Please look to the blog archive on the side to find all candidate questionnaires!

Thank you to everyone who has come to look at our filled out candidate questionnaires.  Another thank you to all of the candidates for filling out our questionnaires.  Please click on each candidate's name in the blog archive to find the candidate questionnaires.  A reminder that this is a blog, each candidate's questionnaire was posted in the order received.  We do not endorse candidates, but we hope in providing this information we can help inform the voters.  

Again, the people who are running are:

Felicia Green

Alexandra Streznewski

Wayne Morris

Edith Leet

Barry Walston

Please keep in mind these upcoming events:

Tuesday, October 26 - NAACP Candidate Forum from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Main Branch of the Albany Public Library at Washington Avenue

Thursday, October 28 - League of Women Voters Candidate forum from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Albany High School Cafeteria on Washington Avenue 

Upcoming School Board Candidate Events

Here are some upcoming candidate forums:

Tuesday, October 26 - NAACP Candidate Forum from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Main Branch of the Albany Public Library at Washington Avenue

Thursday, October 28 - League of Women Voters Candidate forum from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Albany High School Cafeteria on Washington Avenue 

Here are the order of candidates on the ballot:

1 - James Lembo (a reminder that Mr. Lembo has withdrawn and has asked us not to vote for him)

2 - Wayne Morris

3 - Edith Leet

4 - Barry Walston

5 - Felicia Green

6 - Alexandra Jane Streznewski

Questionnaire: Mr. Barry Walston

Mr. Barry Walston's completed questionnaire.
Further information about Barry is available at: http://www.avoiceforourchildren.com/

Montessori Community Council

1.                  Meet the Candidate Questionnaire
Why did you decide to run for Albany City School Board?

I am running for a seat on the ACSB because I believe in quality public education, I am a tax payer of twenty-one plus years and I was brought up in a family of educators, I have had positive relationships with the school district and have been a citizen in the Albany community for than twenty-five years, I believe in giving back and being part of the solution. 

2.      What qualifies you to be on the Albany City School Board?  Do you have any unique qualifications that set you apart from other candidates?

 What qualifies me to be on ACSB is my commitment to quality public education, my investment in the Albany community, my ongoing support for District students/families, and last but not least, my willingness to serve the public. 

What sets me aside from the other candidates is that I am a member of the population segment that is most adversely impacted by educational deficits/disparities. In addition, I am a product of public education and a social worker. Consequently, I will bring a unique perspective to the Board that sets me apart in that I have a culturally competent understanding of the students in the District's system and I am proficient in using macroanalysis as well as a microanalysis in finding solutions to problems.

3.                  Parents in each Albany city school watch as their neighbors and children’s friends leave the schools for Charter Schools, Private Schools, and other districts.  What concrete steps can be taken to prevent the loss of students and resources from the ACSD to these competitors?

It is simple. We must IMPROVE the public education system and provide QUALITY education for ALL students. In so doing, we will attract and maintain students in the district. Parents want quality education for their children. Private schools do not have a monopoly on "quality education." Parents will buy into quality education whether it resides in public or private schools.  I will promote partnering with significant stakeholders in the community willing to reinvest, revitalize, and restructure the way the District does business in order to effect a quality school system. We have to align our curriculum with NY State standards, hold teachers/administrators accountable, continue to enhance professional development of teachers, hold parents/adult caregivers accountable and expect the BEST from all students. Finally, we must create learning environments that promote academic/social achievement.

4.                  How would you work with City government and other community stakeholders to make Albany more attractive to homeowners and parents as a permanent option for their families?

Partnership with the City is important. The City, community and school benefit from a quality educational system. Businesses and industries expect schools to graduate students with the appropriate skills, knowledge, and abilities to meet their employment demands; they also provide jobs for parents and family members. Cities are evaluated on the basis of the quality of life they afford---including their schools as well as social and recreational amenities. City governments strive to attract businesses and industries to enhance employment and social opportunities for their citizenry.  Schools are an integral part of the attraction equation. Providing tax incentives for teachers/homeowners as the City already does with other professions, while simultaneously improving the quality of the educational program provided by the public school district, will benefit all stakeholders. When stakeholders perceive the mutual benefits that accrue to them relative to improving the educational system and are engaged in the decision-making and solutions process in meaningful ways, Albany will become more attractive to homeowners and parents as a permanent option for their families.

