Four seek seats on board of education
By Jason Gabak
Editor
When voters head to the school polls along with a budget they will also be asked to consider who to appoint to the board of education.
Incumbents Kerry Brogan and current board president Sue Murphy are both seeking reelection to the board and two candidates, Michael Kell and Jonathan Dower are seeking seats on the board.
Current board member Curt Coville has decided not to seek reelection to the board.
What follows is a brief series of questions and answers with each of the candidates. Each candidate was presented with the same set of questions and what follows are their responses.
Jonathan Dower
Please share a little of your background, where are you from, how long have you lived in Skaneateles, what is your professional background?
I grew up in Skaneateles and went to Skaneateles schools from nursery school through high school. Traveled around NYS for work, but settled back in Skaneateles about four years ago. My professional background is in Commercial Real Estate leasing and development.
Why are you seeking election/reelection to the BOE?
I am seeking election as I attend many of the meetings and am intrigued by the process and feel I could add real value and unique perspective to the group.
Where would you like to see the district go in the coming years of your term?
One of the most important issues for me is how bullying is addressed and handled. It is a topic near and dear to my heart as one of my kids was bullied so bad at another district in the area that we ended up moving. The way that district handled the situation was by words and no action. I am a firm believer that actions speak much louder than words and that it is important to address situations of bullying with a calm, but steady approach. It is important to get all the facts from multiple sides prior to making a decision, but once the facts have been gathered, it is important to have action follow.
Another topic of interest is making sure all student athletes have the same opportunities to succeed and advance in their chosen sport based on their abilities, physical and mental readiness. As an assistant coach for the Skaneateles Boys Varsity Soccer Team, I know how much time and thought goes into pulling a younger student athlete up to the JV or Varsity level. The decision is made by looking at the whole picture. Athletic Ability, Maturity Level and Physical Strength. All of these are crucial to the decision and hold equal weight.
Another topic is safety of our students and staff. The simple fact is it is a different world today than when many of us grew up. We need to be thoughtful how we continue to evaluate and enhance our efforts to make sure we are staying ahead of the concerns and not reacting after an incident. I believe we are on the right track with this and look forward to helping making it even stronger.
What do you think are some of the most important issues the district is currently facing and what are some of your ideas to address them?
I would like to see the district continue its efforts towards fiscal responsibility and continuing to reevaluate our curriculum to make sure we provide our students the most tools and best opportunities to succeed in whatever they choose after they graduate from Skaneateles. I also would like to discuss ways to get the entire town even more involved with the schools. We are such a wonderful town with amazing people and kids. My youngest is a sophomore at Skaneateles right now. After she graduates, I will still have a vested interest in Skaneateles schools and our students, not because I have a child in the system, but because I live in Skaneateles and have LAKER PRIDE through and through. We have amazing facilities for our extra curricular activities in both theater and athletics. There is a wonderful opportunity to discuss ways to use these venues and more to foster the pride and love that we all share for Skaneateles and bring our amazing community even closer together.
What else should voters know about you or why you want to serve?
Voters should know that I am very good at getting all sides of a problem before making a decision. I enjoy breaking complex issues down to their simplest form in hopes to solve the real problem and not react to just a symptom of the problem. I have a proven track record of working very well with others.
Kerry Murphy Brogan
- Please share a little of your background, where are you from, how long have you lived in Skaneateles, what is your professional background?
I have lived my entire life (minus a few years that I lived in Syracuse) in Skaneateles. I graduated from Skaneateles Central School District in 1986. MY father was a teacher at SCS for 30 plus years and I have five siblings that attended SCS as well. My father and brother are both currently Skaneateles residents. I graduated from Nazareth College with a Bachelors degree in Social Work and went on to graduate from Syracuse University with a Masters degree in Social Work. I am currently employed as a school social worker with the Jordan Elbridge Central School District and have worked there for 22 years. My husband, Tom,and I have three daughters, Madelyn (18), Riley (16) and Isabelle (13).
Why are you seeking election/reelection to the BOE?
One of the most difficult things I have learned being on the BOE, is that things take time and that things have to be well thought out, planned and implemented slowly in order to be effective. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the planning process of many initiatives and I would like the opportunity to have another term so that I can continue to be a part the implementation and see them through. The current BOE has a very good working relationship. Different perspectives, points of views and sometimes just respectfully agreeing to disagree, make working with the BOE members not only a privilege but a productive unit as well. I think I bring a unique perspective to the Board in that I work in a school myself and that I know the challenges that our students, our teachers and our administration face on a daily basis. We have embraced the notion of “failing forward” in that we can learn from every experience and only get better from having learned from what has worked and what has not.
What do you think are some of the most important issues the district is currently facing and what are some of your ideas to address them?
