WHY I AM RUNNING
Why am I running? For our students and teachers. It's that simple. They deserve the best that we can offer and provide, in a fiscally responsible manner.
I'm running because I care deeply about this school district and community, and because I have the needed skill set and commitment to serve this district well. I grew up in FM, my wife grew up in FM, and we have 2 daughters in FM. Maintaining excellence in our school district, and improving on its weaker areas, are things that matter to me.
Actions speak louder than words. In addition to other community engagement, I have spent the last 3 years as a Trustee of the FM Education Foundation (I chair the finance and legal committee, serve on the executive committee and co-chair the development committee), working to help re-form the Foundation from a defunct entity to one that has proudly awarded more than $20,000 in grants to our teachers. I do this because it has a meaningful, positive effect on our schools.
I have also attended almost every Board of Education meeting for quite some time. My attendance percentage at the Board of Education meetings is actually better than some of our elected board members. The only meetings I have missed in this school year were both in the same week, when I was out of state on business travel. My commitment to spending the time to regularly attend Board of Education meetings is because I genuinely care what is happening in our schools and school district.
Like many of you, we chose to raise our family in the FM school district because of our schools. A school district should always be a source of pride for the community in which it is based, and FM is no exception. We are fortunate at FM to have so many dedicated, skilled and caring teachers, and a student body that is eager to learn and thrive.
Our school district is an $83 Million/year business. Like any business, there are areas in which our school district can and should improve. There are areas in which we can do better for our students and teachers, and there are areas in which we must do better for our taxpayers.
We need to:
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improve education about substance abuse and addiction;
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improve the services provided to our special education students;
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improve technology in our classrooms;
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provide our teachers the necessary flexibility to best educate ALL of our students;
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ensure that our students, teachers and staff are safe in our schools;
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be more fiscally prudent with our budget and expenses, as we can't just keep raising taxes in a low-growth community; and
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improve our short and long-term facilities planning, as the existing method has gotten us into a 120+ million dollar hole of facilities needs.
My educational and professional background will enable me to bring a valuable perspective to the Board in addressing these areas, and I will work to improve all of these areas. To me, this means a return to a student and teacher focused district, where the primary factors in every decision are: (a) the impact on the students; (b) the impact on the teachers; and (c) the impact on the taxpayers.
We also need board members with meaningful, real-world business experience to ensure that we are prioritizing the needs of students and teachers, in a fiscally prudent manner that is respectful of the tax impact of every decision that is made. We can't just keep raising taxes. I have that experience.
I've founded and run successful businesses, employing dozens of people, including an international business that serves thousands of municipalities across North America. I have significant experience in hiring and managing people and large projects, developing and implementing long-range strategic plans, and maintaining a fiscally prudent budget.
So why did I decide to run for this board? I did so because we need someone with the right qualifications, the right motivations, and the right dedication to do this. I have the right qualifications, motivation and dedication.
I would sincerely appreciate your VOTE for SEIDBERG on Tuesday, May 15.
Thank you,
Daniel Seidberg