Topic: Northport school board candidates
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| timhealy101Posts: 18Location: Join Date: May 7, 2008 1:58 PMSend Message |  May 13, 2008 10:16 AMJean Baron, 51, is an attorney who has lived in the district for 37 years. Calls for a full-day kindergarten and improvements in school grounds and computer programs for students. While asking for people to recognize budget constraints, she wants the district to "understand the changing needs of our students.” Phil Fortuna, 48, has lived in Northport for 12 years. When he was elected three years ago, Fortuna unsuccessfully asked the district to allow law firms to bid for business. He still wants the district to seek more competitive bids for services and to pare costs where possible. "The best way for our schools to effectively educate our children is for the district to ensure that our tax dollars are spent in a way that best suits the needs of our student body.” Joe Gannon, 55, is a graduate of New York Institute of Technology who worked in the publishing business in Manhattan and now owns his own publishing services company. Stressed his desire to continue the "broad, high-quality education the community expects” while keeping expenses under control. "No simple answers exist,” he warned. He suggested looking into cost-saving measures such as sharing back-office services with other districts, streamlining purchasing policies and possibly changing school taxation "to shift the burden away from those least able to pay.” Denise Summers Mumm, 57, a secretary for the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals, has lived in Northport for 25 years. Mumm, who said she was elected to the board three years ago as "a new set of eyes,” continues to ask for a long-range plan at the district. "A district of our size and stature should not be first contemplating artificial turf fields or smart boards four years after our surrounding districts.” Mumm wants board members to head committees overseeing the budget, curriculum and other areas for "more community input and transparency” in spending money. She also seeks creative solutions, including joining with other districts, to deal with escalating transportation costs. At the same time, she's called for a two-term limit for school board members to keep ideas fresh. Arlene Munson, 57, is a library media specialist at Glen Cove High School. Worried about heavy testing and unfunded state and federal requirements for schools, Munson is concerned with "holding on to the bottom line for our taxpayers.” She pledges to offer the best possible education for Northport students. Her plan: "Hire the best qualified instructors; continue to make Northport a prestigious and desirable district with low class sizes; award-winning programs with highly motivated students.” She wants to ensure that children can thrive in different areas, including academics, music, art, sports and computer technology. Paul Toscano, 44, has lived in the district for 21 years. Toscano wants the district to do a better job preparing students for New York State standards. "Our neighoring districts have shown that they are much more successful in this area,” he said, calling for a detailed plan to boost test scores. Karen Wills, 46, is a teaching assistant at a testing center, responsible for overseeing accommodations for high school students with special needs in another district. Wills says she will work with local officials and residents to push for reforms in the formula that distributes Northport tax money to support other school districts around the state. She will continue to help Friends and other groups that help support educational programs, in order to improve education while relieving the burden on taxpayers. | |
| jonmccarthyPosts: 2Location: Join Date: November 16, 2007 1:02 PMSend Message | May 19, 2008 11:22 AM |