Several issues face the district. School safety is on the minds of many and opinions vary on how to address our needs. I believe everyone can agree that our kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe. An adhoc committee of school officials, parents and community members has been formed to discuss concerns and ultimately make recommendations on how to address our security needs while seeking a balance among our stakeholders. I believe we do an exceptional job educating our students but I believe that although we have made great strides, we fall short in meeting the social emotional needs of our students. This doesn’t just fall on the school district. The counselors, teachers and administrators cannot do this without the support of our parents and our community. This is the only way we can be successful. I often say that it’s not that our students don’t like each other, but they don’t know each other. For some students, attending Skaneateles is great experience and for others it is not. We have to start at the elementary level teaching inclusion, kindness and anti bullying. We have to give all students opportunities to get to know their classmates . We need to offer experiences for all students to feel that they are valued, included and feel a part of the school community. Being on the BOE is about representing all students, not just the interests of our own. Social Media, for all its positives, is having a detrimental impact on our kids today in so many areas of their lives. This most likely is one of the causes in the increase we are seeing ,not only in Skaneateles, but in schools every where, in mental health related issues, anxiety in particular. It is very difficult to be a child in today’s world that expects constant excellence and perfection and keeps our kids busy every waking minute of their days. We all want success for our children, but at what cost we have to learn to balance. As the needs of students increase, the funding sources have decreased. There are many mandated programs that schools must implement with not financial backing from the federal government or state. We often hear from some residents that they are willing to pay more in taxes in order to get more . This is not the case for many residents in the District. If people could , I am sure they would but the reality is is that many of our taxpayers cannot afford more and we have to respect that and do just a good of job with what we have. Our taxpayers have and continue to support our school district and we have to maintain their trust by always scrutinizing our costs and giving the very best education and life skills to our students all the while being fiscally responsible.
Where would you like to see the district go in the coming years of your term?
The taxpayers trusted and overwhelmingly supported Project 2021. It will be exciting to see the beginning of and eventually the project come to fruition. The Board and administration have set a goal of implementing foreign language in the younger grades as well as to focus on our writing program.I think it is important to remember that we are not only preparing our students to get through their time at Skaneateles Schools, but we are preparing for their days beyond our hallways. We do a lot of things right but need to continue to always reexamine what we offer and determine the return on our investment. Are our programs meeting the intended need? Is our curriculum preparing our students globally? Is there things we don’t offer that students now need in order to be successful? Are our students taking advantage of opportunities afforded them such as our BOCES programs, our Seal of Bi-Literacy, on-line classes, job shadowing opportunities and many more. Not every student is the same and headed on the same path in life. We are continuously discussing opportunities that we can offer each student so that they are able to reach their goals with success.
What else should voters know about you and why you want to serve on the BOE?
What else should voters know about you and why you want to serve on BOE: I take being on the BOE very seriously. Attending committee meetings, agenda setting and regular meetings are a priority and often at the sacrifice of my family. I like to believe that I disagree respectfully , ask difficult questions and don’t always vote with the group . I think working in a school, gives me a perspective and knowledge that helps me in my position on the BOE. I work with kids every single day, all day. I know what kids encounter every day and that it is different from the days that most of us grew up in and quite honestly have difficulty in understanding. I fight for the underdog every day and I would like to believe that was what lead me to run for BOE three years ago as well and hope to continue.
Susan Greenfield Murphy
Please share a little of your background, where are you from, how long have you lived in Skaneateles, what is your professional background?
I am a native of Skaneateles, 1980 graduate of SCS; 1982 Graduate of Mohawk Valley College. Onondaga County Bar Association Associate Executive Director for 17 years, Town of Skaneateles Community Center 9 years, and Town of Skaneateles Parks Manager 8 years Elected – School Board 2012-Present;
President 2018-19 Board Committees serve (d) on (Policy, Wellness, Strategic Planning, Communications, Curriculum, Instruction& Assessment, and Memorials & Dedication) Standing Committee – Parents with students with IEP’s Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 2008-2014 Zoning Board of Appeals – Town of Skaneateles – 1994-2001 Junior League of Syracuse – 1984-1990, Board of Directors 1986-1988 Commissioner – Village of Skaneateles Cemetery Board Member of St. Mary’s of the Lake Church Skaneateles Farmers Market Manager
Why are you seeking election/reelection to the BOE?
The forward momentum and community involvement that Ken Slentz has brought to this community has been exciting. I want to continue to be a part of that. Keeping and even balance with academics, arts and athletics, and other areas of enrichment, while being responsible to the taxpayers through prudent budgeting is always a challenge. The health and wellness of our students is very important to me and I want to continue make sure that all of the various groups are represented at all times as we continue to move forward.
Transparency and inclusion were a goal of mine since I came on the board six years ago. The Board of Education has worked hard to keep transparency a priority, using a variety of mediums to help further communication and I look forward to continuing that work.
