ST. JOHN: Jastremski Devoted To Youth
To the Editor:
I’m eager to recommend electing Kim Jastremski to the Cooperstown Central school board.
A mother of children in our school, she is devoted to the welfare and education of young people and feels great respect for our teachers and administrators.
She graduated from Mount Holyoke College, received an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, was a Fulbright Scholar at Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, and is a UNC Royster Society Fellow. Add to that, she is a certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor.
Her education led her to be an instructor of Russian Language, Literature and Humanities at UNC – Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina – Columbia and Murray State University (2000-04). She has been senior technical writer at Synopsys, Inc. since 2004.
Kim has been involved at our school for years. She was PTO secretary (2008-1O), second-grade Reading Enrichment volunteer (2008-09 and 2010-11), was Stroll of the Nations Founder (2009-13), coordinated UNICEF Trick or Treat (2010-11 and 2016), sixth-grade graduation breakfast coordinator (2013-15), a Rotary Exchange host family (November 2014-March 2015), has been a volunteer at PTA, Kid Garden, FOMA, and PARP.
Not only has Kim been dedicated to our school, she is an ardent supporter of our community and had been involved as a Daisy Girl Scout leader (2006-08), a member of Otsego 2000 as secretary (2014-16)
and trustee (2013-16), a member of the Village Library board since 2013, and its president (2013-present.) She was co-founder of both Middlefield Neighbors and Positive Action Cooperstown. She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church.
Dr. Jastremski has proven skills and experience on community outreach, budgeting, working with the state Department of Education, fundraising, strategic planning and policy review and implementation.
She has teaching experience in academic classrooms, giving her a true understanding of issues facing our faculty.
At this time as our nation faces possible changes in public education, such as repealing the Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965 and establishing a national education voucher program, we need an experienced, courageous, strong school board to adequately represent the wishes of their constituents by being adamant in their communications with Albany. Dr. Jastremski would add that strength to the school board. She is pleased the school board has fostered saving money by expanding shared services with other school districts.
She would like to see more community outreach and encourage more public input that could affect the entire district. She suggests videotaping BOE meetings, making them available to the community, possibly broadcasting them through the education channel. Offering a high school course in this technology would give students hands-on experience. Kim is concerned about improving the school’s energy consumption so as to leave a better world. She could share her own knowledge as her family has moved to alternative energy.
Her unique credentials, nimble mind, and deep desire to serve our school would make her a valuable asset for the school board. Please vote on May 16.
ELLEN ST. JOHN
Cooperstown
