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Warwick Valley Central School District

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May 17, 2012

Warwick Valley Central School District Board of Education

WHO ARE YOUR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS?

DAVID EATON, PRESIDENT
David Eaton was first elected to the Board of Education in 1997, after serving on the District Space Needs Committee in 1996. He served as a Board member until 2000. Along with his wife, Robyn, Mr. Eaton has lived in Warwick since 1989. Their two children, Rebecca and Amanda, are graduates of Warwick Valley High School and both have since graduated from college. Mr. Eaton grew up in Hamburg, N.Y. and graduated from Earlham College. He is employed as Director of Sales for PharmDesign, N.A. and has worked as Business Manager for BMJ Publishing. Mr. Eaton volunteers his time to The Make a Wish Foundation of the Hudson Valley. Now that his children are grown, he has renewed his commitment to maintaining and bettering the excellent standards that have been achieved in the Warwick schools.

ROBERT HOWE, VICE PRESIDENT
Robert Howe has served as a board member for 17 years. He has lived in Warwick since 1981. Mr. Howe has two children who attended Warwick schools and three grandchildren. He is a member of the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce and St. Stanislaus Parish, also in Pine Island. Mr. Howe has owned Abundant Energy Inc. since 1993. His company, located in Pine Island, manufactures glazing systems for skylights, sunrooms and greenhouses. Mr. Howe, who had previously been involved in a parent-run school for seven years, served on the school budget committee for three years before being elected to the board. He felt the need for more business-minded members who also had a strong interest in education on the board. Mr. Howe's main goal for the past few years has been the formation of an ongoing community forum to look at the future of education in Warwick and engage community members in collaborating with both the board and the administration.

CHERYL BARKER
Cheryl Barker was elected to the Board of Education during the May, 2008 school vote. She and her husband, Dr. Cliff Barker, M.D., have lived in Warwick for five years. They have a son who attends Warwick Valley Middle School. Mrs. Barker grew up in Connecticut and has lived in NYC, St. Louis, Mo., Montgomery and Pine Bush, N.Y. She has been a volunteer for Hospice of Orange County for the past six years and teaches religious education at St. Stephens Church. Mrs. Barker graduated from Ohio University with a psychology degree and Columbia University with a Master’s degree in Social Work. She is currently a private practice licensed clinical social worker at The Help Center in New Windsor, where she works with adults, children and families. Since graduating from Columbia in 1991, Mrs. Barker has had several opportunities to work with different organizations dealing with children and finds it worthwhile and rewarding to advocate on their behalf.

PAUL CASKEY
Paul Caskey previously served on the board from 2001 to 2007. He has lived in Warwick since 1997 and has two daughters currently attending school in the district. Mr. Caskey is a chemical engineer who has owned and managed large and small businesses since 1983.

DAWN CHESTER
Dawn Chester has lived in Warwick for the past 12 years with her husband Dan and their four children. Ms. Chester graduated from Bloomfield College with a nursing degree in 1987 and has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years. She is currently employed at St. Anthony Community Hospital.

JOHN CONNOLLY
John Connolly was first elected to the Board of Education in 2005. Mr. Connolly and his wife have lived in Warwick for 15 years. He is the owner of a small, home-based business and his wife is an elementary school teacher. They have four children who are currently enrolled in or have attended district schools.

LYNN LILLIAN
Lynn Lillian and her husband have lived in Warwick for 21 years and have three children currently attending district schools. Ms. Lillian has an undergraduate degree in film and television and a graduate degree in clinical psychology. She spent the first 12 years of her working life in the film industry, and currently works part-time for a local architect. In addition to her education and professional experience, Ms. Lillian has served the district through her volunteer work and as a member of the Budget Committee, the District Compact Team, the Professional Development Committee, the Middle School PTA, the PIE Steering Committee as well as other district initiatives.

WAYNE PATTERSON
Wayne Patterson was elected to the Board of Education during the May, 2009 school vote. He holds a B.A. in computer science and an MBA in accounting. Mr. Patterson has lived in Warwick for 10 years and has a daughter who attended the district for three years. Mr. Patterson is a local realtor and a member of the Warwick Chamber of Commerce.