5.                  While publicly, there is a perception of failures for the ACSD, there are many successful programs and schools that families look forward to sending their children to.  While everyone values these programs, they are often targeted for cuts, making them less effective.  During a time of budget reductions, how do you intend to support existing successful programs in schools, and continue to bring in new programs in schools that need them?  When you do need to cut programs, what will be done to fill the voids that follow?

The biggest challenge facing the Albany City School District (ACSD) is improving school performance by doing more with less. Reducing the tax burden for taxpayers will further reduce needed fiscal resources to effect programs and changes that will improve school performance. The school board alone cannot solve this problem; it is a problem whose solution must come from the community and the Board.  Consequently, it will be necessary to work with various groups and stakeholders that make up the community in order to find solutions. For example, if it means cutting programs to solve the problem, the community (families, businesses, industries, and other stakeholders) need to be engaged in the process of determining what the community is willing to give up. If programs must be cut, the District should first evaluate the effectiveness of all of its programs and propose cutting those that are least effective. To fill the voids precipitated by budget cuts, the District will need to look to leverage resources of local community groups, business, industry, and colleges and universities to support successful programs, attract new programs and fill voids created by budget cuts. In addition, the District should redouble its efforts to secure discretionary grant funding from public and private resources to support new programs and expand successful programs. I

6.                  The budget process in the ACSD has been a particularly painful one in recent years.  Often, to streamline the process, items are lumped together in budget lines.  While this makes sense for some items, for others, this has the effect of drastically changing a program without involving the school stakeholders.  How will you balance the need for a streamlined process with transparency?

I would encourage an open process and would make every effort as a board member to involve stakeholders through town hall meetings, meetings at community centers, churches, etc.  I have observed that current superintendent and current Board make concerted efforts to be inclusive and transparent and accessible.

7.                  What will you do to ensure children’s safety not only at school but getting to and from school?

School safety is an important issue that starts at home. Parents and families need to be engaged as stakeholders in order to ensure safety in schools and in the community. Parental education and parental support groups focused on safety and reducing violence should be promoted through community and faith based organizations.  At the same time, it will be important for the City to provide safe social, recreational outlets and work opportunities for youths in the community. First, I would reinforce the policies that already exist within the district and would act proactively to promote violence prevention and remain vigilant and responsive to issues and concerns that might arise in the schools and in the community. Additionally, I would keep the community involved on every level and leverage community/civic organizations that are already involved in reducing violence and disruptive behaviors in the district.

8.                  Parent involvement is an important part of every child’s education.  How will you encourage parents to be more involved? 

Critical and Key!  This is a significant issue and is an important plank in my platform. I maintain that parent/adult involvement is ESSENTIAL to the academic success of all children. I would want to develop and implement a strategic long-range plan to create a system of traditional and non-traditional engagement of parents in the schooling process because research has shown that greater parental involvement significantly enhances learning for students.

We know that increasing parental (adult)/family (PAF) involvement is key to student achievement. Also, parental involvement has been touted for years as a very important predictor of student achievement in schools. In recent surveys, also, teachers focus on the need to increase parental involvement. Strengthening parents' roles in the learning of their children has been identified by teachers as an issue that should receive the highest public education policy priority.

Moreover, a 1993 Metropolitan Life survey of teachers found that a large majority believed that the nation's schools could be improved by the federal government if they encouraged parents to be more involved in their children's education (Richardson, 1993).

It still is difficult for effective PAF involvement and not easily accomplished without understanding obstacles and how to overcome them. It is important to redefine parental involvement, to identify types of effective involvement and to identify barriers to PAF involvement. Only then can we succeed in overcoming those barriers and increasing the quality of PAF.

