Why am I running for a position the Lowell Joint School Board?

By Patrick G. Rockenbach

A little background on why I decided to run for the Lowell Joint School Board.

There are candidates that have more experience than I do when it comes to being on a school board. You have current and past school board members, people well versed in the political process, attorneys, educators and administrators seeking a position on the board. I'm none of these things, so why vote for me?

First, I am a parent with three children that attend schools in the district so I have a vested interest in the decisions the board makes and the potential impact to students in the future.

Second, I have over 20 years experience working in a variety of positions with Bank of America. While I have not been a member of a school board, I have had to face many of the same types of challenges they face. I've managed a budget, developed staffing plans, created and administered training and education, managed performance and found ways to keep people motivated even when everything around them is changing. I feel that I can bring a unique perspective to the board and incorporate my experience to address the current issues facing the district.

What factors motivated you to seek a position on the School Board?

Like most people, my political experience is limited to voting in elections, not running for office. There were really two things that influenced my decision to run for the board this year.

First, my job responsibilities at work have changed and I have a more flexible schedule and time available than I have had in the past. Second, after attending my first board meeting in June, I realized that this was a critical time for the board and I felt that I wanted to be more involved in the process to shape the future.

The best thing about this year's election is that you don't have to choose one person; you get to vote for three. I invite you to take this opportunity to build a diverse board that brings together people with a wide variety of experience.

What do you consider to be the major issues facing the District?

• We need to revisit the budget process and improve the forecasting of future year revenue projections.

• We need to rebuild the relationship between the board and the teachers.

• We need to increase transparency in the board's operations and increase the amount of public debate prior to decisions being made.

• We need to find ways to increase parental involvement in decisions that impact their children.

• We need to better incorporate the Lowell Joint Education Foundation into the overall district's strategy to address budget shortfalls.

• We need to reduce the variation in test scores across the five elementary schools.

• We need to build a comprehensive plan to address the challenge of meeting higher AMO goals in 2011-2012.