Candidate Profile: Melstein Seeks Seat On Ossining Board Of Education

OSSINING, NY - New Yorkers will go to the polls May 16 for the annual school board election and budget vote in their districts.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in Ossining's contested race to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Rob Melstein is seeking a seat on the Board of Education. A former member of the Ossining Business Development Council, he has worked in marketing, communications, data, budgeting and project management. He is a member of the district's Facilities Advisory Committee. Volunteer work includes as a class parent, AYSO coach and assistant commissioner and JCYS basketball assistant coach.

He has lived in Ossining since 2010; he and his wife have a son in the elementary schools.

Learn more about him at https://robforboe.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/RobforBOE/

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Melstein:

What makes you uniquely qualified to serve on the board?

My wife and I moved to Ossining in 2010, we have a son in fourth grade and love our community.

I will bring a fresh perspective to the Ossining School Board, as a collaborative problem-solver who has been very engaged with our wonderful schools. I’ve been to nearly every school board meeting over the past few years. I am on the school district’s Facilities Advisory Committee, which is planning major improvements to our school buildings and will set up the district for further success over the next decade.

I am also proud to be endorsed by the Ossining Teachers Association, the union which
represents our educators.

Through my 25+ years of communications, marketing and project management experience I have dealt with complex budgets and analyzed large amount of data, working with teams from different backgrounds and opinions.

Within the Ossining community, I also volunteer as an AYSO soccer coach and am on the local AYSO Board, coach JCYS baseball and Recreation Center basketball and am the Ossining Upper Elementary PTA Delegate and a class parent.

What would your priorities be if elected?

My plan, “ROB’S” plan, focuses on the following:

R – Reading, writing and math. I support our equity efforts to improve our key literacy rates.

O – Occupational training and skilled trades. Bring this type of training back into our schools and expand our BOCES partnership. This also is important for equity – as we should look to offer multiple pathways to graduation – and helps to develop a strong community economic engine.

B – Better communication. Make public comment period earlier at Board meetings. Streamline the communications families get from the district and assist our educators and students with consistent policies and operational systems across our buildings.

S – Sound financial management. Make sure our students and educators have everything they need to succeed, while maximizing the use of every taxpayer dollar.

And an M for my last name - Marketing and a mascot. Improve our partnership with the towns and villages to highlight our successes and attract local businesses – and build off the hard work that has gone into our Ossining Pride branding, exploring a mascot to go along with it.

What is the best thing about the district, and what do you believe should be improved?

We have great, diverse schools in Ossining, with hard-working, kind educators dedicated to the success of our students.

Our district’s comprehensive long-range plan, viewed through an equity lens – which I support - is structured to support the whole child: 1) Culture of Care, which focused on social and emotional learning 2) Multiple Literacies – including core skills like reading, math, writing and financial literacy 3) Relevance and Student Choice - what are students are learning should reflect what goes on in the real world; like skilled trades education that’s part of my platform.

I believe there are two, interrelated key issues facing our school district. First, our reading and writing – including for those in our dual language program – and math proficiency rates are lower than where we’d all like them to be. This is not a Board thing to solve on its own, but should be a collaborative, yet proactive approach with educators, the administration and families.
In discussions with families and our educators, there are concerns around how our new American Reading Company (ARC) program has been rolled out. Teachers should have plenty of training and input into how ARC is being implemented and the flexibility to tailor the program to individual students.

The other part of this coming out of the COVID pandemic, is the concern around student behavior, especially in the middle and high schools. We need to make sure our students are getting the services and supports they need – mental health, academic – both in and out of our schools. At the same time, let’s ensure the educational environment is safe and conducive for learning, with minimal disruptions in the classroom.

If you had to vote for candidates out of the current field, NOT counting yourself, who would you choose, and why?

We have four solid candidates, one of whom is an incumbent, running for three open trustee slots. I believe all of the candidates are highly dedicated to our community and to our schools.

I also think the time is right for some new ideas and fresh approaches on the Board.

I’d encourage voters to review all of the candidates’ platforms for specifics on how they will partner with families, educators, taxpayers and other board members to give our kids the possible educational outcomes.

Thank you for your support on May 16 at Ossining High School.