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Here are the five candidates for the three Board of Education seats in the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, with the information they provided. They are listed in the order they appear on the ballot. Each seat carries a three-year term that begins July 1, 2023.
Name: Kevin Gomez
Educational background: Brooklyn Law School, JD; Brooklyn College, History/Political Science BA, Cum Laude
Occupation: Attorney-Law Office of Kevin Gomez, Esq., PC; Serves on Attorneys for Children Panel of the Orange & Dutchess County Family Courts, Independent Prosecutor for the Sullivan County Dept. of Family Services
Length of time in the Middletown community: 17 years
Top three issues of your candidacy:
1. Expanding learning opportunities for all our students and greater parental engagement
2. Keeping our school district safe
3. Maintaining our district finances strong
Name: Edwin Estrada
Educational background: Syracuse University, Bachelors of Science, Communications
Occupation: Vice President - Commercial Lending, Orange Bank and Trust Co.
Length of time in the Middletown community: 47 years
Top three issues of your candidacy:
1. Continued improvement in K-12 academic programs and infrastructure
2. Stability in our tax levies
3. Provide experience, stability and civility for the Board of Education
Name: Freddie Williams Jr.
Educational background: Barber license
Occupation: Barber shop owner
Length of time in the Middletown community: 43 years
Top three issues of your candidacy:
1. Community-district relations
2. Teacher-student cohesion
3. Staff relations
Name: Curtis RhettEducational background: Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology; Masters in Early Childhood and Elementary Education; Master of Education in Supervision and Administration
Occupation: Educational Administrator
Length of time in the Middletown community: 21 years
Top three issues of your candidacy:
1. Improving Special Education Information System and the process from referral, evaluation, IEP development and placement and services
2. Career goal-setting and guidance that supports a student's needs, interests and abilities and deficiencies.
3. Engaging students in rigorous and challenging assignments, as well as experiences that accelerate their learning (High expectations). Maintain and increase college preparatory courses.
Name: Andrew Moore
Educational background: MBA - Business Management and Leadership
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Real Estate Advisor
Length of time in the Middletown community: 2 years
Top three issues of your candidacy:
1. Restoring trust in the school district
2. Fair and equitable hiring
3. Reducing school taxes