I write today with abiding love and care to announce that I will seek re-election to a third term on the Great Neck Public Schools Board of Education.
I recognize that it is both an awesome honor and responsibility to serve as a fiduciary and steward. I am proud of my efforts as president (elected by my colleagues unanimously in 2021 and 2022) and as a trustee by the community twice in 2020 and 2017.
During what has been a dynamic period for students, families, personnel, and the public, I have been able to pivot: enabling the board to hold accountability and maintain stability, while allowing new ideas to flourish.
Hallmarks of my tenure so far have been accountability, fiscal prudence, board training and engagement, and consensus-building. As president, I have been proud to oversee an increased budget pass rate, the revamping of the business office, initiation of a broad-based 40 member Board advisory committee, the livestream recording of Board of Education meetings that allow for more community engagement and transparency and a demographic study of the peninsula.
We achieved each of these these while also maintaining our bedrock and abiding commitments to the safety, well-being, academic opportunities and rigor of all children and personnel every day. Since January, I have also been spearheading the board’s undertaking of a national search to select our next superintendent of the Great Neck Public Schools.
I still feel the presence of my friend and mentor, Donald Ashkenase, of blessed memory, with whom I served for four years, as alternate vice president at the board table. Even prior to Great Neck Public Schools being ranked No. 1 in the state of New York and third in the nation, Don would refer to us as “the A Team.” One hopes we continue to make him proud.
The board must hire the next superintendent of schools for our district. In addition, I wish to offer every child enrolled in Great Neck Public Schools the broad academic offerings and excellence that my own four children, recent GNPS graduates, enjoyed. Having resided here for nearly 30 years, I appreciate our pluralism and kaleidoscopic diversity. It is one of the reasons why Great Neck is truly special.
Like many parents, my volunteer community involvement grew with my children. Prior to election to the board in 2017, I was involved in many years of continuous leadership in United Parent Teacher Council, Shared Decision Making Committees, Sephardic Heritage Alliance Inc., Temple Israel of Great Neck, and other local organizations for nearly two decades. My CV is available at www.rebeccaforboe.com. For ease of reference it is translated in Farsi, Hebrew, Korean, Mandarin and Russian.
I hope to count on your vote on May 16, 2023.
Rebecca Sassouni
Great Neck
