BRAD Thomas for Saratoga Springs CSD Board of Education

05/18/2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFo4jHQZiYk

05/18/2016

Thanks for all the support! There were 4 spots open and I came in 2nd (1092 votes). That means I get one of the 3-year terms. Looking forward to seeing how this whole process works.

05/17/2016

A little less than 4 hours to go. If you haven't voted yet, stop by the nearest elementary school! Polls close at 9.

05/14/2016

Heading out to put up a few signs. Only a few days until the vote ...

05/12/2016

Had a good time stuffing envelopes with the Saratoga Springs TA yesterday. Letters will go out to almost 2000 households.

05/10/2016

Last day of prep for the AP Macroeconomics exam.

05/08/2016

Picked up some good books during our usual Sunday visit to the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

05/05/2016

05/05/2016

Had a good time talking with a small group from the Saratoga Springs Teachers Association Monday night and followed that up with a good conversation with Superintendent Piccirillo yesterday. Less than 2 weeks to go! Mark your calendars (May 17) and encourage every eligible voter you know to stop by their local elementary school between 7 am and 9 pm to vote.

04/28/2016

This morning the Clerk of the Board did the random drawing for the placement of names on the ballot. I got third! Always good to be somewhere near the top. (There are 6 people running for 4 spots.)

04/27/2016

While gathering signatures for my petition, a few people asked the obvious question: Who are you? Why should I support you for the Board? Here is that answer: I started teaching in 1994, in the Sociology Department at Syracuse University. I taught there for 3 years, picking up an MA in Sociology and finishing the coursework for a PhD. I started substitute teaching while trying to get my dissertation underway. Since my main interest at Syracuse had been learning (all culture is learned, so I was interested in how learning actually works), I was having a great time going to different schools each day and teaching different subjects to different grades. After a few years of this I decided to make teaching my career. I went to Union College in Schenectady, picked up an MA in Teaching and landed a job in Burnt Hills. I have been teaching there since 1999 (mostly Economics and AP Macroeconomics) and have been, at one time or another, involved in almost every building and district committee that exists (I helped start a few as well). I understand schools from a policy perspective, from a theoretical perspective (How should schools be organized to maximize learning?), from a practical I-am-in-a-classroom-every-day perspective and from a I-am-the-dad-of-a-2nd-grader perspective. In other words, I'm ready to go. I'd love your support!

04/26/2016

The Board's Vision 2018: Five-Year District Plan page says the following:

"Community," one of the foundational goals within the vision, calls for encouraging more involvement by parents, the community, and business leaders as active partners in supporting student success. It takes a community to educate every child, and the school district welcomes your input.

That sounds good to me. I'll seek to facilitate and encourage all the parental and community input we can get!