There has to be a new paradigm in defining “parental involvement” by re-examining characteristics such as: parent focus, family, school, eager parents, teacher/administrators, agendas, and the deficit view of urban families –

to family focus, community support/home/neighborhood settings, hard-to-reach families, family priorities and emphasis on inherent strengths of families.

New beliefs about parents and families support the notion that all families have strengths; parents/adults/families (PAF) can learn new techniques; PAF can be empowered, and have important perspectives about their children; in addition, PAF care about their children and lastly cultural differences are both valuable and valid and should be honored.

9.                  What are your thoughts on the high school restructuring?

AHS is too large. I think creating smaller learning environments using existing space with the input of all stakeholders will be important in restructuring for school improvement.

10.              Being on the School Board is a large, unpaid time commitment.  There is often a high turn over for School Board members because of this, are you aware of this and what have you done to ensure against it for you? 

I am aware of the time commitment and I am committed to the students, to the families, to the communities and to the improving education for students. Being on the Board will afford me an opportunity to be part of the solution. My employment history and long history of service on several community boards speaks to my commitment.

Questionnaire: Mr. Wayne Morris

Questionnaire filled out by Mr. Wayne Morris.

Montessori Community Council

Meet the Candidate Questionnaire

Wayne P. Morris

          I am sorry that I cannot be with you this evening and hope the responses to the questions below, give you valuable information to assist with your decision on November 2nd.

1- Why did you decide to run for Albany City School Board?

      I am running for re-election to the Albany City School Board because I want

to be involved with children and their futures by increasing all students achievement,

decreasing the drop out rate, and to increase parent involvement.  At the same time, I am aware that the taxpayer concerns must be addressed.  My decision to run is to provide consistency on the board and to avoid turnover of board members.

2- What qualifies you to be on the Albany City School Board?  Do you have any unique qualifications that set you apart from other candidates?

      My experience and institutional history with the district qualifies me to be on the board.  My experiences include serving on many committees: SDM, Magnet School Committee, Audit Committee, Building Facilities Committee, Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Transportation Committee as well as the Advisory Committee for Abrookin Vo- Tech Center.  My unique qualification that sets me apart from other candidates is being a former Albany City School District employee.  It allows me to engage with all level of staff since I was in their shoes for 17 years.  I have worked with 8 Superintendents and numerous Administrators as well as teachers and support staff.

3-Parents in each Albany city school watch as their neighbors and children’s friends leave the schools for Charter Schools, Private Schools, and other districts.  What concrete steps can be taken to prevent the loss of students and resources from the ACSD to these competitors?

      Our first concrete step is for us to improve our product.  We must make every effort to do as good or better a job at educating children.  At the same time the public must be aware that we are not on a level playing field.  Charters are cherry picking our brightest students, not taking enough of our ELL students, and have much lower percentages of special needs students.  Our district can pride itself on taking every child and educating them.  We have taken some steps to go into the community and knock on doors to invite families to send their children to the ACSD.  We had more than one Family Night to inform and encourage New Covenant families to bring their children back to us.  We are using many public venues to show that we have a great quality program from Pre K - 12th grade.

     

4-How would you work with City government and other community stakeholders to make Albany more attractive to homeowners and parents as a permanent option for their families?

      Last year, with the assistance of Superintendent Colucciello, we built a positive bridge with Mayor Jennings.  As a current board member, I have been very supportive of this relationship.  It is very important for the City government and the school district to work collaboratively for the benefit of every child.  Proof of this has just occurred with the news that Albany has received a $7.5 million Magnet Grant, which required the assistance and support of many community stakeholders and the outcome was successful.  This grant was the vision of our Strategic Plan, which was another, project completed 3 years ago, also with the collaboration of many stakeholders.

     

5-While publicly, there is a perception of failures for the ACSD, there are many successful programs and schools that families look forward to sending their children to.  While everyone values these programs, they are often targeted for cuts, making them less effective.  During a time of budget reductions, how do you intend to support existing successful programs in schools, and continue to bring in new programs in schools that need them?  When you do need to cut programs, what will be done to fill the voids that follow?

