Four contend for two BOE seats

Two Board of Education seats are up for a vote this year and four community members are looking to win one of them. Incumbents Eric Harrison and Mary Jo’ Hagan are seeking re-election while Annie Doresca and George Siberon are looking to begin their school board careers.

The Herald asked each candidate a few questions about themselves, the race and the issues.

Annie Doresca
Family: Husband, Emmanuel; Children, Sariah, a student at Brookside, Amirah and Tristan; niece, Christina; nephew, Christian
Career: Director of finance & administration for a non-profit trade association
Other: Brookside PTA; V-Tesse Track Club; Baldwin Civic Association

Why are you running for a seat on the board?
The neighborhood that I grew up in didn’t have the best public school system. My husband and I made the decision to live in Baldwin because of the diverse community as well as the school system. My goal is to join the Baldwin school board and continue to improve the educational and enrichment opportunities that our students are accustomed to. As a Baldwin mom with children that attend the schools in the district, I am well vested in the betterment of children’s academic excellence. I am an advocate for education and believe my financial background will be an asset to the school board.

What are the biggest issues facing the district?
Common Core — 38 percent of the students opted-out of taking the ELA test in Baldwin. This is a high percentage. This percentage will continue to increase if we don’t address the Common Core curriculum and how teachers are evaluated due to the outcome of the exams.
Another key issue that needs to be addressed is class size. Class size matters. Children deserve to be in classroom settings that allow teachers to manage children efficiently.

Do you feel like the district is trending upward?
Yes, I feel that the district is moving in the right direction. The goal is to uphold the
standards that the residents are accustomed to ensure that their concerns are being heard.

Eric Harrison
Family: Wife, Melanie; son, Julian, a Baldwin High School graduate; daughter, Jada, a ninth-grader at Baldwin High School
Career: President, Trans Union Transport Inc.