On May 15, Fayetteville-Manlius School District residents will elect three members of the board of education. The three candidates are running unopposed for the three-year terms, which begin July 1.
All three candidates have responded to identical questionnaires from the Eagle Bulletin. Their responses are printed below in alphabetical order by last name.
Sharon Lindars
Personal information
Husband Paul Lindars; daughters, Maggie (grade 4) and Reese (grade 3) at Mott Road. Grew up and attended school in Manlius, moved out of state from 1990-2010 and moved back to raise children here.
Education
Johns Hopkins University, BA in psychology 1994, MAT in elementary education 1998.
Professional experience
Elementary school classroom teacher, 1995-2009, in Maryland, Texas and North Carolina; Fayetteville-Manlius substitute teacher and teaching assistant; Liverpool School District substitute teacher; Syracuse City School District adjunct teacher.
Organizations/groups involved with
Mott Road HSA board 2014-present, co-president 2015-17; Mott Road Site Based Team 2013-15; North Carolina Association of Educators 2004-10; Association of Texas Professional Educators 2001-04; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2001-04; Maryland State Teachers Association 1995-2001.
Why are you running for school board?
I am running for the school board to expand my involvement and personal contribution from the school level at Mott Road to a district-wide focus. Doing research, asking questions and exploring options will be important to me as I help make decisions to benefit Fayetteville-Manlius students, teachers and community.
Why should people vote for you?
As an educator with experience in school districts both locally and across the country, I am an ideal board member. I will try to bring a rational and unbiased viewpoint while participating in board discussions. I look forward to listening to community concerns and answering questions honestly.
If elected, what would be your goals and priorities?
My priorities as a board member will be to serve as a representative of the teachers, students and parents and to communicate honestly with the F-M community. I believe that addressing difficult decisions with candid and open dialogue will preserve Fayetteville-Manlius’ status as an outstanding district.
What are top three issues the district faces, and how would you address these as a board member?
Fayetteville-Manlius attracts dedicated, well-trained and versatile teachers. As expectations for teachers change, our board must strive to cultivate an environment that allows our teachers to remain effective and connect with students.
The board must remember the diversity of our district’s children in our academic and enrichment programming, and I will strive toward balancing expenditures and resources to meet student needs.
Our board will be challenged with decisions relating to security and facilities in the upcoming future. Effective decisions will be built on research and input, and I will put in the effort necessary to keep our district moving forward.
How do you feel about the district’s current and planned procedures for maintaining and improving school safety and why?
For decades, I have watched many schools adapt to changing perceptions of school safety. Fayetteville-Manlius is on the forefront of these developments, with single point of entry buildings, security cameras, personnel trainings and SROs. I support our proposed budget allowance for a safety audit and the formation of a safety and security task force.
I am open to discussing methods to improve security but will avoid hasty decision-making — it does not serve our purpose to act out of fear. We must continue to encourage students and teachers to communicate openly and budget for professionals to address student needs.
Marissa Mims
Personal information
My twins, Sarah and Devin Speck are juniors at the high school. I have lived in the Village of Manlius for 10 years.
Education
BA Political Science, Syracuse University.
Professional experience
After a number of years in nonprofit management, I changed careers to pursue certification as a teacher. I have taught at Roberts School in the Syracuse City School District for the past two years.
This year, I teach Technology courses to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. I teach creative writing and STEM courses in the Roberts afterschool program. I am a tutor for homebound students as well.
Organizations/groups involved with
Fayetteville Manlius A Better Chance Board Member, chair of the Justice Center Oversight Committee that is responsible for reviewing serious incidents and complaints arising from the Justice Center jail and providing related policy, procedure and training recommendations. Public Relations Chair, Manlius Lions Club, Member of the District Attorney’s School Safety Taskforce, Vice President of the NYS Caucus of Black School Board Members, Co-Founder East Area Support Network.
Why are you running for school board?
I am running for reelection to the FM Board of education because I have served the educational needs of our communities children for nine years, consistently engaging in professional development to ensure I stay abreast of educational initiative. My knowledge and experience will help me to provide leadership and build a vision all can share in.
The board must be responsive and listen to all constituents, yet must not distracted from our responsibility to make the hard decisions.
Why should people vote for you?
People should vote for me because as a parent, educator and school board member with state wide advocacy experience I have been an effective advocate for public education. I am particularly proud of having brought the idea of having a student member on the board of education to the table.
If elected, what would be your goals and priorities?
As a board member, I will continue to educated myself on all issues before the board so that I can make well-informed decisions based on considering various perspectives, data and its impact on classroom instruction. However, serving on the board of education is not about your individual priorities, but about working collaboratively with other board members, staff and administrators on the district’s goals and priorities.