      Our schools have a wide variety of successful and great programs.  At the same time they all need to be looked at when we are in difficult financial times, which we are.    As a board member I must listen to the educators, meaning the Superintendent, Cabinet and other experts as to what we can reduce, cut, or expand.  Any parent and/or community member can always address the board with concerns when we are in this process; knowing that we cannot please everyone all the time.  Our first responsibility is to make sure that our students have acceptable class sizes so learning can occur and that our staff has the resources they need to teach.  These are the most difficult decisions I think we have to make as a board member.

6-The budget process in the ACSD has been a particularly painful one in recent years.  Often, to streamline the process, items are lumped together in budget lines.  While this makes sense for some items, for others, this has the effect of drastically changing a program without involving the school stakeholders.  How will you balance the need for a streamlined process with transparency?

      I believe that we have made great improvements in our budget process in past years.   When I first served years ago on the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee it took many years to get the transparency that exists today.  We need to continue to work on this topic.  I have requested for the past few years that we re-convene a Community Budget Committee, however I have not been successful in my endeavors.  A committee of this type can help review and make recommendations to the Board and increase transparency for the taxpayer.  In the past budget cycle, I was the only board member who did not want to agree to the 3.87 % tax increase unless we agreed to use any additional state aid up to $1 million to drop it to a 2.87%.  The outcome was that we got less state aid than anticipated, which made that, impossible.  Other effects on the taxpayer exist because of less STAR aid and changes in assessments.

7-What will you do to ensure children’s safety not only at school but getting to and from school?

      As a board member I will continue to monitor the procedures that are in place for safety of all students from Pre K - 12th grade.  This includes from the time that a child steps onto the bus, or walks to school having our crossing guards assist, to the daily schedule they follow in each building and the corridors and rides home at the end of the day.  I can monitor what is going on in neighborhoods to inform school staff to ensure safety measures is followed.

8-Parent involvement is an important part of every child’s education.  How will you encourage parents to be more involved?

      For the past 4 years I have spent countless hours inside our schools, at PTA meetings, walking the halls, talking with faculty and staff and talking with students to hear first hand what needs to be done.  Engaging parents face to face at meetings, listening to their issues and doing as much problem solving as possible have been my method.  Community events are another venue where I have been a visible connection to our school system and our parent/community stakeholders and I intend to keep attending these events.

9-What are your thoughts on the high school restructuring?

      Our high school is the last piece of the facilities project.  We have already started some cosmetic changes that will make our students and families proud to go there.  With the Magnet Grant we will be able to change the way we deliver instruction, support our staff with quality professional development and bring more diversity to our classes with the most rigor.  The JIT report has identified the fact that we need to broaden the make up of our IBO/AP classes, and have more of our student body graduate.  The resources that the grant will bring can assist us with this task.   I will monitor the process of collaboration that the high school has already begun to move this process forward in a positive way.

10-Being on the School Board is a large, unpaid time commitment.  There is often a high turn over for School Board members because of this are you aware of this and what have you done to ensure against it for you? 

      I am aware that we have had some turnover in School Board members.  I am running again for another term to ensure consistency, institutional history, and experience on the board.  

Questionnaire: Ms. Edith Leet

Questionnaire from Ms. Edith Leet.  Ms. Leet also gave us her resume, which is below her questionnaire.

Answers from Edith Leet, Member of the Board of Education and candidate for the School Board

to the Montessori Community Council’s “Meet the Candidate Questionnaire”

October 5, 2010

1.   Why did you decide to run for Albany City School Board?

I decided to run for the Albany City School Board because I want to make high school graduation a reality for every student, and I want to eliminate achievement gaps caused by racial, ethnic, or economic differences.  I have the energy, experience, and vision to work enthusiastically and diligently toward those goals.

2.   What qualifies you to be on the Albany City School Board?  Do you have any unique qualifications that set you apart from other candidates?

