Candidate for Albany City School Board
I admit the pay (zero) is not attractive. But here's why I want to serve you on the school board:
Peggy and I have a "blended family". We each have children from previous marriages; all seven of us came together to form a new family. In this family everyone is treated equally. When they introduce each other to their friends they say 'This is my brother" or "This is my sister", not "this is my stepbrother". Family is about who you love and take care of, not just who you have a blood kinship with.
Imagine if we applied that principle across our city. It is easy to ignore a problem when it involves someone else. There's no way you ignore a problem involving your own child. What I am asking is that each of us begin thinking of all the children in this city as OUR children to whom we share a responsibility.
I also owe a big debt to a lot of people. My children have all benefited from the education they got at Albany city schools. I especially want to recognize the staff and students of the Montessori Magnet School and Albany High. Looking at this photo of Matthew and his friends at fifth grade graduation, you know what it is all about. I know that a lot of parents, former and current school board members, teachers and students made these schools great and it is my turn to help continue that.
In my work I am frequently involved in hiring people who come in from out of town. Invariably, when a new person asks where they should live, they are advised to avoid Albany. The reasons always given are the schools and the crime. I also know a lot of people who have moved out of the city due to their perception of the schools. It is time we changed that.
I am one of many people who know we can do better in Albany. We have a city of 90,000 smart, energetic, caring people. We deserve better than what we're getting. I have lived in Albany most of my life. I am staying. Working together, applying our creativity, our hard work and trusting each other, we can build a better school system and a better city.
Working together and thinking of every child as one of ours, we can do this.
