2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Salina Akter DBN: 30Q152 IEP: No ELL Yes Applicant I'm volunteering in 30QPS152 school like Book Fair , Science Project Fair, Picture Day and many field Background trip. Always attend in Parent Association Meeting . Personal I'm a mother and a house wife. I have 2 daughters . They are study in PS152 school. I love kids and Statement like to teach them . I was a teacher before I enter in USA. Candidate Noreen Alam DBN: 30Q148 IEP: No ELL No 30Q148 30Q148 No No No No DBN: 30Q150 IEP: No ELL No Applicant VOLUNTEER IN PTA Background Personal Statement Candidate Deborah Alexander Applicant I have been a member of PS 150Q’s PTA for the last 3 years, as well as our School Leadership Team Background (Chair for the last 2). Two years ago I was instrumental in challenging the DOE when they wanted to shut down the middle school G&T program at PS 122, forcing massive overcrowding throughout the school. I was one of the few parents invited to sit down with then-Chancellor Walcott, who eventually reversed course and allowed the program to continue. I have one child in the G&T program, and one child about to start Kindergarten in General Education, so I have a unique perspective into both worlds. Additionally, next year I will have children at schools in both Astoria and Sunnyside, which allows me to observe and be active on two opposite ends of the District. Personal As a current member of CEC 30 I have been an effective and dedicated Council Member and parent Statement leader. I was elected the Council’s Treasurer and Chair of the By-Laws Committee. I am a core member of the ECC (Education Council Coalition), comprised of CEC members throughout the city who meet with Chancellor Farina every six weeks. I also co-founded and run the District 30 Education Facebook page, which has over 600 members throughout the District. It is a successful tool for parents across the District to ask questions and share information. I hope to continue my work on the Council because it is my belief that parents are an untapped resource in our community, and we are not serving many of them, particularly those in the ELL community and in struggling schools. As a liaison to the ECC, I have been working with Council members across the city to share best practices and raise the profile of CECs (and, therefore, District parents) so that we may have a bigger voice with the DOE when it comes to *our* schools and *our* kids. I believe that my experience and current relationships within the educational system make me qualified to continue representing the parents and children of District 30. Thank you for your consideration! Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 1 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Ivan Beacco DBN: 30Q070 IEP: No ELL No Applicant volunteer as chef with wellness in the school program Background Personal Statement Candidate Tahmina Begum DBN: 30Q258 IEP: Yes ELL No 30Q152 Yes No Applicant Currently I am in the S L T team, and I am also the vice president in PA at PS. Q,152 Background Personal Statement Candidate Eileen Bendoyro DBN: 30Q329 IEP: Yes ELL No Applicant I have been serving on CEC 30 for a year and a half. Visiting schools and helping parents work through Background the DOE system is one of my goals. When my child started attending East Elmhurst Community School I became a member of the parent volunteer corp. As a member of parent volunteer corp,we help students during lunch as well as during recess. I also volunteer in the school program. As a learning leader I help with the children`s homework and supervise a small group of students who are english language learners. Personal As a parent ,I want to be involved in the advancement of the schools and the district . I have been a Statement part of this community for many years and I want to make sure that the voice of this community is being heard loud and clear by the district and DOE. I am out spoken and believe that the improvement of children`s education is something worth fighting for . Continuing to serve on CEC 30 would be an honor and privilege. Candidate Mafijul I Bhuiyan DBN: 30Q166 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I am involved in Bangladesh society INC. Which is a none profit organization. In that organization my Background position in public relation and publicity Sectery. We do have civic program for the community to help people. Personal I am a father and I committed my self to give my children best education as much possible. My older Statement boy is attending second grade in public school gifted talented program. Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 2 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Kristin Elizabeth Burns DBN: 30Q150 IEP: No ELL No Applicant Since my daughter has joined the family of the Dual Language program at PS150Q, I have enjoyed Background watching her learn and grow. As a working mom, I am not able to volunteer during school hours, but the school offers us other opportunities to take part. I am computer-savvy, so I created and maintain a web-based contact sheet for our class as well as an email list for parents. This allows us to support each other and share questions as well as engage socially outside the classroom, important for DL learning. My family also love to go to evening events like the fantastic year-end celebrations and drama performances. I am proud to say I have been able to take part in every "Parents as Learning Partners" morning in my daughters class. Outside of my experience as the mother of a NYC public school student, I tutored both athletes and international students while at Syracuse University. I am a Digital Asset Manager for a media company and I enjoy mentoring fresh talent as well as learning more about my field and the industry as whole through conferences, self-led and departmental education. Personal I have lived in Sunnyside, Queens