And to all a Good Night . . . .

Good evening,

With my final campaign communication I would like to first take a moment to thank all of you for receiving, reading and passing on my campaign messages and for considering me as a candidate for our school board.   My family and I have been deeply touched by the sentiment with which our efforts have been received.  We cannot thank you enough for embracing the “new kids on the block.” 

I understand the gravity of asking you to entrust me with the future of our kids in Irvington. I ask you to consider how my extensive experience will serve us in making smart decisions that will affect how our schools transition to both the common core and new assessment mandates. 

That same experience also separates me from the pack in that my unique perspective will allow me to provide accountability for the dollars the budget is asking you to expend.  I am committed to ensuring that we not only continue to “get what we pay for,” but also to build a long term plan for making sure that we hold the highest standards for our teachers, administrators, and to make sure the community has a very clear picture of the ways it can become more involved in understanding how these changes affect their children. 

My priority is to ensure that we put our resources to the best use possible and to create a strategic approach to spending.  A collaborative partnership between the schools, the board, the community and the administration is the only way to deliver the best educational programs and facilities we can. 

I wish you all well, and win or lose- please feel free to use me as a resource going forward.  Thanks again for embracing my candidacy – and make sure to get out and VOTE!  7 AM- 9PM at Main Street School. 

Regards,

David C. Graeber

I'd like to thank Della Marie Lenz and Jason Rimland for their endorsements and support.

"David Graeber will bring educational expertise to our Board. Being an administrator in the NYC school system, he has invaluable experience and knowledge. His knowledge base will allow Irvington to be ahead of the curve and better utilize our funding for Common Core. "

"I would like to see David Graeber on the Irvington Board of Education. Imagine a Board of Directors running Morgan Stanley without a director who has an expertise in finance. Among all of the well-qualified candidates running for the Board of Education this year, only one, David Graeber, is an educational professional who has hands-on, high level executive experience working closely with dozens of high performing schools in the New York City School District, which is one of the largest, most progressive school districts in the country."

Some research on School Boards and their Interactions with Administration

A school board provides high-level guidance and direction for the school district. Its job is to:

Build community support by pursuing a broad base of involvement.

Communicate clearly with all school district stakeholders.

Adopt policies to support district initiatives

Approve comprehensive plans developed by the superintendent.

Allocate adequate funding and align resources.

Monitor progress toward the achievement of district goals.

The superintendent, on the other hand, serves as the chief executive officer of the school district with more concrete responsibilities for leading and managing day-to-day operations. The superintendent must:

Implement school board decisions.

Lead strategic planning initiatives.

Make recommendations to the board.

Develop, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.

Model support for district change initiatives and ensure that they are implemented.

The models - - -

1.  The Corporate Model - the school board is seen as a board of directors whose responsibilities are designing the district’s “comprehensive educational strategy,” selecting an operations manager for the organization, and answering to the “shareholders”—in this case, the community, all of whom have a stake in the success of the school district (Brown, Peterkin, & Finkelstein, 1992).

2.  The Accountability Model -   Author D.B. Reeves (2000) suggests that a relationship built on accountability “can provide board members with a blend of very specific school-level information, along with qualitative and narrative data that puts this information in proper context." District operations also benefit from the accountability model since it ensures that administrators have access to the same information. This system, says Reeves, becomes a functional framework “within which all other initiatives, programs, evaluations, plans, and other educational policy matters” facing the district can be considered.

3.  A Collaborative learning communities model -

Within this model, the board and other members of the school community work together and learn together for the benefit of the school district. Author Peter Senge and his coauthors (2000) emphasize trusting relationships rather than a data or functional structure as the basis for board-district interaction. To establish a trusting relationship, Senge suggests it is good practice to make public as much information as possible, including creating a public record of private conversations. He stresses that if school board members model the civil behavior they would like schools to demonstrate, their own tendency to disagree for the sake of public drama will be eliminated. The school board also can deflate emotionally charged decisions such as closing a local school or funding special programs by focusing discussion on the observable data that have been collected. Senge further suggests that a school board that wants to operate as a learning community needs to practice talking about its values and take steps to ensure that discussions occur with calm consideration.

Let's think about which model, then, fits Irvington- I personally favor the third model as I feel it fits the community and borrows a critical element from model 2 - in that data is a critical piece.  My thinking is directly in line with how the current board set their goal of creating and implementing differentiated curricula that use data and best practices. 

Rather than "drive the curriculum", I hope to provide knowledge that is new to even the most seasoned educators and to fulfill the role of a board member that seeks to allocate adequate funding and align resources effectively for our children and monitor progress toward the achievement of district goals.

Thanks again for your continued interest in me as a candidate and I hope to engage further!  

I'd like to thank the league of women voters, the PTSA, and you folks who have lent us your weeknight to indulge our viewpoints.  Let me close out this talk by saying how fortunate Irvington is to have 4 candidates running for a seat on the board this year who all place children first. 