I am uniquely qualified to serve on the School Board because of my background and experience in education and working with children. This includes:

·        attending city schools (in Chicago);

·        earning a Master’s degree and permanent certification to teach English and Social Studies in grades 7-12;

·        being a homeowner in the City of Albany since 1971;

·        volunteering in the Albany School District since 1978;

·        leading and working with community groups such as the FOCUS Churches to support and improve Albany Public Schools;

·        teaching and working with children of all ages, including volunteering in the schools, Sunday School and youth activities, and summer camp.  

·        working for the State Education Department in the areas of curriculum writing, testing, public relations, and education and services for individuals with disabilities;

·        owning an editorial services business with many clients in the field of education; and

·        serving on the Albany Board of Education since March 2010.

3.  Parents in each Albany city school watch as their neighbors and children’s friends leave the schools for Charter Schools, Private Schools, and other districts.  What concrete steps can be taken to prevent the loss of students and resources from the ACSD to these competitors?

 Improving student achievement in all of our schools is the best way to convince parents to choose Albany Public Schools over charter schools, private schools, and schools in other districts. As we work to improve student achievement, the ACSD can also:

·        Encourage parents and community members to join District and school-based committees that work to improve our schools.

·        Encourage parents and community members to volunteer in our schools.

·         Make sure every visitor in every school receives a warm and friendly welcome and prompt help with the objective of their visit.

·         Support strong parent organizations and encourage them to “spread the word” about the advantages of our schools.

·         Reach out to prospective parents and provide support to help them register their children in our schools.

·        Communicate with parents and community members directly through mailings, newsletters, its website, special programs, and personal encounters.

·        Provide opportunities for parents and community members to come into the schools for sporting events, plays, concerts, special programs, and community get-togethers.

·        Reach out to real estate agents to be sure they have up-to-date information about our schools and can promote the advantages of an urban education.

·        Promote the achievements of our schools and students in the media.

4.   How would you work with City government and other community stakeholders to make Albany more attractive to homeowners and parents as a permanent option for their families?

Poverty is a major factor in making city living less attractive to families who can choose to live elsewhere.  We need to rehabilitate or tear down abandoned buildings, provide affordable housing for our homeless families, and make our streets, parks, and other public areas clean, safe, and attractive. We also need to provide supervised activities for children when they are out of school and free or low-cost recreational opportunities for families.  Accomplishing these tasks could provide jobs and needed income to help lift families out of poverty. I am a member of several organizations that help homeless and low-income people cope with their situations through food pantries, breakfast programs, homeless shelters, collections of school supplies, and out-of-school activities. I believe that we could create public-private partnerships to accomplish the improvements in city life noted above. I have been meeting with our elected officials in both city and state government, and I will continue to highlight these needs and promote innovative ways to meet them.

 5.   While publicly, there is a perception of failures for the ACSD, there are many successful programs and schools that families look forward to sending their children to.  While everyone values these programs, they are often targeted for cuts, making them less effective. During a time of budget reductions, how do you intend to support existing successful programs in schools, and continue to bring in new programs in schools that need them? When you do need to cut programs, what will be done to fill the voids that follow?

 From my experience with one budget cycle, I believe that the Board is doing its best to use data to eliminate the less successful programs, not the successful ones. Unfortunately, salaries for District staff are by far the largest portion of our District budget, and when millions of dollars must be cut, laying off staff becomes necessary. Due to seniority, the particular individuals laid off might be ones working in successful programs, but that does not mean the successful programs themselves were targeted.  When we did have to eliminate successful programs, such as School Nurse Teachers or Reading Recovery, we tried to ensure that the services the programs offered could be provided less expensively in other ways. 

 6.   The budget process in the ACSD has been a particularly painful one in recent years.  Often, to streamline the process, items are lumped together in budget lines. While this makes sense for some items, for others, this has the effect of drastically changing a program without involving the school stakeholders. How will you balance the need for a streamlined process with transparency?

I support providing full information to taxpayers about what the budget contains and how programs would be affected. I also support providing many opportunities for Albany’s citizens to have input into the budget as it is being developed. By working far enough ahead of our deadline, the budget vote in May, we should be able to provide the transparency our citizens deserve.