SAMANTHA SWEETON
Samantha Sweeton was elected to the Warwick Valley Central
School District Board of Education for a three-year term commencing on July 1, 2008. Ms. Sweeton was born and raised in Warwick and is a member of the W.V.H.S. Class of 2000. Ms. Sweeton is a graduate of Lafayette College, where she earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering with a minor in Environmental Science. She is currently employed as a Project Engineer for HDR Engineering, Inc. in Goshen. She is involved with engineering consulting projects for municipal and private clients. Ms. Sweeton has been a member of the Warwick Volunteer Ambulance Corps. since 2004 and holds a current Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.

 

WHO IS A BOARD MEMBER? WHAT IS HE OR SHE RESPONSIBLE FOR?
A member of the Board of Education is an individual who has been elected by the community to serve a specific term – usually three years. These individuals are volunteers and do not get paid for their service.

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A BOARD MEMBER?
According to the New York State School Board Association (NYSSBA), Board members must fulfill certain duties to the institution and the community they serve. Such duties involve care, loyalty, and obedience.

For a complete description of the duties and responsibilities of a member of the Board of Education in New York State, please visit: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/about/statement_governance.html

WHAT DOES A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DO?
From the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA):

These are challenging times for public education. School boards are seeking men and women who find excitement and satisfaction in confronting tough challenges and working collegially to overcome them.

The board of education is a uniquely American institution. It keeps the country's public schools flexible and responsive to the needs of their local communities. A member of a board of education in New York State takes on one of the most important responsibilities that can be assigned to any citizen: helping to plan the education of the community's youth.

A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER HOLDS POSITIONS AS:
•An individual school board member
•A member of the district governance team composed of school board members and the superintendent
•A member of a board made of other members

The Board focuses on ENDS - vision, goals, and policy

WHAT? WHY? HOW WELL? HOW MUCH?
The Superintendent (as CEO) focuses on MEANS - objectives, plans, actions, recommendations.

HOW? WHEN? WHERE? BY WHOM?
In other words, the board oversees the education of students and is responsible for school district operations, but does not directly run the district’s day-to-day operations.

WHAT ARE MY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
The major roles of a board member are:
•Representative - of the entire community
•Steward - of the district’s resources
•Leader - of the district
•Advocate - for public education
To represent well, to fulfill public trust, to lead…

MAJOR BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES ARE:
•Set the District’s Direction - drawing upon the community, the board describes a shared vision, and established goals, standards and strategy to transform vision into reality
•Ensure Alignment - of strategy, resources, policies, programs, and processes with district goals
•Assess & Account for Progess - using comprehensive data, thorough deliberation, and open communication
•Continuously Improve - the district - accentuating and reinforcing the positive, and correcting the negative

 

BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTIONS

The members of New York's local school boards are an invaluable resource as local decision-makers. They respond to the respective needs of their communities, serving the interests of school children and preparing them for the future.

The men and women elected by the people of New York as members of school boards devote many hours of service to public education and continually strive for improvement, quality and progress in education.

Members of the Board of Education are elected by the voters of the district to establish policy and direct the administration of our schools.

Individuals are eligible for election to the Board if they are qualified voters of the district (district resident, U.S. citizen, 18 and older) and can read and write. New York State Education Law does not limit the number of terms of office a member may serve. Board members receive no salaries or other compensation.

Two or three seats on the Board are up for election every year. Voting on candidates for Board membership takes place at the Annual Election of the School District (Budget Vote) in May. Board nomination petitions become available each March for that year's election.

ELIGIBILITY FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD

Each candidate or member of the Board of Education shall:

• BE at least 18 years of age

• BE able to read and write English

• BE a U.S. citizen

• BE a qualified voter of the district

• BE a resident of the school district for at least one year prior to the election

• NOT be an employee of the school district

• NOT hold office if a member of his/her family is a member of the Board

• NOT simultaneously hold another imcompatible office (e.g., town supervisor)

• NOT have been removed from a school district office within one year of election

Ref: Education Law 2102; 2103

Adoption date: June 14, 1993

 

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