I'd like to take the opportunity to leave you with some final thoughts on where I stand- I stand for accountability, I stand for shared decision making involving all stakeholders, and above all, I stand for a strong united community. 

I want to also remind folks that managing the costs of this shift in instructional focus is complex work that our administration needs to do with the support of an informed governing body; a governing body that can explain why trailblazer's is not fit for our kids in this day and age.  My specialized knowledge of managing educational budgets and mandates is what separates me from my peers.  The very clearly defined role of a school board is quite different than that of a corporate board of directors, it is quite different from the board of a charter school that does not need to adhere to certain mandates.  An administration and its board are partners for a better future for our kids.  The business of education is unique in that its bottom line is children.  I hope to earn your support and look forward to working with the community in the future. 

Good morning Irvington,

There has been misuse of data and a misrepresentation of facts regarding the budget and my independent candidacy.  Just as I am not certain where Ms. Camp got her information, I’m not certain whom Mr. Oster is characterizing in his most recent letter.  He is quoted as saying:

"There are those in this race, and those who support them, who have advocated that acrimony, dissension and disagreement among board members is somehow productive for our schools and our community."

I'd like to be very clear here: I run on my own, on the merits of a professional dedication to public service and do not stand for acrimony in the name of children and schools.  My supporters and I are advocates for children and a strong, united community.
I’d like to give my stance on these issues so that we can have real dialogue- rather than mudslinging- about how to work together on getting this budget passed.  
 
I support the budget.  By exceeding the cap, the board must have a strong plan to ensure that, educationally, we are maximizing that spending.  The District has provided a terrific FAQ that should clarify for everyone the actual financial impact of the proposed budget:

 http://www.irvingtonschools.org/files/_oCAda_/bdaa82212deaf32f3745a49013852ec4/2013_2013_IUFSD_Budget_FAQ.pdf
 
Mr. Oster has called for “an honest discussion about this budget that maintains and builds on the strength of our schools.”  Let’s talk – and not just in generalities - let’s talk specifically about what building on the strength of our schools actually means.  Let’s talk transparently about it. 
Our board has frequently referenced the term “unfunded state mandates” without any definition beyond the terminology APPR, Common Core and our obligatory, uncontrollable expenses in the form of pension costs, teacher salary increases and health insurance.  
 
Let’s talk honestly and specifically about how APPR is actually a very critical piece of the puzzle in ensuring that we are maximizing some of those uncontrollable costs – The Annual Professional Performance Review (http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/teachers-leaders/) seeks to secure the highest quality instruction and leadership from teachers and administrations at both the district and building level.  This is a mandate that benefits and empowers school leadership to protect its instructional core.  In turn, the community has a tangible metric by which to determine the quality of its administrators and teachers and can clearly gauge the effectiveness of our school’s program delivery.  It allows us as a community to guarantee that these uncontrollable salary increases are being earned.  It also provides our teachers with a system of feedback that will enable their professional growth as outlined by Dr. Kor at this past weeks board meeting.  
 
The Common Core is NOT a curriculum.  It is a set of more rigorous, internationally benchmarked standards that even our high performing students need exposure to.  However, the cost of implementing these standards can be intimidating, but is necessary – rigor has been nationally redefined and with it, curricular demands have changed dramatically.  Managing the costs of this change is complex work that our administration needs to do with support from a governing body that understands its needs. My specialized knowledge of educational budgets is what separates me from my peers.
 
I’d also like to address what has been most recently referred to as “meddling in the areas that are the purview of the School Administration” – this comment concerns me because it shows that there are members of the community that do not understand the role of a school board and its relationship to its administration.  It is the job of a school board to partner with and help manage academic policy. I am trained and licensed to understand how a board and its administration function together and have been successfully doing so for many years. 
 
Irvington is fortunate to have 4 candidates running this year who all place children first as reflected by our unified stance on this years budget passage.  Team Bob has said it, Mr. Montgomery was quoted in the Enterprise as saying it and I continue to be clear about where I stand.    
 
I urge you all to vote for the budget to allow the district to build upon the work it has started.  I also urge you to strongly consider my candidacy as the most sound choice for school board trustee- I have a long track record in partnering with school districts to improve the quality of high performing schools.

I thank you all for taking the time to read this, and ask for your help in distributing this to as many people as you know! My campaign is "green" and I do not have a paper trail.   Have a great Mother's Day weekend.

Thanks,
David C. Graeber

Top Ten Reasons To Vote David Graeber on May 21st!
10.  I have a deep commitment to public service
9.    I can clearly articulate the district vision, mission and priorities to the community
8.    I understand the economic realities of educating children in the 21st century
7.    My experience with education data positions me as a strong partner for our administration
6.    I have the ability to assess and understand the nature of school/district climate
5.    I have a perspective not influenced by the history of the district
4.    I can bring objectivity in dealing with special interest groups
3.    I believe in a shared-decision making model of leadership.
2.    I am deeply involved in the state's reform efforts, positioning me as an asset to change 
1.    I bring an education background to a board that is lacking that viewpoint