WHY I AM RUNNING FOR THE NORTH SHORE SCHOOL BOARD

Received from Herman Berliner, Glen Head   April 13, 2015

To the Editor;

I very much appreciate the support of the North Shore community in electing me twice to the school board.  I also very much appreciate the opportunity to serve, first as vice president and now as president of our school board.  We are fortunate to have a dedicated hard working school board and a dedicated supportive community looking for the best possible education for our children while being fiscally responsible.

Today, schools face serious issues, some common to all of New York public education and others unique to our district.  These include testing and teacher evaluation systems that rob us of local control and taxes.

                We must continue to be strong in our opposition to over -testing --and over -stressing-- our students.  Testing can serve a valuable function in validating learning but over -testing and over -stressing seriously undermines the joy of learning.

               We must continue to be strong in our opposition to a teacher evaluation system that ties teacher performance to test results while ignoring all the other factors that substantially affect these results.  We have already demonstrated that we are capable of designing our own valid evaluation system.  We are a high performance district and have earned that right. 

                We must also be especially vigilant in ensuring that the impact of the Glenwood Landing power plant demolition does not result in a major increase in our school taxes.

                 Given the challenges we confront, I have decided to seek re-election to the Board and I ask for your support.  I bring to the board a wealth of experience together with a commitment to collegiality. I’ve shown that I value all of us working together to confront our common challenges.

My unique skill set is an asset to the North Shore community.

                Leadership and Integrity:  I have served for 25 years as the provost (chief academic officer) and senior vice president for academic affairs of Hofstra University. I have shown my ability to ensure high academic standards while being fiscally responsible.

                Experience: Before serving as provost, I served as Dean of Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business and Acting Dean of our School of Education, which shows my ability to encourage consensus and work for the good of all.

                Fiscal Expertise:  I am also the Lawrence Herbert Distinguished Professor and have a PhD in Economics with a specialty in the economics of education.  This shows I know how to construct a balanced and sensible budget.

                Educational Expertise:  I have worked with a number of school districts in supporting and enhancing their efforts on behalf of student accomplishment.  I have also evaluated multiple colleges and universities for accrediting agencies.

My wife and I and our two daughters are proud to be long time North Shore residents.  I have lived in Glen Head for 35 years and very much appreciate our district’s commitment to academics, athletics, and the arts.  I am committed to maintaining that balance and preparing our children with 21st century skills for 21st century challenges.

 I ask for your continuing support and look forward to our working together on behalf of our children.

                                                                                                                                                Sincerely,

Herman Berliner


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