Dorothy Roberts: Why You Should Elect Me to the Sachem School Board

My name is Dorothy Roberts. I am running for re-election for the Sachem Board of Education.  

I have been a board member for only three years but in that time I have learned the policies and processes of our large district. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. I have been on the Sachem Audit Advisory Committee for seven years. This experience has enabled me to gain insight into the intricacies of fund balance operations and fiscal responsibility. 

I have a business background working in executive positions at companies such as Capital One Finance, Hilton Corporation and Marriott International.  I have been an active volunteer in the Sachem community for 17 years. My involvement includes leadership roles on the Sachem Playground Committee, Arts-in-Education, Boy/Girl Scouts of America, Religious Education, Youth Sports & Clubs and charity fundraisers. I have also volunteered my time as a member of the PTA as Parliamentarian, Delegate to Council and By-Laws Chairperson.

My husband and I have four children ranging from elementary school to college level. As a parent of four children, I understand the educational and emotional challenges at all levels of education. My oldest son recently graduated cum laude from American University. He was able to attain a scholarship to the university due to the educational opportunities provided to him from Sachem. I have seen many educational changes in curriculum and programs over the past 17 years. The requirements for college acceptance have increased drastically over the past several years.  I recognize that the foundation for college or a trade begins when a child first enters into school. 

If I am reelected, I will continue to focus on reducing class size and allocating staff with necessary resources and support in order to attain an environment that encourages optimal learning and growth. This also includes reviewing technology approaches to effectively benefit our students and community. I feel we also need more uniformity among the school buildings in order to strive for more consistency in the educational experience while maintaining the individual character of each school. This strive for consistency should also include our Special Education population. Communication is the key in all areas.

On the issue of school closings, I believe that we need to completely evaluate each option with accurate information in order to make the best decisions for our students. We need to fully understand the future impacts in all areas. When we are looking at school closings, I will stay strong on having the teachers follow the students in order to maintain lower class sizes if it is deemed necessary to close any school buildings.

If I continue on the board of education, I would also like to further pursue ideas to generate other streams of revenue into our district. I understand that there needs to be a balance between quality education and taxpayer burden. We need to move forward with a plan for the future of our school district. I feel if we are proactive instead of reactive we can better reach our goals as a district. 

New York State schools, especially Sachem, have experienced a very difficult financial situation over the past several years due to the reduction of millions of dollars in state aid funds from Albany.  Sachem teachers, administration, staff and parents have displayed great teamwork and dedication during this time. In the proposed school budget for 2014/15, I voted to add back teachers, staff, and programs by using additional state aid funds that our district recently received from Albany. As a board member, I would like to continue to help rebuild our district and move forward with more focus on issues that impact our students directly and their quality of education while still having our voices heard in Albany.

I am asking for your vote on May 20th. I have solid knowledge of the issues that are a part of our school district including financial operations, budgets, curriculum, policies, contracts, transportation, facilities, maintenance, staffing, scheduling, purchasing, state mandates, personnel, and administrative duties. Although I have experience in dealing with those issues, my top priority will remain our students and their educational experience.

I believe in a well-rounded student and providing those students with opportunities for any area in which they seek to gain more knowledge. The seats on our school board belong to the community. If I am reelected, I will continue to carry out the board goals, fairly represent the voices of our community, advocate for transparency and remain taxpayer sensitive.