Interestingly enough he had come to see me straight from a speaking engagement he had at New Paltz Middle School. Mike is a graduate of New Paltz High School, and by all accounts was a big baseball star, hitting home-runs during high school as well. I was so honored that he took the time out of his very busy schedule to speak with me.
Mike pledged nothing but full support to me and the campaign. He even said that my campaign could set a “precedent” to other Boards of Education. The insight I have as a student who is part of what I will affectionately call the “Obama Generation” is an important part of advancing a good learning environment. Students of my generation have grown up with the internet, computers, and many other forms of technology that have helped us in the classroom and other areas of life. The problem is none of our Board of Education members know what it means to go to school with computers, while we don’t know what it means to go to school without them. I equate this large generational gap to rock and roll of the 50’s generation.
When Mike spoke of precedent he was of course talking about the perspective I have as a young member of our community. He believes that my ideas and visions are important, and if my campaign is successful we may see a ripple effect of youth in school politics. I have lived in New Paltz long enough to know that we like to be different, we like to make changes that we feel help our community, and we like to be among the first to do it, so I say why not start with a young and insightful Board of Education member.
It is very important to have someone who knows what it means to be in a public school in this millennia. Our district is filled with people who know what this truly is like, but as of right now there is no one to represent that, with your help we can change that!
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