Rebecca Telesh responds to Dr. Robinson's & Mr. DiLallo's Letters to the Editor.
From the start
I wanted to run a positive and issues orientated campaign. My
commitment is still there, but I would be remiss if I did not
respond to Gary
DiLallo and
Dr. Robinson's recent letters to the editor.
Let me start with Mr. DiLallo - I actually
shared his
letter to the Daily Gazette to my supporters. Mr. DiLallo
was very dismissive of my campaign platform and the supporters
who have written letters promoting my agenda. The tone of Mr.
DiLallo's letter is one of defiance and strikes of elitism.
Telling those who disagree with the fiscal management as lacking
knowledge is very insulting to those residents of the
Shenendehowa Central School District who are caring and loving
members of our community. These everyday people do know what the
issues are and also have great ideas for solutions that can help
balance Quality Education, Fiscal Responsibility and
Accountability.
Since everyone in the district agrees on
Quality Education I will spend most of my response on Fiscal
Responsibility and Accountability Calling the 9 years that Mr.
DiLallo served on the Shenendehowa School Board as fiscal
responsibility is amazingly tone deaf. His statement that the
CPI and Inflation are only applicable to the households but not
the School District is way out of touch with the realities of
our community. It is never acceptable to tell the residents -
our neighbors that the schools need more money regardless of the
income growth they have. This is not about the children. It is
about the Adults who act like children who say "Gimmie, gimmie,
gimmie" as it relates taxpayer money. I care about everyone who
lives in the Shenendehowa Central School District. A true
community needs to be cross-generational. Mr. DiLallo and Dr.
Robinson have an insiders education establishment view of the
world as this is where they have spent their entire professional
lives. For the Superintendent this probably a good thing. On a
school board we should have diverse points of view and solutions
from outside the establishment and even our State.
The sad part is that the explosion of the
Shen budget happened shortly after the last fiscally
conservative School Board President - Kim Paulsen retired from
her service to the school board. The most important parallel is
that when spending was in line to CPI and inflation education
results are very similar to today's. So what has changed? The
school board and the administration. If you want this trend to
be reversed maybe we need to change the school board and the
administration. I agree with Mr. DiLallo in one sentence from
his letter - "May 18 is your chance to hold the district and
board of education members directly accountable." I encourage
you to take him up on his offer. If you are happy with the
current board vote for the incumbents. If you are not I humbly
ask for your vote on Tuesday May 18th. If I don't live up to my
promises then hold me accountable.
Sincerely,
Rebecca S Telesh
Candidate for Shenendehowa School Board