since 2001 and have strong ties to the neighborhood. My husband (a Statement Queens native) and I have considered ourselves very lucky to have found this neighborhood and value the good public school education walking distance away. My family and I are members of the local cooperative park and owners of a coop apartment. As happy as we are with our situation, I would like to advocate for our whole district to feel the same way about their schools. I have hoped to find a role to improve our local schools and think joining the Community Education Councils (CECs) as a Parent Leader would be a wonderful way to help. Candidate Monica Cabrera DBN: 30Q152 IEP: No ELL No 30Q152 30Q152 No No No No Applicant none Background Personal Statement Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 3 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Eugenia Fickens DBN: 30Q286 IEP: No ELL No Applicant Preschool educator at Astoria Blue Feather Head Start working with typically developing and Background developmentally delayed students. Before working as a Child Development Associate I served on the Policy Council for two terms as the Secretary. Currently serves as an SLT member as a parent at TYWLS of Astoria.. Personal I am a mother, student, teacher and homemaker. Currently I am employed at Astoria Blue Feather Statement Head Start, an AHRC organization. My first position at AHRC was a volunteer, intern, substitute teaching assistant and now a Child Development Associate. I have observed and experienced developmentally and culturally diverse preschoolers for over eight years and throughout the years I have applied teaching strategies for an entire classroom, groups of children and individual children. I am proud of my ability to do so effectively. I am a firm believer in parent involvement, parents advocating for their children, bridging the gap from school to home and parents being their child's first teacher. I have a strong work ethic that I have carried my entire life that I attribute to observing my parents. I welcome the opportunity to be a positive model for my child. Candidate Ka-Trina Harris DBN: 30Q234 IEP: Yes ELL No 30Q450 No No Applicant SINCE MY CHILDREN STARTED SCHOOL, I HAVE VOLUNTEERED AND HELPED. FOR Background MANY YEARS, I SERVED ON THE PTA EXECUTIVE BOARD INCLUDING THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT FOR 4 YEARS. I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON CEC30 FOR 2 YEARS AND HOPE I GET OPPORTUNITY CONTINUE. PROVIDING A VOICE TO THE COMMUNITY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. Personal I HAVE BEEN SERVING ON COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNICL 30 FOR 2 YEARS. AS Statement A PARENT OF CHILDREN ATTENDING D30 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ONE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND ONE WITH AN IEP, I FEEL IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE BACK AND ASSIST. DURING MY TENURE, I HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH PARENTS IMPROVING SAFETY & TAFFIC CONDITIONS AROUND THEIR SCHOOLS AND EXPLORED WAYS TO IMPROVE PARENT ENGAGEMENT. PARENTS KNOW ME IN THE COMMUINTY AND I LISTEN!! I BRING THEIR CONCERNS TO THE COUNCIL AND APPROPRIATE DOE STAFF. Candidate Nick Konstantakos DBN: 30Q002 IEP: No ELL No Applicant Background Personal Statement Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 4 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Valarie Lamour DBN: 30Q291 Applicant Background Personal Statement Candidate IEP: No ELL No 30Q166 No No I was selected and then voted onto the CECD30 board twice with the highest number of votes (2013) in the district and all of Queens. As a member of CECD30 I have had the opportunity to establish new residential zoning lines in our district, making sure that community input is always paramount. I have been a strong supporter of translation services for our non-english speaking parents and have a track record of support to the special education population in our district. With community support we successfully saved PS122’s Middle School G&T district program from being abolished and successfully lobbied for a G&T City-wide middle school program in our district. Also as a CEC board member, we advocated to preserve our NEST program at PS 76 by avoiding a co-location in that building and stopped the Voice Charter School from only taking older five year olds into their Kindergarten lottery. My advocacy has also driven me to solicit with my surrounding community and politicians to stop the closing of Long Island City High School. I have served on the SLT at PS166, in Long Island City since 2009 and I am currently Co-President of the Parent Teacher Association of PS166. I feel that my efforts and those of my fellow board members I have served with on the Community Education Council and the community relations that I have established within Educational District 30 have demonstrated that I have been an effective and a positive advocate for my community. I believe it is important to give back and serve our communities and this is the way I have chosen to do it, for the past six years. I enjoy helping parents and children get the resources for education that we are all promised and entitled to as New York City and New York State residents. I will always support the efforts of my neighbors and community on how we feel educational policy should be implemented in our city. I feel that education is one the most important factors in keeping our City prepared and relevant for our future and our children’s futures. Mark Loewy DBN: 30Q152 IEP: No ELL No DBN: 30Q111 IEP: Yes ELL No Applicant Background Personal Statement Candidate Lina Lopez Applicant Background Personal Statement Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 5 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Adriana Lynch DBN: 30Q002 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I am currently