Five Candidates Seek Two Seats on Somers Board of Education
Only one incumbent is among the five hopefuls vying for two available seats on the Somers Board of Education.
Chadwick Olsen has been a trustee since 2015, while Linda Graffitti decided not to run again. Looking to join the board for the first time are MaryRose Joseph, Raina Laredo, Lindsay Portnoy and Jonathan Welsh. Voting will take place Tuesday, May 16 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Somers Middle School.
MaryRose Joseph
Joseph is a high school science teacher who has lived in the district for 11 years and has two daughters attending Somers schools.
“I felt it was important for the board to have an educator viewpoint. I felt I brought a passion for teaching and learning that was unique to the Somers board. My experience in scientific thinking and reasoning is definitely an asset to good questions being asked and data driven thinking and decision making,” Joseph said. “I am a passionate parent who values education. I am parent who believes kindness and empathy raises all individuals to their highest selves.”
“The one major issue that I think all boards are facing is, consistent, clear, honest communication,” she said. “There are many initiatives schools bring about that have certain goals in mind. Be it the rolling out of PLD’s for all students or the new Gifted & Talented program. I believe the board and the district need to be a better job at communicating the research behind implementation of these initiatives. What drives these initiatives? What information was gathered about these programs and their associated successes? What data has been collected since the roll out of these programs? What are they doing to ensure the success of these programs and initiatives? When there is transparency, there is trust! People want to know what the money is being spent on. People want to know the scientific thinking behind these programs. We all want our children to have the best possible with reason.”
Raina Laredo
Laredo, an information architect and content strategist, has lived in Somers for 18 years and has two of her three children currently attending Somers High School.
“My professional skills are relevant to being a board trustee; I am an effective communicator, detail- oriented, curious and approachable,” she said. “I am running for the Somers school board because for 18 years and counting, Somers schools have been a daily part of my life. I feel very connected to all four schools and to the community and have gained a lot of valuable perspectives from living through all the challenges and enhancements over the years. I want to offer my insights, experience, and professional skills as a contribution back to the community.”
“We need to keep pushing the path to excellence such as introducing entrepreneurship, programming and world languages at an earlier age than we do now. Teachers need access to frequent training and to be empowered to utilize technology intuitively in the same manner that our kids do to keep communication current and to stay on top of emerging fields,” Laredo said. “While the decline in student population has helped us allow for increased programs within our budget, the district needs to keep close watch on factors that may challenge this ability and ensure fiscal responsibility. As always, the continued safety for our children is a top issue.”
Chadwick Olsen
Olsen, a former business consultant who has been a stay-at-home dad since moving to Somers 13 years ago, has three daughters who attend district schools.
“Our public schools play a critical role in the development of our children into productive, independent, and responsible members and leaders of our society. The quality and character of our local school district also reflects and enhances the image and value of our town,” Olsen said. “As a current trustee on the Somers Board of Education seeking reelection as well as both a parent of three girls in our district and a homeowner, it will continue to be my responsibility to maintain a long-term view for our infrastructure investments and educational programs, both from a budgetary and curriculum standpoint. I will continue to have an open mind to the suggestions and concerns of Somers residents and other school stakeholders and will thoughtfully apply my independent lens to make decisions that will meet those goals. In my next term, I pledge to continue to bring thoughtful insight to the challenging issues that confront our board and community.”
“Preparing our children for the rapidly changing society of the 21st century requires new approaches to educating. We must take advantage of new technologies that enhance the learning of our students as well as prepare them to meet the new and future demands of our rapidly changing world,” he said. No longer are our educators required to be providers of content, but we now have the opportunity and obligation to evolve our teaching practices to guide students into greater areas of discovery. Fortunately, over the past two years, I have observed a great sense of collaboration and community amongst the educators in our district. Leveraging the dedicated learning coaches, strong building leadership, and an administration designed and dedicated to evolving our curriculum delivery, I believe expanding these investments will ensure all of our educators will have the tools and ability to lead our students towards achieving success in our dynamic society.”
Lindsay Portnoy
Portnoy worked in the field of education for over a decade, first as a classroom teacher, then as a college professor teaching undergraduate and graduate level students earning degrees in teaching, building administration, and counseling psychology. Her current role is co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of an educational technology company that builds immersive learning experiences to engage students in STEM learning. She has lived in Somers since 2015 and has two sons attending elementary school.
“When I learned that an incumbent school board member was not going to run for re-election, I decided to run for a seat on the board to use my unique skills and experience to help Somers schools operate efficiently and continue to improve, especially in light of the significant changes facing education in the coming years,” she said. “I believe I possess unique qualities as a career educator, successful business woman, Ph.D., and parent. My aim is to work with the board to enact fiscally responsible budgets in our district that push past the jargon of the latest fads to provide funding for innovative programming that best suits our unique learning community. If elected I would look forward to working diligently alongside our trusted board to help enact school wide budgets that are both fiscally responsible and inclusive of all of our students while keeping an eye towards innovation wherever possible.”
“Somers students are on the cutting edge of learning. I believe we need board members like myself who are deeply knowledgeable about operating within a budget while also understanding the nuances of the science of learning,” she said. “There are always new tools, new methods, and new models that are touted as ideal for learners, it is important that the board has the skills of educators, scientists, and business people to understand educational theory, dig deep into efficacy research, and ensure tax dollars are spent in the most fiscally responsible manner. I believe we can support children and teachers in the use of the best of these practices while also being fiscally responsible in implementation.”
Jonathan Welsh
Welsh, an associate at a Rite Aid, is currently a college student.
“I am running for election because I believe that I can help continue the amazing work the current board has done, and to help solve some issues that they don’t necessarily see. I want to help those who are depressed, or have anxiety because I know how much it effects their education,” he said. “I would also like to help to improve the education to prepare the students for college and life after college as well.”
“I feel some if the most pressing issues are the possibility of losing funding due to the secretary of education wanting to take away funding for public schools and sent it to private and charter schools,” he said. “I don’t involve myself in school activities because I do not have a lot of free time. But soon when I graduate in December I will have more time to join community causes and such, hopefully.”
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