dialogue between the school district and the village administration.

As Co-Founder and Co-President of the Croton-Harmon Special Education PTA, as well as a Committee on Special Education parent member, Andrea is the only candidate who understands the complex issues related to special education in our district. Special education programming accounts for nearly 15% of the total school budget Andrea has the knowledge and ability to evaluate the effectiveness of programs as well as look at options to contain costs.

I hope you will join me in voting for Andrea Furey on May 19th.

Kathy (Leonard) Reynolds
Croton-on-Hudson

Endorsement from Joan Wilson, A Letter to the Gazette

As the Croton school board election nears, I would like to share my reasons for supporting Andrea Furey's candidacy. She brings to the table a host of capabilities that will serve our community well, especially as the challenging economic environment persists.

First, she has proven success in building open and productive communications among diverse stakeholders to the benefit of all -- a capability that facilitates productive relationships between the district and parents of current or impending school-age children, the district and its citizens who are no longer or never were direct users of the schools, the district and the village, and so on.

Second, Andrea has a robust understanding of and valuable insights on both overall district and grade-specific goals and challenges -- that is, she is well-versed in the realities of our district's commitments.

Third, she has strong relationships with teachers, administrators, and staff at all three Croton schools and in the pre-K community -- an important foundation for board member effectiveness.

Fourth, Andrea is experienced in building and leveraging public advocacy -- a critical capability as state and federal educational spending continues to trend toward further constriction and other entities attempt to impose new costs upon the district.

And last but not least, Andrea is experienced in maximizing the return from every dollar spent, giving each of us assurance that our tax dollars will be spent smartly.

For further information on Andrea's experience and capabilities, please visit her web site at: http://andreafureyforschoolboard.blogspot.com/. Should you have missed Wednesday's Forum at CHHS, Andrea has a standing date with the public on Thursday evenings at the Croton Colonial Diner from 7:30- 8:30 pm, affording an opportunity to meet with her and learn more about her background and the goals and innovative perspective she would bring as a board member.

Thank you in advance for your prospective support for Andrea Furey on May 19th. -- Joan Wilson, Croton, New York

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