7.   What will you do to ensure children’s safety not only at school but getting to and from school?

I expect our transportation administrators to work closely with both CDTA and Durham bus company officials to make sure that safety is a top priority and that any situations that threaten the safety of our children are dealt with and resolved immediately. I expect our principal, teachers, staff, and volunteers to likewise make safety a top priority both in our school buildings and on school grounds, and as a Board member, I will hold them accountable if they allow unsafe situations or practices to develop. I encourage cooperation between school and city officials to address situations that endanger our children when they are off school property on their way to and from school.   

8.   Parent involvement is an important part of every child’s education.  How will you encourage parents to be more involved? 

I am working to assure that our schools and the District communicate clearly and effectively with parents, that they solicit the parents’ help, and that they actively welcome parents and value their contributions.

Since joining the Board in March, I have worked on revising the District’s Shared Decision Making Plan, which now mandates a parent representative on every Building Leadership Team. I have long advocated for a District-level Coordinator of Volunteers, and that position became a reality last March, albeit only half time. Through these vehicles, parents will be solicited to become involved in both supporting their children and shaping the educational programs and school communities their children are in. 

I will continue to encourage parents to join the Building Leadership Teams and other shared decision making committees at both the school and District levels, to volunteer in the schools, to take part in recycling and other school support projects, and to participate in their school’s parent-teacher organization.

9.   What are your thoughts on the high school restructuring?

I want the high school restructuring planning groups to include parents, students, and community members. The planning process needs to be transparent, so that the ones who will be most affected are aware of the issues being addressed, feel that they are represented in the decisions being made, and look forward to the new opportunities that smaller learning communities will offer.  I also want the planners and the community to recognize that the relationships students form with the adults around them are crucial to their success, no matter what the size of the learning community is.

I want to make sure that parents and students are clearly and fully informed of the changes to be made and how they will affect students and families. I want to see students have as much choice as possible in the courses they take and the extracurricular activities they participate in. I want to make sure that the quality of education offered in each small learning community is the same.

10.  Being on the School Board is a large, unpaid time commitment.  There is often a high turnover for School Board members because of this. Are you aware of this and what have you done to ensure against it for you? 

I have honed my skills in time management and setting priorities through years of work as a member and leader in organizations such as the PTA, my church, the FOCUS Churches, the Capital Area Council of Churches, and others in addition to working full time and maintaining a free-lance business. I have been on the Board since March, and I have a good idea of the time commitment it entails. Since I am now semi-retired, I have more time to devote to the Board and the District, and my experience on the Board so far makes me eager to continue.  

 EDITH H. LEET

951 Myrtle Avenue

Albany, New York 12203-1817

Phone:  518- 482-6612 (home); 518-265-0551 (cell)

E-mail:  ileet@nycap.rr.com  or eleet100@gmail.com

1973-Present: Editor, self-employed, Albany, NY. Owner of EHL Editorial Services.

       Free-lance assignments and part-time work have included:

Writing, editing, and producing printing masters for a history of First United Methodist Church, East Greenbush, NY. 

Edited and produced printing masters for a local history book, Three Centuries on the Hudson River: One Family...One Dutch House, by William Staats.

Editing copy for syllabus and curriculum materials published by the New York State Education Department, Bureau of Curriculum Development; various subjects and grade levels.

Editing CHF News (formerly update), a quarterly newsletter of The Child's Hospital Foundation, including all writing and design.

Developing and editing copy for brochures, flyers, and annual reports for New York State Higher Education Services Corporation.

Developing and/or editing copy for brochures and books produced through the School of Management, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Editing articles by university professors for publication in professional journals; various subjects including computer systems, telecommunications, and disaster management.

Preparing indexes for editions of School Law, a handbook for school board members published by the New York State School Boards Association, Inc.

Developing test items for, writing model answers for, and rating student answers on the Regents Competency Writing Skills Test, Division of Educational Testing, New York State Education Department.

