Lazar for Rockwood Board of Education

Lawrence (Larry) Lazar, Candidate for Rockwood Board of Education

Endorsed by Rockwood Teachers

Dear Rockwood Voters:

This letter is to announce my candidacy for the one year seat on the Rockwood Board of Education and to request your support at the polls on April 7.

Introduction:
My family and I have lived in the Rockwood School District for 17 years. Our two children are recent graduates of Eureka HS (2013 & 2014) and are now thriving college students. Their success in college to date can be largely attributed to the excellent education, ethical values, strong character and high expectations for performance they received during their time in Rockwood.

Why I’m a Candidate:
My reasons for running for the school board are simple. I care about the success of the next generation, our schools and our communities and I’d like to help make them all stronger.

As board member I will do my part to ensure that ALL the families in the Rockwood School District benefit from having high quality/high value public education for many decades to come.

Qualifications:
My qualifications for the position are derived from my long experience in business and recent “deep dives” on educational issues over the past few years.

Professional: My position as manager of North America Retail Operations for a global consumer product company requires skills in collaborative decision making, strategic planning, return on investment analysis and ability to manage a large and complex budget.

Educational: While I have always been involved in the education of my children, my involvement deepened over the last few years as I became more aware of the many difficult challenges facing Rockwood and other public schools. This involvement led to reading about the issues and increased interaction with school board members, administrators, teachers and community groups. This provided me with a much deeper understanding of issues such as school funding, college readiness, testing standards, school-based extracurricular activities and other topics.

Priorities:

1. Kids First: The primary objective of a school is to help prepare students for the next level, whatever that might be. Giving our children the opportunity to prosper and thrive, regardless of their individual differences, will always be my highest priority.

2. Support for a Learning Environment: I support efforts to develop a learning environment that maximizes student potential. This requires the right curriculum, time for educator development, right sized classrooms and overall support from administrators and the community. I’ll partner in creating learning environments that speak to all students.

3. High Quality/High Value: I believe strong, effective and financially healthy schools build the foundation of successful citizenship and for well-functioning communities.

Taken together, I believe that I have the skills, experience, and temperament to work well with other members of the School Board, to listen to the voices of stakeholders, and to provide sound judgment to help ensure that Rockwood’s excellent schools continue to serve our kids, and our communities, at a high level and within budget.

Election Day is April 7th. I would appreciate your support and your vote.

Sincerely, Lawrence (Larry) Lazar, Candidate for the Rockwood Board of Education