Dear Friends,

Apologies for this long mass email, but I wanted to let you all know that I am running for re-election as
a Trustee of the Dobbs Ferry Board of Education. I am proud of the many exciting things our District
has accomplished in my six years on the Board, but there is still much work to be done. I believe that I
can continue to be an informed, balanced and thoughtful voice on the BOE and I hope to be a part of
our District's continued progress.

The BOE election this year is a contested election. So it is important that everyone make an effort
to turn out and vote! The vote (including the Budget Vote) is Tuesday, May 16. All voting takes place
in the High School Gym, from 7:00am to 9:00pm. Please mark your calendars!

Many of you know me well enough to know what I have been doing as a member of the BOE and the
ways I've been involved in our schools for many years, including before I joined the BOE. But just in
case, here are some things you should know about me.

Accomplishments and areas of focus while on the BOE:

elected by my fellow BOE members to a board leadership position for 4 years (3 years as
President, including this year, and 1 year as Vice President);

immersed myself in education issues at the local, state, and federal levels and brought
lessons learned back to the BOE and District;
o currently enrolled in the Education Policy Fellowship Program, a year-long joint
program of the Institute for Educational Leadership and Columbia University
Teachers College;
o served as liaison to the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association (WPSBA)
and attended many WPSBA trainings and workshops; nominated to join Board of
Directors of WPSBA beginning in summer 2017
o attended conferences and trainings of the New York State School Boards Association
(NYSSBA); recipient of NYSSBA's "School Board U" Board Excellence
Award; invited to speak (together with Superintendent Lisa Brady) about school start
times and adolescent sleep at 2016 NYSSBA Convention;

advocated for the District's change to a later morning start time in the Middle School and High
School, based on research linking later school start times to improved student health and
academic performance;

worked to expand and modernize District communications, including livestreaming BOE

meetings, new district website, establishing Facebook presence for District and all 3 schools,
regular "advertorials" in the Rivertowns Enterprise, and e-newsletters;

focused on improving BOE operations, such as establishing written BOE/Superintendent

Protocols, establishing written guidelines for the orientation of new BOE members, and
maintaining an effective committee system;

helped initiate the BOE's regular "work sessions", in which the Board, administrators,
teachers, and community members are invited to come together in an informal setting to study
and discuss current education issues.

District highlights over the last six years:

expanded access to the IB Program by increasing IB course and Diploma Program

participation in grades 11-12 and by adopting the IB Middle Years Program for grades 6-10;

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 maintained focus on continually improving teaching and learning in every classroom, with
increased teacher professional development and increased time for teacher collaboration;

embarked on a 1-to-1 technology initiative, providing all students with access to technology
and training teachers so that technology is incorporated into the classroom carefully,
effectively, and appropriately;

made significant improvements to facilities (including more work to be completed this

summer) such as a new cafeteria for the Middle School/High School, new athletic facilities,
systems upgrades in all three buildings, and a new roof at the High School;

kept tax increases low, including budgets that were under the Tax Levy Cap every year since
its inception six years ago;

Before I joined the BOE:

co-founder of SPRING Community Partners, a not-for-profit whose mission is to ensure that

all children in Dobbs Ferry, regardless of means, have the resources they need to succeed in
school and beyond.

PTSA volunteer -- co-chaired Springhurst Parent Education Committee, Editor of The

Current newsletter, 2007 PTSA Special Recognition Award, Nominating Committees.

other school and district volunteer activities -- Springhurst Compact Committee, District
Nutrition & Wellness Committee, District Theater Arts Task Force, Springhurst Social
Concerns Committee, High School Bullying Committee, Springhurst Publishing Room,
Springhurst Class Coordinator.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I'd love to hear your goals for the District,
your thoughts, your concerns, and anything else you'd like to share.

I hope I can count on your support in the upcoming BOE election on Tuesday, May 16. And if you feel
comfortable, please forward this email to your own DF friends whom I might not know.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best,
Tracy

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