Schools
Lakewood School Board Election 2011: Candidate Greg Calleri
As part of our election coverage, Lakewood Patch will provide profiles of each of the city's school board candidates.
Name: Gregory Calleri
Age: 45
Occupation: Small Business Owner
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Education: University of Maryland – MBA, Finance, SUNY at Buffalo – BA, Economics, Teaching Certificate in both Social Studies and Mathematics
Political Affiliation: Independent
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(Board members serve the district on a nonpartisan basis)
Office Sought: Lakewood Board of Education
Previous Political Office Sought or Held: None
Candidate Statement:
As a concerned taxpayer and parent of school-aged children, I feel that I can offer leadership and extensive financial experience to meet the challenges facing our school district at a time when finances are stretched and resources are scarce.
The next School Board’s top priority must be to address the projected three year $16 million budget shortfall. We need to do this in a financially responsible manner while also supporting our teachers and administrators.
My financial industry experiences over the past 10 years have enabled me to build an extensive set of financial skills and knowledge which includes financial planning, forecasting and modeling, budget optimization and capital budgeting. My experience is especially important as several members of our current leadership have indicated that while finances are the top threat to the continued success of our schools, they do not possess the necessary skills to address this issue and lean heavily on others for financial expertise. With an annual budget of over $70 million this is unacceptable.
The School Board also needs to ensure that our teachers have the support they need to face the non-fiscal challenges confronting them. Having taught in schools with students from diverse backgrounds, I have firsthand knowledge of the challenges our teachers and administrators face and the support they need to succeed. This experience includes two years working with emotionally disturbed/special needs students and three years creating and implementing a mastery learning program targeting high risk students at high risk schools.
As a Board member, I will use this knowledge and experience to find creative solutions to the challenges we face while ensuring that our students get the best our teachers have to offer. I also promise to do this in a transparent manner to ensure that I am a good steward of the trust the Lakewood taxpayers have given me.
