![[Picture of Mark Samber.]](samber.JPG)
Lee, NH
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Mark Samber Lee, NH |
See what other voters have to say about Mark Samber.
| Resident: | Lee for 1 1/2 years |
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| Age: | 29 years old |
| Married: | almost 1 year |
| Children: | none |
| Education: | Carnegie-Mellon University (Ph.D.) History and Public Policy |
| Occupation: | Vitts Networks for 1/2 year as Director of Public Affairs |
| Cabletron Systems - Information Technology Architect | |
| The Winthrop Group - Management Consultant, Corporate Strategy and Planning |
Our school district is in transition. Will it continue to improve or will it enter crisis? Managing an organization in a time of change is a delicate process and must be accomplished with diligence and thorough, efficient decision-making. Dealing with change requires a vision for the future. These are qualities I will bring to the board.
We need a fresh perspective to help solve the issues facing our schools. We cannot expect to maintain the high quality of education if the board has to react to narrow and competing agendas, thus losing sight of the big picture: Our children's and our communities' vitality. We must strike a balance between improving the quality of our children's education and effectively using the limited resources of our communities.
Our district must become a center for excellence in education by focusing on resources for students and teachers. We must run an efficient administration that is cost conscious and understands the importance of the bottom line. We must recognize that continuous curriculum development is critical for learning as well as competitiveness in the workplace. To that end, we must embrace science and technology as critical components of our children's education, not just as another activity, but as a common educational thread woven into the learning environment. We must pursue innovative sources of funding for our schools to help defray the rising cost of education. We must not allow Oyster River to compromise its reputation as an extraordinary public school district.
I would categorize my priorities by immediate needs, long-term educational goals, and issues with the greatest financial impact. Clearly, each category can have many priorities.
It is surprising that the Mast Way fire code violations have not been solved yet. Our schools must be safe and we must solve this issue quickly.
We live in communities that are growing and our school population reflects this. We must deal with overcrowding in a manner that is best for the students and does not overburden the taxpayers.
We must focus the board on the critical issues facing the district and remember that all decisions affect the quality of education in the district. A board member must hold administrators accountable for the fiscal well-being of the district. The board must keep its sights set on policy making and agenda setting for the district and it must do so in an open forum without obfuscating the facts. All goals must be accretive to our children's learning and maturation.
We must have high quality education. Curriculum must be continuously developed and improved to include the best pedagogical tools. We must support extracurricular activities and not unwisely cut them first when the budget gets tight. Our schools must live up to their reputation; that reputation has drawn many families to our community.
We must invest in technology for students. Without adequate information resources and access to the Internet our students will face competitive disadvantages.
We must embrace new approaches to learning, such as distance learning programs that can be operated in conjunction with other districts.
Whether or not we agree with standard measures for student performance they are an important facet of a student's progress. We must have guidelines for evaluating the learning environment of our children.
Over the next years we need to solve the problems with overcrowding at the High School. We need to handle this project better than we have other projects. We need critical analysis and thinking to find the best solution we can afford.
We must actively seek federal (Goals 2000) or other sources of funding for innovative curriculum development, technology investment, and other programs that will have a direct impact on our children's education.
The school board must work with each community to ensure their support for our children's growth and enlightenment. But at the same time the board must not choose a path which unduly stresses the communities' resources. Thus the board must maintain a healthy relationship with the town councils, selectmen, and planning boards.
Oyster River School District has a reputation for being among the best public school systems in the state. As a member of the school board I will strive to preserve and enrich that tradition.
We must find the proper balance between finances and what our schools and children need, particularly for the long term. We need to take a good look at the issues and make a critical analysis of our options. All decisions, particularly for capital improvements, should use competitive bids and comparative benchmarks. We need more rigorous planning and project management. We have not found the proper balance in many issues ranging from the Mast Way fire code violations to the change in Superintendent and the High School space needs. We must avoid letting a vocal minority decide issues contrary to the needs of the silent majority.
There should be no blinders placed on the curriculum. At every grade level we must challenge our children appropriate to that grade. We must always be willing to innovate and improve. This does not mean throwing out tried and true methods that work, but integrating new ideas with the best of old ideas. We must avoid revisionism that discards all of our past when we try something new.
Budgetary decisions need to maximize our opportunities and minimize the impact on the communities through taxes. We must work with administrators to control operating costs and seek other sources of revenue for innovative educational programs.
I have decided to run for Oyster River School Board becuase I am concerned about the future of our district. I have the experience as a businessman, consultant, educator, and public policy analyst to give the necessary guidance to the district as it navigates through some turbulent times. As someone who plans to have children and send them to Oyster River Schools I want to be assured that we have the best public educational system we can afford. I want to see technology in education a priority. I want to see innovative approaches to the critical issues facing the district, such as the space issue. Most of all I want to see Oyster River become a model school district for the 21st century. I urge you to vote for a candidate who will do what is best for our communities.
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Last update on 29-Mar-99 at 9:50 PM.
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This page is edited by David K. Taylor. Please send questions or comments to editor@orol.org.