What are top three issues the district faces, and how would you address these as a board member?
The residents of our district are very supportive of our school district. They have consistently voted to support our budget and building projects. However, Fayetteville-Manlius does not receive a large amount of state aid compared to its budget.
As the board legislative liaison, I have advocated for increases in aid to our district, against unfunded mandates and for all districts to receive the entire amount of state aid they are due. As a board member, I will continue to support cost saving initiatives in order maintaining the quality of programs and instruction in our district.
School safety is a top concern. Our school is fortunate to have school resources officers, cameras, single point entries and a number of other safety measures in place, however those measures are require diligence to ensure all procedures are followed. As a board member, I look for documentation that we are using our resources properly.
Voters recently approved facilities improvements for our district, however, there is still more work to be done. The board will need to work closely with our community to demonstrate the need for improvements and additional space.
How do you feel about the district’s current and planned procedures for maintaining and improving school safety and why?
Our district is in the process of improving our security procedures. The changes being made that include adding an additional school resources officer are well thought out and based on careful analysis of our current needs. Like any security plan, some of what is being done must remain confidential.
I believe that all school districts in New York state should receive state aid to have at least one resource officer per school building. Schools should not have to shift funds from other areas of the budget to support this. We have added more mental health resources and staff training with more needed. We must continually monitor our security initiatives and make measured informed decisions about improvements.
Anything else you would like to add?
I believe strongly that Fayetteville-Manlius runs on relationships. Whether it is the relationship between student and teacher, teacher and principal, staff and superintendent or board and community, those connections are what drive our district. They work well when there is good communication, trust and respect. Three things which have guided me as a board member.
Daniel R. Seidberg
Personal Information:
My wife Jenée and I live in Manlius. We both grew up in, and graduated from, FM. We now have two children in school at FM: Meghan, a ninth grader at the high school; and Ashley, a fifth grader at Eagle Hill.
Education:
I graduated from FM High School in 1986. After FM, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University, where I graduated with a double major in psychology and philosophy. I then attended law school at the Boston University School of Law, where I earned my Juris Doctor degree.
Professional experience:
I am the president and co-founder of an international company that provides critical emergency technology and communication tools to fire, EMS and police agencies across North America. I have significant experience in hiring and managing people and large projects, developing and implementing long-range strategic plans and maintaining fiscally prudent budgets.
Organizations/groups involved with:
I support our students and teachers as a trustee of the FM Education Foundation. I also coached FM youth soccer for 14 seasons, co-chair the Cavalry Club Swim Team, served on the FM Facilities Task Force and am involved in numerous professional, national organizations.
Why are you running for school board?
Supporting our teachers and students, improving on the district’s weaker areas, and maintaining a fiscally prudent budget are things that matter to me. I care deeply about this school district and community, know this district well and have the needed skill set and commitment to serve this district well.
Why should people vote for you?
I’ve shown my commitment to our teachers and students through my work on the FM Education Foundation, and my business background will bring a practical perspective to the board. I know what it takes to manage complex entities, how to find solutions to difficult situations and to get things done.
If elected, what would be your goals and priorities?
I will listen to the concerns and input of all of the members of our community, and pledge to ensure that the primary factors in every vote that I cast are the impact on the students, the impact on the teachers and the impact on the taxpayers.
Please list the top three problems you believe F-M faces and how would you address these as a board member?
We must provide our teachers with adequate time and resources to be innovative and inclusive in helping all of our students to maximize their potential, regardless of their achievement level and/or physical or cognitive limitations.
We must remain mindful and respectful of the community’s financial resources, and strike a more careful balance between desires and needs to ensure that educational needs are met in a fiscally prudent manner.
A clear, comprehensive and transparent long-range facilities plan is needed so that the district can focus more on student and teacher needs than short-term brick and mortar issues.
How do you feel about the district’s current and planned procedures for maintaining and improving school safety and why?
More can and should be done to improve school security, without delay. The community identified 21 initiatives in the recent community forums, but not a single change was made to the proposed budget to address or accommodate any of those initiatives.
Integrated training with our fire and EMS agencies is a must, but has not happened, and other security measures continue to be deferred. SROs at all of our schools, improved mental wellness resources, better communication tools, more training, trauma kits throughout the schools and a truly independent security audit are all measures that need to move forward without delay.
Anything else you would like to add?
I think it is very important for voters to know who the candidates are, what their qualifications are, and what they stand for, even in an uncontested election. Please visit SeidbergFM.com to learn more about me, and join me at meet and greet sessions at the Manlius and Fayetteville libraries on May.
