Editor’s note: This final statement was provided by school board candidate Natalie Marrero. The Pelham Examiner publishes statements in the form received as a service to the community.

My name is Natalie Marrero, and I am asking for your vote on May 17^th to be a Trustee of the Board of Education.

Why vote for me?

I am committed to listening to Parents and Pelham Citizens. Parents are our most valuable resource in this school district. We need to listen to them about what priorities should be considered in developing the budget, on what matters to them in their children’s education and on what their children need to succeed to their highest potential. There should be no “us” and “them” in this relationship– the school and the district are our partners and I want us to get back to that mindset. I also respect the citizens of this town that do not have children in the schools, I am dedicated to being a Trustee that holds sacred the obligation of fiscal responsibility in making decisions that affect every Pelhamite.

I am dedicated to Pelham. I have served in a volunteer role continually from the moment my husband Conrad and I arrived in Pelham with our three children seven years ago. I have volunteered and been a leader in the Prospect Hill PTA, PTA Council, Girl Scouts, OLPH, Pelham Children’s Center and the Junior League and I do this because I love Pelham and my kids are in the Pelham schools. I am not politically aligned in any way, and I only seek to serve for the good of the community.

I am always looking for better solutions. My mantra this election has been “EBIs – or Even Better Ifs.”

Our schools are great…..but can they be even better if we provided more individualized attention, ensuring all our students are given the necessary tools to achieve high academic success? Our schools would be even better if we had an afterschool academic program to combat learning loss which occurred during the pandemic.

Our citizen engagement part of board meetings would be even better if the executive sessions of the BOE meetings would take place after the public meeting and not beforehand and even better if there was a repository with all questions and answers arising from BOE meetings.

Our Board meetings overall need improvement….can they be even better if we hold them in a way that is more welcoming and where questions are answered more transparently? Can they be even better if the board made an effort to reach working parents and conducted nighttime “coffee hours” or zoom meetings.

Our Strategic Plan is good, but can it be even better if it is written without so much jargon and with more of a focus on academics?  Can our strategic plan include yearly reviews to ensure we are on target and meeting expectations?

You can count on me to always ask the district and my colleagues how we can make things even better.

Please vote for me on May 17^th 7am-9pm in the Middle School Gym.