Today, I post a candidate interview with Marcia Rocque, candidate for the school board. I mailed candidate questionnaires to all those running in this year’s election and will post their responses in the order received. Below are my questions and Ms. Rocque’s responses.
Could you please tell us about yourself and why you are running for the school board?
I was born and raised in Whitehall and am a 1982 graduate of Whitehall High School and a 2013 graduate of Hudson Valley Community College where I received my Associates in Nursing degree. I currently work for the NYSDOC at Great Meadows in Comstock NY. I’m also an alumni of SUNY ACC, Fulton-Montgomery Community College and, Ulster County Community College. Prior to becoming an RN I worked in the telecommunications industry in central NYS for 15 years as a supervisor. I have a background in management, labor, marketing, budgets, finance and, communications. I reside in Whitehall with my children Madisen Coso who is a 2013 graduate of WHS and Hunter Coso who is a member of the 2015 WHS class. The reason I am running for school board is because I see a serious need for change within our district. Whitehall is my home. It is where my family and my heart reside. I truly want to take part in making our school district better for our kids.
Most people look back fondly on some aspects of their high-school education. Could you tell us what your favorite book from high school was? Why was it your favorite book and should it be required reading today?
My favorite book has always been “To Kill A Mockingbird” by author Harper Lee published in 1960. This Pulitzer Prize winning book is one that I read every year and I also watch the movie every year as well. It is a book that speaks to many difficult and highly controversial topics especially for the timeframe in which the story takes place. For me, the main character Atticus Finch has always been heroic and is clearly a man that is way before his time. The story itself tells of racial inequality, misjudgments, injustices and, intolerance during a turbulent time in American history. The main character never stops trying to break down the walls of intolerance and stand his ground while fighting for what is right. He does this all while teaching his children life lessons on what is right and what is moral. Should this be required reading today? Absolutely! The lessons and values the book speaks to are just as important today as they were 55 years ago.
There were big issues decided by the school board this past year. What do you think about block scheduling and the way the football program was handled?
I think that as a district we needed to do in depth research regarding block scheduling before allowing anyone to institute it in our school. Block scheduling can provide greater learning opportunities for students if used and organized in the correct way. There are many districts using it successfully today. I believe that block scheduling still should be an option the district considers and potentially implements. However, the pros and cons of this system must be examined from all sides with students, parents and teachers all being part of the decision process. Because I do not know the basis or reasons for which the current board made its decisions regarding the head coach and the football program it is difficult to speak to this topic. While the decision caused a great deal of pain for the players and outrage from our community, I believe this is something we need learn from and not dwell on. This is merely one of many issues we have faced and this is why change is imperative at this time.
Many of the students educated in the Whitehall school district talk about leaving Whitehall once they graduate and going elsewhere to look for work. Does the school board have a responsibility to cut spending to make the local taxing climate more receptive to jobs and growth?
I think that when students speak about leaving Whitehall upon graduation they are referring to not just leaving the community but, in fact leaving the state. Sadly, New York ranks as one of the highest cost of living states in the nation. The issues of reduced spending and taxation need to come from a level that goes above the community and school district level. Our schools across the state have already made major budget cuts and this is all being done at a cost to our children’s education. The economy in New York needs to change in order for all children across the state to want to stay. That being said, are there fresh and innovative ways districts can look at budgets and spending while still keeping quality education and the interest of the tax payers in the forefront? I believe the answer to that is yes!
The job market today is a highly competitive one. Should the school district be doing something that it is not already doing or should it be offering additional classes to see that its graduates have the skills and education necessary for success?
This is a great question! Above and beyond all the educational classes we provide to our children to prepare them upon leaving high school, I would love to see a class that teaches the fine art of conversation, interviewing skills and, how to write a resume. While many of our children will go on to college, many will be going directly out into the working world. While technology can be an amazing thing in today’s society it can also be a curse. With the job market being so competitive we need to teach our kids how to properly converse and not by means of a cell phone or computer. The art of conversation truly is an art and one that is slowly going by the wayside as technology grows by leaps and bounds. We need to prepare those children that may be going directly into the workforce how to ace a job interview or how to prepare a resume that will get potential employers attention.
What is the biggest issue that children face today and what realistically can the school board do to address it?
There seems to be so many more issues children are facing today that we as parents never did when we were in school. Since submitting my petition to run for school board I have put my ears out into our community to hear what students, parents and, teachers are saying about what they face every day. There are hard topics out there such as bullying, there are controversial topics out there such as common core testing and, there are sad topics out there such as students coming to school hungry or dropping out of school all together. There are however the wonderful topics such as our students succeeding in sports, music, and arts. Many of our seniors have been accepted into colleges and many have jobs waiting for them upon graduation because of participation in vocational programs. Above all of these topics, the one that rises to the top continues to be quality education. Our children are our future…it’s that simple. That they ALL get a quality education will always be the top priority.