Readers Write: Glickman can bring change to GN schools

The Island Now

I grew up in Great Neck and was a member of the first graduating class from GN South in 1959.  What a great place to grow up in what was once a vibrant town.  I moved back to Great Neck over 20 years ago and was amazed at the changes.

Having met Michael 15 years ago, my wife and I became close to him and his family.  I have seen him grow over the years into a remarkable adult who deeply cares about the community he lives in.  His desire to improve Great Neck in all areas is second to none.  This could be seen in his work at the Gold Coast Arts Center, an organization he has dedicated himself to, supported intellectually and financially, and successfully helped its staff to navigate through the pandemic.

His background and life experience qualify him to take on the important work required to join the Board of Education.  He was the president of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the CEO of the New York Holocaust Museum, VP of Long Island University and presently is the Founder and CEO of jMuse, a company that joins institutions and philanthropists to create innovative museum content both in the United States and Europe.  It is this reason that museum leaders around the world seek his counsel and expertise. His work has put him in charge of large budgets and hundreds of employees which will be required when he joins the Board of Education.

I have seen Michael at work and play.  He is passionate about the causes and activities he commits his time to and always gives his all to get the job done.  He has the uncanny ability to always see the big picture whether working on hard challenges or small problems so that all aspects of the problem get solved the first time.  Michael’s decision to run for the school board was not an easy one to make.  It was during the pandemic that he and I would often discuss the failure of the existing school board to quickly and properly set up the home-schooling curriculum, schedules and policies.  He was frustrated with what was going on with his three children and their at-home education and told me then that he was thinking about running for the school board.  Over many months he and I would discuss at length what the commitment to be a member of the school board would take.  He finally decided that he was up to the challenge and was ready to make the commitment.

Barbara Berkowitz has been a member and leader of the school board for 30 years.  I am told she has done a good job over the years, but 30 years is a long time for any leader to lead.  The world has changed tremendously, in all aspects, over the past 30 years and local change is not only inevitable but necessary to keep up with the times.  The expression, “out with the old and in with the new” is very relevant in this case.  It is time for both Michael Glickman and Grant Toch to join the Board of Education.

Michael is married and has three children in the Great Neck school system, so he is very familiar with the existing problems within the system.  He should be elected to the Board of Education because he understands that leadership is hard and that the children of Great Neck deserve a board that is accountable and effective.  They deserve a district that is the envy of all others – as it was when I was educated in Great Neck.  They deserve to be led by people who understand, every day, what it means to raise children in this moment.

Please get out and vote for Michael Glickman.

Leslie and Fred Giffords

Great Neck

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