serving as a member of the P.S 2 School Leadership Team Background Personal My name is Adriana Lynch and I grew up in the NYC public school system. I have always felt proud of Statement the education that I have received in this wonderful city. Now my daughters attend public school and I look forward to giving back in any way that I can. Our public school system can thrive and achieve great things. Policy makers, educators and parents working together can make anything possible. The children of our great city deserve a top notch education. My goal is to be an informed advocate for positive progress in public school education. Candidate Lavern Marcia Maison DBN: 30Q069 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I am a current member of CDEC30 and have been a member since December 2013 and I am happy Background to work with some great Parent Leaders on issues that directly affect children. I am also a Center Director of after-school and youth programs at the Ravenswood Community Center where I serve District 30 students and provide academic services and enrichment activities for youth ages 5 - 21 years old. Personal .I was inspired to join the council and become an advocate for students and parents in District 30 Statement because of my work first as an after-school director, and most recently as a parent to a flourishing 6 year old enrolled in a District 30 school. I have worked in the district as an after-school director for the last 8 years, of which a large part of my work entails building parental involvement and engagement in our students' lives. There is a lot of work to be done in this district and I believe that the Education Council is a great starting point. This is a great time to be involved in educational advocacy as there are many challenges ahead, however; I believe there is much strength in local networks like education councils who work on the ground with parents and local schools to reach results. My target issue on the council has been support for failing and low-performing schools. As an after-school director I see the direct effects of high poverty and low parental support on students' academic achievement. However, I am convinced that with school and community support many students can overcome these barriers and bridge the achievement gap. Candidate Ekrema Melkic DBN: 30Q070 IEP: No ELL No Applicant Background Personal Statement Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 6 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Michael Nardiello III DBN: 30Q069 IEP: Yes ELL No Applicant Former Community Board 3 Member Both children have IEP plans in PS 69 Q Visited schools Background attentively for sake of children as a concerned parent Deeply concerned about the quality and caring plus nurturing aspects of a sound Public School Education Personal I believe in the Public School Education system. My children attend Public School PS 69Q and I as a Statement concerned, caring, and dedicated parent who advocated for my children believe I can be a caring and dedicated concerned person who will advocate for all who attend public schools in our wonderful and beautiful City where all can get a piece of the American Dream through our NYC Public Education System. Candidate Robert F. Novak DBN: 30Q122 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I have been a high school English teacher for the past 12 years. I began my career as a teacher at Background Richmond Hill High School, and I currently teach at Manhasset High School. Because the schools serve very different populations, I have a unique perspective on the current educational climate. I have worked closely through the years with a wide range of student populations, including special education, ELL, autism-spectrum, and honors-level students. My daughter, Stella, is a Kindergarten student in Astoria's PS 122, a school that educated both my mother and grandmother. My son, James, will follow her there in two years. My wife, Destiny, is also a high school English teacher at Aviation High School. We are educators and parents with a passion for helping this system be the best it can be! Personal I am passionate about preserving good-quality education in a safe and nurturing environment for all of Statement New York City's children. Many like to say that the system is "broken," but I don't think that's true; I think it has been bent to its breaking point, and is in desperate need of some relief. I understand that the public schools of the greatest city on earth have complex problems, and that the solutions for these problems will be harder to find in a political environment that seems to add only more obstacles and challenges. We deserve better. As a parent, an educator, and a citizen, I am shocked and dismayed at the idea that changes are being made to the public education system by those who have little to no experience in the classroom. The decisions that will shape the future of our public schools need to be made with the input of its hard-working teachers, its dedicated administrators, and its passionate parents. These are the people who make good education happen. If I am fortunate enough to serve on a Community Education Council, I will serve as the voice of a concerned parent and educator, and I will work with the Department of Education to help find the solutions needed to best serve the needs of our children. Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 7 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Nuala O'Doherty DBN: 30Q145 Applicant Background Personal Statement Candidate IEP: No ELL No 30Q230 No No 30Q149 No No I have 3 children currently in schools in Jackson Heights. I have served on the School Leadership Teams of PS 222, PS 149, IS 145 and IS 230 over the last 10 years. I have learned that it is critical to voice parent concerns and to work through the SLT to make change. I have been PTA president or involved in the PTAs of both PS 222 and PS 149. I am also a director of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. Over the last 5 years, I have organized a “Meet the Principal Night― so parents of children entering kindergarten in Jackson Heights can learn about our local schools. It is critical that we educate our parents about the NYC School system. I believe that involved parents make good schools. My 3 children have all been in dual language programs since pre-kindergarten and I am currently working to expand dual language to IS 230. I also have 2 older children who were English Language Learners and attended Newcomers High School (Q555) in Long Island City. School are more than systems to educate our children, they are the heart of our communities. Schools must work better with parents and other community partners to build a system were parents, community members and school work together. For the last 10 years I have work tirelessly to improve my neighborhood schools, but it took me a long time to understand the Department of Education and how I can make a positive impact. We need to educate our parents when they first enter the system on how the process work and how they can best advocate for their children. The best way to improve our schools is to have active parent involvement, but this take an investment. In district 30, many parents did not attend NYC school and they do not understand the bureaucracy of the system. I believe it is the role of the CEC to change that. We must educate, inform and empower our parents to become effective advocates for their children. I have had children attend 5 different schools over the last 10 years. I have attended more PTA and SLT meetings than I could count, I think that with this experience, I can now work at a higher level so that I can use this experience to influence other schools. Myrna Sobeyda Palacios DBN: 30Q228 IEP: No ELL Yes Applicant In the past, I have participated in the parent leadership of my daughter's school. I have a Learning Background Leaders ID. I also participate in the parent education committee of Make the Road NY, Queens. We advocate for seats in schools and after school programs. I sometimes facilitate the parent committee meetings. Personal Statement Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 8 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Nazmul Quayyum DBN: 30Q230 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I have been in PTA ( Treasurer from 2006-2011 at PS 69) and active SLT member in PS 69 from Background 2006 -2011. Currently i am the PTA co-president at IS 230 & an active SLT member at IS 230 from 2012 to present. I am also involved in helping students of my neighborhood to understand and learn english, also a volunteer reader to the 1st & 2nd grader at Queens library. Personal Since my daughter statred public school at the age of 5, i got involved into the NYC public school Statement sysytem by joining the PTA, SLT for the elementary and middle school. I learned lot about the NYC public school and try to explore the knowledge to the parents and wanted to involve more with special activities related to parents and kids. Candidate Tahmina Rajib DBN: 30Q084 IEP: No ELL No Applicant My son started Kindergarten in the Fall of 2014. I have started to attend PTA meetings, meeting with Background parents and having an open line of communication between my son's teacher and myself. I want to get more involved and become an active parent member. Personal I am an attorney by trade but always a mother first. I am a public school graduate from District 30 and Statement am a firm believer in public education for our children. Recently, there has been bad press reviews on the education system, blaming administrators, teacher, etc. I believe education is a partnership among parents, students and educators. Sending a child to school does not end a parent's responsibility of "providing education" to their child. Parents and teachers need to work together to understand the child strengths and weaknesses. In the five months that my son has started school, I have noticed so much improvement for him and I certainly attribute many of them to his teacher. His teacher and I keep in constant contact so that I can advise her of what I feel he needs help with and she tells me things I need to work on at home. A school does not just teach academics but it is an environment where a child develops socially and emotionally. Our schools are receiving less funding, getting arts, music, computer programs cut from the curriculum. It may sound like a cliche, however, our children are the future. If we do not invest in them, we are not investing in our future. Candidate Martha Sanchez DBN: 30Q092 IEP: No ELL No Applicant PTA President. Parent volunteer for PS 92Q. I participate in the SLT leadership, in the community Background organization Make the Road New York, and the CEJ Coalition, which advocates for the education of children. Personal Statement Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 9 of 10 2015 NYC Education Council Elections Candidate Profiles for Community Education Council 30 Candidate Cesar Eduardo Tejeira DBN: 30Q148 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I'm the PTA co-president of PS 148. I also have a daughter in special education. Background Personal I am a dedicated parent to my family and to my daughters. I have much to learn but also much to give Statement to the community. I hope to represent each and every one of the parents of my school and district. Thank you. Candidate Clover Yordanova DBN: 30Q069 IEP: No ELL No Applicant I am an Intervention Specialist in a Charter school and have worked as grades 2,4 and 3 teacher in Background public school. Personal Every child deserves a great education! As parents, we need to do our best to be the change we want to Statement see! Visit NYCParentLeaders.org Page 10 of 10
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