BY Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

On Tuesday, May 17, voters in the East Syracuse Minoa School District will elect three candidates to the board of education during the annual budget vote. The two candidates with the most votes will be elected to a four-year term, while the third place candidate will serve a one-year term. The candidates are D. Paul Waltz, Kay Gallery and Michael Farnsworth.

The election will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at the ESM High School inside the small gymnasium.

The Eagle Bulletin has sent out a uniform profile questionnaire to all candidates. Below are the responses in alphabetical order by last name.

Michael Farnsworth

Professional experience: Self-employed landscaper. 

Education: AAS Business Administration; B.S. in Communications.

Organizations/groups involved with: Greater Manlius Chamber of Commerce and church folk group.

Why do you think you would make a good member on the ESM Board of Education?

I have four years of experience on the school board in my hometown of Camden. I have a good understanding of the job.

Please list the top three problems you believe ESM faces and how would you address these as a board member?

I would rather tell you what I would be an advocate for as a board member. I’d like to be sure all staff (teachers, support staff and bus drivers) get opportunities to learn and grow within service and continuing education. I would also be a strong advocate for the arts and music.

I would want to know more about the district’s plan to replace buses and maintain the physical plant. I would also be in favor of board policy reviews in areas where it’s needed to amend and codify. We should also look at new technology for students in all disciplines.

What is your philosophy on education?

It’s not enough to know what to teach, but also recognize how our students learn. Common Core standards should be used as a resource more than a measure of how our students compare to other states, and certainly not a measure of teaching efficiency.

Kay Irene Gallery

Professional experience: Currently a stay-at-home mom. Formerly a secondary social studies teacher, mobile therapist and head girls high school lacrosse coach.

Education: Master of Arts in teaching, University of Pittsburgh; B.S. in psychology, University of Pittsburgh.

Organizations/groups involved with: Co-president of East Syracuse Elementary PTO, secretary of East Syracuse Minoa Education Foundation, Sunday School teacher and Stewardship Committee member at Trinity Episcopal Church

Why do you think you would make a good member on the ESM Board of Education?

I feel that my educational background, previous work as a therapist and teacher and my parenting experience would make me a good member of the ESM School Board. These collective traits and background give me a unique voice and perspective on education and would contribute to me actively and passionately advocating for the educational needs for our students.                                 

Please list the top three problems you believe ESM faces and how would you address these as a board member?

In my opinion the top three problems ESM faces are: fostering a symbiotic relationship between home and school, instilling a desire to learn and budget constraints.

Fostering, developing and maintaining a mutually respectful and meaningful relationship between a student’s home and school life is beneficial to all involved. With both parties highly vested in the success of the learner, we have the perfect relational conditions for success to transpire. As a board member, I would address this by advocating for parents to become more involved at school and challenge the schools to come up with creative ways to engage parents.

The purpose of education is to instill a desire to learn. As a board member, I would ensure vocational, music, arts and athletics were continued to be supported because these are the programs that catalyze desire to learn. I would also advocate for some type of enrichment at the primary level so that every learner is challenged and motivated.

As a board member, I would help address the budget problems by looking into creative ways to streamline expenditures and look for grant availability so that ESM can continue to grow within the constraints of budgetary constructs.

What is your philosophy on education?

My philosophy on education is a wholistic one; the whole child should be considered when developing and implementing strategies. I feel passionately that the psychological, emotional, moral, developmental and cognitive components all need to be addressed for education to be meaningful and sustaining. Wholistic education nurtures well-rounded students who ultimately become impactful members of society.

D. Paul Waltz Jr.

Professional experience: More than 40 years in law enforcement. Currently the chief of police for the New York State University Police Department at Upstate Medical University.

Education: Masters of Arts in Public Administration, Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, SUNY Empire State College.

Organizations/groups involved with: CNY Chiefs of Police Association (current president), Onondaga County Chiefs of Police Association, New York State Chiefs of Police Association, SUNY Chiefs of Police Association, University Hill Public Safety Association, Special Olympics of Central New York and Law Enforcement Torch of Special Olympics Statewide Committee.

Why do you think you would make a good member on the ESM Board of Education?

I would continue to give my unconditional time, energy, experience and knowledge to assist in our educational pursuits in preparing our students to be successful adults and future leaders. As I have done since first being elected to the board in 2008.

Please list the top three problems you believe ESM faces and how would you address these as a board member?

I believe like all districts, we have challenges, not problems. As our district grows our duty to address the needs of our ESM community is being challenged by demands of testing, safety, security, operations and budget restrictions. As a board, we must achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency by allocating existing resources to meet the growing need for these services. As a board we can connect available resources with our students, our outstanding committed teachers, staff and community. By forming partnerships between them we can provide a strong and stable foundation for our student’s educational experience, technical curiosity, and creative arts exploration all leading to their academic excellence. A partnership that will be full of rewards and opportunities for our students.

What is your philosophy on education?

I believe that as a district we must provide all students with the necessary resources, support and encouragement to succeed regardless of the path they choose after graduation. We need to be there for our students and offer them the guidance and inspiration to succeed to make their dreams a reality.