May 16th Letter to the Community
Post date: May 19, 2013 7:50:58 PM
The following letter originally appeared in the May 16th edition of The Gazette:
Dear neighbors:
As we approach election day, I am thankful for all of the input which I have received from the community. In meetings with parents, with other members of the community, with members of the current school board and with the school administration, all have voiced an interest in the future of our school district – a hope that together we will be able to give the youth of our community the excellent education that they deserve. The task is a significant one – there are challenges and opportunities before us as never before, and I hope that you will give me the opportunity to bring my talents to bear in steering this ship.
I promise to be a voice on the school board for responsible administration of our schools. I will focus our attention on areas which directly strengthen our students, and ensure our school tax dollars are not wasted on unnecessary non-educational expenses. I will remember that we must properly fund education, yet temper this with the knowledge that high tax rates can be devastating to the less fortunate among us.
I will focus not on the latest educational fad, the untested (and expensive) new ideas du-jour, but rather set policies that foster methods which are tested, which have been proven to work. The most effective teachers don't take big risks with new systems. Rather, they take little incremental risks on new ideas and alternate techniques that are individualized to their students. If elected to the board I will speak out strongly for this approach, and ensure that we grow our core of master teachers who do this every day in the classroom.
I conclude as I began my campaign: Reiterating my belief that providing an appropriate and challenging education for every child is not just critical to that child, but is also a fundamental foundation of our community, and our society. By educating our children to the best of their ability, according to their hopes and desires, we create the next generation of brilliant thinkers, community leaders, talented artists, and innovators. Please join me on the path, by voting to elect Joshua Diamond to the Croton-Harmon Schools Board of Education on May 21st.
For the kids,
Joshua Diamond