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Here are the nine candidates for three Board of Education seats in the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, with 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, 2022:
Name: John Williams
Name: Russell Hammond
Educational background: MS, Cyber Security
Occupation: Professor at SUNY-Orange
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 14 yearsTop three issues of his candidacy:
- Increasing the safety and security of our students and staff.
- Developing better trust between the BOE and the community, in part by encouraging better transparency.
- Developing better programs to support our non-college bound students.
Name: Andrew Moore
Educational background: MBA, Business Management and Leadership; BOA, Business Administration and Computer Information Systems
Occupation: School Business Manager, Licensed Real Estate Agent
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 1.5 yearsTop three issues of his candidacy:
- District budget transparency. Reducing school taxes.
- Fair and equitable hiring practices.
- Policy changes to protect teachers and students. Empowering teachers. Social and emotional support for students.
Name: Amanda Barone
Educational background: Bachelor’s Degree in History/Political Science with a minor in economics.
Occupation: Leadership Manager
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 12 yearsTop three issues of her candidacy:
1. Children First; By listening to our children, we can address the real world issues that our children face every day, such as bullying (cyber and physical threats), or need of additional help in the classroom. By utilizing methods of communication which will allow us to hear from students directly, we can solve these issues. One simple solution to this would be to issue each child a google form so they could express themselves freely under the safety of anonymity.2. School Board Transparency: Around the country there has been an abundance of animosity between school boards and parents. One reason for this has been lack of quality and open communication. Parents should not be censored for views which oppose the school board. Instead, we should create a path for respectful, honest, and open communication without the fear of retribution from either party. Parents need to know their voices are heard and that they are involved in the decisions made by students.3. Bridge the gap between parents and teachers. Prior to and throughout the school year, there needs to be an open line of communication between parents and teachers concerning curriculum and student needs. Parents and teachers need to work alongside each other respectfully and progressively.Name: Rose Tobiassen
Educational background: SDA certificate (New Paltz), Master Library Science (SUNY Albany), MS, Education and BS, Russell Sage College
Occupation: Retired
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 32 yearsTop three issues of her candidacy:
- To maintain and enhance a safe and secure environment for staff and students.
- To continue to actively involve community members in district committees and budget discussions.
- To afford all students a curriculum which prepares them for 21st-century college and careers.
Name: Denise Romero
Educational background: Graduated from Vaughn College of Aeronautics with a BS in Management and Engineering; Leadership Orange graduate; Lead community-based initiatives introducing banking to the community; Junior and Elderly Achievement-Financial Literacy Program; Nominee for Women Empowerment (Empowher).
Occupation: Regional Market Impact Representative (South), Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 6 yearsTop two issues of her candidacy:
- Financial literacy.
- Tax increase concerns.
Name: Vince Crescenzo
Educational background: BOA, Suffolk University, Boston; Master’s Degree in Special Education, Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Occupation: Retired Special Education Teacher
Top three issues of his candidacy:- Work collaboratively with a community team, the Board of Education and the administration to develop ways to improve mutual communication.
- Continue to develop fiscally sound budgets, including strategic, long-term financial planning with minimal cost to the taxpayer.
- Continue to support our outstanding faculty and staff, district-wide, and support our scholars in becoming responsible, productive members of society.
Name: Daisha Henriquez
Educational background: Bachelors in Public Administration
Occupation: Senior Project Manager
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 8Top three issues of her candidacy:
- School safety.
- Social-emotional development programming.
- Transparency of policy and procedures.
Name: Juan Ayala
Educational background: Graduated from Middletown High School, Associates in Computer Science, SUNY Orange
Occupation: Senior Developer
Length of time in the Middletown schools community: 45Top three issues of his candidacy:
- Parental rights: An open line of communication between parents and teachers concerning curriculum.
- School board transparency: Budgets with item line proposals. No closed door votes.
- Children first: To listen to our children and address real world issues, such as bullying and additional educational help.