I have known Pat Aitken as a friend, member of the Manhasset School District Audit Committee and fellow Colgate University alumnus for well over a decade. During that time I have come to appreciate her in-depth dedication to preparedness and excellence, flexibility to maximize the use of all resources for the benefit of our sons and daughters on a daily basis in the classroom and efforts to reinforce the school district’s goal of placing our graduates into the most suitable and highest performing post-high school programs.
As I have come to learn as a member of the Audit Committee, absolute standards imposed by state and federal law and contractual arrangements restrict the flexibility that the school district can exercise with certain resources or within the overall budget. Which is all the more reason why we need knowledgeable and experienced members of the community, like Pat, to lead the way, especially in these challenging times when decision-makers need to find ways within whatever flexibility is authorized to preserve the existing educational excellence. Each school district has its own unique set of circumstances, so please don’t be misled that because one school district can do something, it can legally be replicated in each other school district.
Pat’s appointment last year to our alma mater’s board of trustees is an additional source of first-hand knowledge she brings to the table in the form of real-time feedback on what colleges are looking for in their applicants. I enthusiastically support Pat’s re-election and encourage you to return to the process a dedicated professional with continuing commitments to excellence in multiple educational circles that bolsters our district’s ability to enhance its students’ educational experience and put them in a position to prosper post-graduation.
Ken Lind
Manhasset