Developing test items for the Regents Competency Test in Social Studies, Bureau of Social Studies Education, New York State Education Department.

Editing copy for course schedule tabloids produced by the Division of Continuing Studies, State University of New York at Albany.

Developing test items for the verbal abilities section of New York State Civil Service Examinations, New York State Department of Civil Service.

Providing rewriting services for The Source and Compact, quarterly newsletters for members of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System.

Providing articles, editing, proofreading, layouts, and paste-ups for The Carillon, a publication of the Alumni Association, State University of New York at Albany.

Editing and proofreading news releases, speeches, and reports for Key Banks Inc., Albany, NY.

2002-06: Coordinator of Public Relations for CROP Walk, Capital Area Council of Churches, Albany, NY.

Developed and produced publications and publicity for all of the CROP Walks in the Capital Region, growing from nine communities in 2002-03 to 12 communities in 2005-06. Recruited business and individual sponsors.

Developed and supervised ordering and distribution of incentives.

During the four years, the number of walkers went from 525 to 800+ and the amount raised went from $65,000+ to $90,000+.

2001-03: Associate in Educational Testing, State Education Department, Albany, NY.

Developed new components to New York State tests, revised and edited test manuals and instruction sheets, and handled the production of testing materials.

1989-2001: Assistant Examinations Editor, State Education Department, Albany, NY.

In Office of Testing, edited copy for New York State examinations at the elementary and secondary level, including Regents examinations, Regents competency tests, and PEP and PET tests.

In Communications Office, wrote, edited, and produced internal and external newsletters and news releases.

In Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, developed and produced newsletters, reports, brochures, and promotional pieces for use in informing the public of program services, recruiting clients for VESID, and advocating for legislation and budget increases for VESID’s programs.

1968-73: Publications Editor, Community Relations Office, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY.

Was managing editor of three publications: The Carillon, a quarterly tabloid; Emphasis/Albany, a quarterly newsletter; and Tower Tribune, a weekly tabloid newspaper. Participated in planning issues; researched and wrote both news and feature stories; made assignments to other writers; did layouts, editing, proofreading, copyfitting, writing of headlines, and cropping and scaling of photographs; did paste-ups or supervised their preparation by others. Expanded The Carillon to 12 pages quarterly. Instituted editorials and expanded the use of news features, photographs, and photo essays.

Did editing and proofreading of copy for booklets, brochures, programs, posters, and flyers originated by other offices and schools of the university.

1964-65: Co-Editor, Albany Student Press, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY.

Served as co-editor during the first full year in which the ASP went from a weekly to a semi-weekly publication schedule. Was involved in all aspects of the paper's production and set editorial policy. The ASP earned a "First Class" rating for the year from the Associated Collegiate Press Rating Service.

TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

Develop and teach workshops for adults in techniques of copy editing and production of publications.

Have developed and assisted with Sunday School, youth fellowship, and adult education programs at the First Church in Albany and at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

1979-83: Developed and administered First Church Olympics, a program of Christian stewardship for young people in grades 3-12 at the First Church in Albany.

1978-79: Developed and taught a "Learning through Art for Preschoolers" class and "Toymaker Workshops" for children aged 3-6 at the Harmanus Bleecker Center, Albany, NY.

EDUCATION

State University of New York at Albany, B.A., social studies; M.A., English. New York State permanent certification to teach English and social studies, grades 7-12.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Member, Albany City School District Board of Education, March 2010-present

Chair, Conference Planning Committee for “Come Alive and Thrive” Conferences, 2007-present

Planning, promotion, and carrying out of two-day conferences featuring nationally known writers and thinkers such as Diana Butler Bass and Dr. Tony Campolo.

Commissioner of Christian Action and Social Ethics, Capital Area Baptist Association, 2008-present

Encourage awareness of peace and justice issues and encourage congregations and individuals to take action to address injustices.

Capital Area Baptist Association Representative to Capital Region Ecumenical Organization, 2008-present

CREO encourages ecumenical cooperation and participation in promoting social justice.

