Jonathan Fishbein
Delmar
Occupation: Appellate Attorney
Question: Why are you running for a seat on the Bethlehem School Board?
Answer: I am a candidate because I want to help grow the board’s ability to view issues from different perspectives, and to develop 3 to 5 year budgets that balance our scarce resources with the needs and priorities of the entire community, including students, teachers, parents, taxpayers, and those on fixed income.
If elected, I also plan to promote the development of alternative funding streams. For example, programs currently exist to convert schools to run on solar energy at no cost to the taxpayers. These program cut electricity costs and allows the district to sell unused power generated when school is not in session or on vacation. Last year the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk School District installed solar panels on its schools without cost to taxpayers, and estimated a minimum savings of $40,000 per year. By going solar, our district could use the savings to restore some of the program cuts that have been made necessary by the lack of proper state funding.
Q How will your experience serve you on the school board?
A As a certified mediator for almost 25 years, I would bring to the board a proven ability to develop win-win solutions to often vexing problems. Mediation skills are also especially suited to the development of school budgets where many stakeholders are seeking a fair allocation of scarce resources. As an attorney, I have often created solutions for clients by not only thinking outside the box, but by looking at a situation from many different viewpoints.
Because I am connected with so many stakeholders in the school district, I am able to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders when making decisions. I have been married for 22 years. Our daughter is a BCHS junior and our son is a 2013 BCHS graduate who played in the All-State Orchestra and was co-captain of BCHS Cross Country. I have friends in the district who have children who get almost effortless A’s, and others who struggle for every grade and have greatly benefitted from the extra attention of a reading teacher or social worker. As a neighbor and taxpayer, I know seniors and those on fixed incomes that have left our community or are seriously considering leaving because, until this year, taxes have been rising faster than the cost of living.
If elected, I will carefully listen to community concerns, advocate common sense testing and the planned implementation of new programs. My decisions will be based on what is best for the district after considering the perspective of all community members.
Q What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the district?
A In no particular order: 1) The over testing of our students, where the results cannot help our students in real time, as the results are not known until the following summer. 2) Even with this year’s minimal tax increase, the biggest issue facing BCSD remains unfunded mandates and the lack of sufficient state funding to continue to provide the quality education for which our District is well known. Unfunded State mandates and the failure to completely eliminate the GEA are costing the district more than $2 million in State funding. Along with the lower enrollment projected in future years, funding education will become more and more difficult.
The opt-out movement appears to have succeeded in getting the attention of legislators who now may be more inclined to address this issue. If elected, I would advocate active lobbying of the legislature and the Stated Education Commissioner for a common sense approach to testing that: 1) Minimizes the classroom hours spent on testing and practicing for the test, and maximizes the hours spent on learning, 2) Uses tests that are grade appropriate and without trick or poorly worded questions, and 3) where the results are available to the classroom teachers and parents within two weeks of the test so the results can immediately inform the teachers and benefit our children.
Q What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
A One solution to the lack of sufficient resources is to create new funding streams. School districts across America have found interesting and unique ways to raise funds from the business community and foundations. In addition to solar power, naming rights to ball fields, stadiums, wings of buildings, gyms, pools, and auditoriums have been successful.
Some of these suggestions might require changes in state law. However, if such changes will result in common sense testing and schools receiving increased revenue at no cost to the taxpayers, politicians will join in because it costs them nothing and they look good. Regardless of whether these ideas and others require laws to change, or several years to reach maturity, we must start the discussion now.