Group endorses school board candidate Wood for community and district involvement, focus on diversity
To the editor:
As neighbors, parents and fellow volunteers, we share our enthusiastic endorsement of Paula Wood for board of education trustee. Please join us in voting for her on May 17.
For more than a decade, we have worked with Paula across her many volunteer, leadership and advocacy roles in the school district and community. Her professional experience in education, combined with her community involvement and leadership, has contributed to new initiatives that benefit our students. Our students’ quality of life and quality of education are her highest priorities and are the reasons she is running for board of education.
Paula’s professional career includes teaching enrichment across New York City schools and supporting a wide range of educators and professors at Bank Street College of Education in communications. Paula is an active community leader and has served as chair of the Progressive Women of Pelham and on the boards of the Pelham Art Center and Pelham Music Festival. She spent years volunteering at Hutchinson Elementary School, which included coordinating and expanding the lunchtime enrichment program to provide a wide range of high-quality classes for all. Paula’s deep involvement also includes time spent as a member of the board of education’s community engagement and advocacy committee, makerspace committee and authentic learning committee.
We appreciate Paula’s focus on expanding our program of student-centered learning, alongside the implementation of our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy, which will advance the reflective, critical and creative-thinking competencies that 21st-century learners need to thrive and achieve their full potential. Her perspectives on budget and academic innovation show her depth of knowledge of our district’s history and goals. We trust her to collaborate thoughtfully on developing a new strategic plan centered around student academic and social-emotional needs.
As engaged parents and residents, we have watched this district make great strides in improving educational quality and inclusivity. We support Paula’s candidacy based on her passionate advocacy for high quality teaching and learning, deep experience and commitment to this community, and her openness and respect for all stakeholders.
Please join us in voting for Paula Wood for board of education on May 17.
Stacey Kaplan and Erik Sznip
34 Fifth St.
along with:
Kusum S. Mathews
Kate Carpenter
Melissa Mulrooney Deighton
Chris Maiberger
Melissa Eustace
Marisa Panzani
Kara McLoughlin
Cathie Arquilla
Liz Farrell and Jonathan Lesser
Iva Taylor Maghuyop
Kasia Platt
Nicole Burgess
Lisa and John Horten
Melissa Labonte
Jim and Kristy Rebele
Nandini Anandu
Lynda and Adam Banfield
Krystal Howell
Allison Frost
Maura Curtin
Charles Zicari
Jennifer Shirazi
Valerie Vitale
Claire and Matt Persanis
Liz Massie
Jessica and Russell Solomon
Debbie Winstead
Jennifer Ashlock
Elizabeth Herbert-Wasson
Andrew Wasson
Josie Carbone
Iva Taylor Maghuyop
Wendy Dougherty
Marie McIntyre Tracy
Ariel Spira-Cohen
Robert Tracy
Laura O’Sullivan
Patricia and Bill Knickerbocker
Carly Snarr
Marc Burgess
Debbie Winstead
Caleb Persanis
Tai Montanarella
Larry & Sara Mallach
Josh Wallach
Ron Sucena, Gabe Sucena and Sam Sucena
Maurice and Atasha Greene
Maryanne Joyce
Suzanne Snyder
Babak Rassi
Thomas Farley
Elise King
Nasim Matteoni
Beth Braun
Joanne Ferrara
Ralph Ferrara
Jakob Ferrara
Manu Shekher
Cece Morrell, Jack Morrell and Michael Morrell
Elizabeth Alderman
Alexy Scholl
Katie and Craig Glantz
Eileen Madden and Paul Osmolskis
Jess Young
Kim McGreal
Julia Fuller Nakayama
Ellen Macdonald
Mercedes Maldonado
Luke Persanis
Erik Sznip
Markus Frei
Rich Gagnon
Amy lienert
Dana Thayer
Sarah Frei
Melissa Eustace
Cathie Arquilla
Dana Thayer
Peggy Nicholson
Gregory Spock
Aimee Linn Kaplan
Heather Eliezer
Maria F. Pannullo
Sarah Nataraj
Bethany Ow
Stephen Handelman
Peter Romaniuk
Kim Barrett
Karen Beatty
Norma P. Simon
Paul and Catherine Prencis
Toni Biaggi
Richard Biaggi