Chair, 175^th Anniversary Committee, Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2008-present

Planned and carried out a year-long series of events to celebrate the church’s 175^th anniversary in 2009.

Member, Dean’s Committee, , 2008-present

Development and approval of courses offered by the Capital Region Theological Center

Member of Diaconate, Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2000-06, 2009-present

Served as member and later chair of the Christian Growth and Development Commission, then member of the Caring and Fellowship Commission, and now member of the Membership and Evangelism Commission.

Crafts Director, Pathfinder Lodge, Cooperstown, NY, summers, 2006-present

Direct craft activities for children ages 5-18 and for special needs adults at an American Baptist sleep-away camp. 

Moderator, Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2006-2008

Served as lay leader of the congregation and chair of the Coordinating Council.

Member, Growing God’s Ministry Committee, Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2005-present

Planning and supervision of $300,000 renovation project.

Member of the Board, Capital Area Council of Churches, 1997-2002

Provided oversight to CACC programs.

Member and Chair, Districtwide Shared Decision Making Committee, 1996-1999

Member of Strategic Plan Steering Committee, City School District of Albany, 1990-91

Served on School Board committee charged with coordinating the implementation of recommendations contained in the report Albany's Children: Albany's Future cited below.

Member of Strategic Planning Committee, City School District of Albany, 1989-90

Served on 25-member citizen committee that produced a report, Albany's Children: Albany's Future, detailing 55 recommendations for improving the Albany City School District through the next 10 years.

Officer, Albany High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association, 1987-91

Served as Vice President for Publicity. Wrote news releases for PTSA events and published a newsletter circulated to faculty, staff, and parents.

Member, School 16 Parent-Teacher Association, 1978-1988

Instituted and served as co-chairman and coordinator (1986-88) of the Classroom Volunteers program, in which parents make a commitment of one hour each week to help a teacher with such tasks as assisting individual students, working with small groups, monitoring student use of a computer, or taking care of clerical tasks.

Served on the staff of the Yearbook as Editor (1984-85, 1987-88), Assistant Editor (1985-86), and Co-Editor (1986-87).

Coordinated publishing projects in which individual classes wrote and published newspapers and/or booklets of creative writing (1982-­83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1987-88).

Imagination Celebration

Served as a volunteer writer to help small groups of children write news stories during sessions of the Student Press Corps (1986-90). Served as a juror for student entries in the Creative Writing Opportunity (1987-91).

Education '89 Conference

Served on the 10-member Conference Committee that set up a day-long conference (held October 15, 1988) to examine issues in the Albany Public Schools. The conference was attended by almost 300 parents, teachers, administrators, School Board members, and community residents.

YWCA Black History Contest

Served as a juror for student entries in the YWCA Black History Contest (1983-85).

HONORS AND AWARDS

2010 — With my husband, Ian, awarded the David P. Foulk Outdoor Ministries Award by the
              Board of Mission of American Baptist Churches of New York State for making “a
              significant contribution to the work of outdoor ministries in the church and/or
              region...(that) has raised outdoor ministries to a place of prominence.”

2008 — With my husband, Ian, awarded the Carlisle Adams Ecumenical Award by the Capital Area
              Council of Churches for “For their modeling of ecumenical relations on many levels and in
              many ways.”

2002 — Awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for volunteer service by the Capital Area Council of
             Churches.

1992 — Awarded a Distinguished Service Award (New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers) by
               the Albany High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association, Albany, NY.

1988 — Awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for "Unselfish Dedication to Our Children, Teachers, and
             School" from the School 16 community, Albany, NY.

1987 — Awarded an Honorary Life Membership in the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers
               by the School 16 Parent-Teacher Association, Albany, NY.

1976 — Named in the national Outstanding Young Women of America Program upon nomination by the
               Rev. Dr. Norman Thomas, First Church in Albany, Albany, NY.

1966 — Named in Who's Who among Students in America's Universities and Colleges from the State
               University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY.

             Named to Alpha Phi Gamma, the national journalism honorary.

             Named to Pi Gamma Mu, the national social sciences honorary.