What do you think are some of the most important issues the district is currently facing and what are some of your ideas to address them?
Wellness of our children. Upkeep of our facilities/Safety. Enrollment. Finances. There are many issues that need attention in the coming years but my goal as a school board member is to preserve and enhance the quality of our school system while simultaneously implementing Project 2021. This will address infrastructure, safety, security, energy efficiency & classroom improvements to provide a safe learning environment for all students & staff, while keeping an eye on taxes.
Wellness and special education service are in need of more attention as we are seeing developmental & physical disabilities on the rise. It is a high property of mine to make sure that ALL of our children’s needs are met so they can achieve to the best of their ability in our schools. In turn, our teachers and staff need to have our support and access to resources to help achieve this goal.
Growing up and working in this community, I strive to create stronger ties and transparent communication between school board members and our community with clear strategic planning and Community Advisory Committees. Engaging our entire community is the key to improving our district.
Where would you like to see the district go in the coming years of your term? For example, are there curriculum ideas, capital projects, approaches to budgeting, that you would like to see happen? and why?
Project 2021 will continue to be a significant focus. Security and wellness are two areas that need simultaneous attention in the coming years. Another area that should always be a top priority is our students & staff and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. I would like to see foreign language brought to the lower grade levels and also a focus on keeping up with technology, all while maintaining a budget that is reasonable that will keep our most senior members in the community and continue to bring new families to the district.
5.What else should voters know about you and why you want to serve on the BOE?
Having a child with a learning disability and seeing what wasn’t being done was frustrating. I would ask questions, I poured over the IEP’s (Individualized Educational Program) and I wanted to better understand the terms and numbers. I spoke to other parents who were in the same boat, there needed to be a voice on the board for those students and parents. This is when I decided to run for school board six years ago. The special education department became my focus not only to help my child but for others too. With new administration, there have been changes – for the better, but we can’t stop now. With much more developmental and physical needs on the rise, this department is very important to everyone for the wellbeing of our students and families.
Growing up here, I wanted my children to have the same education and experience that I was fortunate to have. I have two boys, David and Matthew. Matthew will be headed off to college in the fall, while David will return for his second senior year and finish up credits and begin an internship to help with graduation requirements. The forward thinking on getting our students alternative graduation paths is exciting.
Everyone needs a chance to succeed, and it should start right here in Skaneateles Schools.
Michael Kell
Please share a little of your background, where are you from, how long have you lived in Skaneateles, what is your professional background?
I grew up in the CNY area but left after high school to join the military. After successfully completing my enlistment obligation including two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and earning an MBA, we moved back to NY in 2008 to start our family. Like many others, we chose the Skaneateles school district because of its excellent academic record. Currently, I am a VP at AI Insight which is an alternative investment firm providing research, education, marketing and compliance support.
Why are you seeking election/reelection to the BOE?
I have been an active member of the school district for 10 years now and will have children in the school system for the next 20 plus years. This gives me an extremely vested interest in the success and overall safety and security of the district which is why I am seeking election. My professional experience and educational background have been focused from the beginning on an analytical, detailed, fact-based and fiscally responsible mindset which directly aligns with the requirements of a successful school board member.
What do you think are some of the most important issues the district is currently facing and what are some of your ideas to address them?
There is no greater obligation we have than ensuring the safety, security and mental well-being of our students and staff. This means comprehensive research, assessment and identification of our risks, determining our objective in addressing those risks, vetting solutions and then implementing in the most impactful and cost-effective manner.
Continued focus on the “whole student” (Six Dimensions of Wellness) and commitment to near and long term strategic planning. Skaneateles is known for its top tier academics and graduation rate. Remaining proactive and diligent is important to ensure continued success and part of that includes adapting to our rapidly changing environment. A renewed emphasis on post-secondary education prosperity should be a focal point.
Fiscal responsibility is imperative to the future of the district and community. Skaneateles prides itself on a superior level of academics while doing so spending less per student than the NYS average and much less than similar low need districts. We must remain sensitive to, and keenly aware of, the ever-increasing tax burden on the district residents.
Where would you like to see the district go in the coming years of your term? For example, are there curriculum ideas, capital projects, approaches to budgeting, that you would like to see happen? and why?
We must first address the safety and security of all students and staff with a comprehensive plan in the near term and one that anticipates potential challenges in the future without sacrificing a positive and effective learning environment. Continuing to focus on the overall success of the district including post-secondary education trends is crucial. The district can have exemplary academic statistics but if that doesn’t translate into commensurate success after high school, there is room for improvement.
What else should voters know about you and why you want to serve on the BOE?
When considering a school board position, given the importance, impact and level of time commitment on a volunteer basis, it is imperative to do it for the right reasons; I can assure you I am and look forward to the opportunity
