Lawrence School Board Elections: Jay Silverstein, Row B

Row B

By Dr. Jay Silverstein

Issue of May 7, 2010/ 23 Iyar, 5770

It is a great privilege to be welcomed by this publication and share my thoughts with its distinguished readership. I value that readers of The Jewish Star are highly engaged and conscientious stakeholders in the welfare of our community. I am also honored to speak on behalf of my two running mates, Nicole Di Iorio and Annie Reyes, who share in equal measure your readers’ dedication to this place we all call home. I am excited for the benefit that will flow from the open dialogue as we tackle the challenges that affect us all.

I am the fortunate beneficiary of a Lawrence School District education, the quality of which has allowed me to pursue my dream of a career in education, first at Duke University then ultimately at Hofstra, where I earned my Ph.D. in School/Clinical Psychology. The realm of education is not merely how I make a living; serving the needs of our children and ensuring the effective operation of our schools is where my devotion lies and my skills have been honed. Through experiences as a psychologist, teacher, building administrator, and central office director of special education and guidance, I have acquired a wealth of insight and knowledge regarding students, schools, and districts: how they succeed, why they sometimes don’t, and the means by which they become dynamic learning organizations.

I champion two guiding principles from which I will not waver. Foremost, I commit to balance fiscal responsibility with the educational imperatives of our students. This Board is to be lauded for its discipline in the practice of fiscal management. Lawrence has seen its way clear of contingency budgets and our school taxes have remained flat. However, I am convinced that we must exercise the same impassioned commitment in preparing our children for the increasingly complex demands of the future. Vital educational initiatives, such as state of the art technological preparedness, remediation and support services for at-risk students, gifted and talented enrichment programs, and 21st Century research training have withered in the absence of an overarching vision. For example, technology is an indispensable component of virtually every field to which our children may wish to enter. Yet, the district has settled upon the elimination of the Director of Technology, a position that provides invaluable leadership to students and faculty alike, the hiring of which was the first “Key Recommendation” offered by the taxpayer funded “Educational Technology Report.”

My second principle is guided by the recognition that our community comprises a rich tapestry of people, traditions, and points of view, and that we may have inadvertently lapsed into an under utilization of this valuable asset. Our nation and our Constitution, so brilliant and durable, is so because it was forged by many voices, each tempering and enhancing one another. As an educator I can attest there is no greater enrichment to a student body than the bustle of ideas and perspectives that invariably accompany cultural exchange. When this resource is nurtured by an enlightened corps of educators and a dedicated community, possibilities become boundless. To ensure this outcome, I propose that the Board host town hall style meetings and panel discussions, practices used to great advantage in other districts. These public forums, separate from formal Board of Education meetings, not only further the principle of community ownership, they expand the Board’s access to the insights and ingenuities of the people whose stake in the process is paramount.

The public school system embodies many of the finest ideals of our remarkable nation and has long served as the bedrock upon which a healthy community is founded, and upon which it is certain to thrive. The Lawrence school system remains one of the most vibrant educational establishments I have ever known, with every potentiality to rise even higher. With so much that we cherish riding on the wisdom of our collective judgment, we are fortunate to be able to draw from such a deep well of histories, traditions, and accomplishments. Therefore, let us join as responsible stewards and pool our many voices, along with our insights, our imaginations, our talents and, perhaps most important, our good will. My name is Jay Silverstein and I, along with Nicole Di Iorio and Annie Reyes, wish to be your representatives on the Lawrence School Board, whom you can rest assured will always uphold these values.