The following is the mission statement from BOE candidate Baruc Mandel submitted to TLS: At the encouragement of many people, and after consultation with Askonim, I have decided to run for the Board of Education. Currently I am a student of BMG and I run an on-line business. I also serve as a member of the Coventry board of directors, and would like to continue with my public service on a larger scale.
Having attended many BOE meetings over the past year and gaining some insight into the issues at hand, there are some items that if elected I would address:
1) Continuing on the path toward fiscal responsibility
2) Ensuring accountability of the superintendent and the district staff towards all of Lakewood’s Students
3) Ensuring that the superintendent and district staff are following the directives of the board
4) Demanding accountability from the transportation department to the parents and students of Lakewood (for example: formulating and adhering to a clear policy on the cancellation of transportation for weather related reasons)
5) Demanding accountability from the busing companies to the transportation dept. and to the parents and students of Lakewood, including enforcing the various penalties delineated in their contracts.
Boruch Mandel
How about improving the quality of education???
To 1: any one can promise to improve education, empty words that translate to more taxes. The govenment is incapable of offering quality anything, if you want quality you must privatize everything. At least he is offering accountability.
is that all boe cares about in lakewood is BUSING??
the lakewood schools are failing, they are producing murderers, drugatics, gang members, they are waisting lots of money, they are not there for the tax payers but for ?????.
Lets do away with the BOE!
Anyone who has no ideas and no apparent plans for trying to improve the level of education should not be running for BOE.Period.
As far as taxes as concerned.Trying to improve the school system is not a contradiction to being more cost effective.
More importantly I would rather pay these taxes now then have my children pay (Domim-Tarti Masmeh) for the resentment running for public office on a platform that has so little concern towards for the entire Lakewood.
The mission statement above does not sufficiently takes into concern concepts like Aiveh and it’s applications.Particularly Mefrnasim Anyey Akum
Hopefully this is only a preliminary statement and it will be revised.
#3 “drugatics” is not one word, it is “drug addicts.” Talk about failing education.
Government is not a person, without a human soul (Neshama), or personality.
it merely a stack of legal code,legislation, laws, and customs.
the individual in office cannot possibly follow and enforce every rule and every detail of the law. There is momentum of law abiding citizens that keep that moving in the right direction all the time.
If there are parts of government running adequately, great. We then pay attention to the areas of most concern, poor performance, and outdated guidelines.
I wish Mr. Mandel success in focusing on the issues Lakewood, the areas of most concern this year.
This is the most ridiculous platform that I have ever seen for someone running for a seat on the Board of Education. I would expect with five points there to at least be one focused on EDUCATION!!! While I am an advocate of spending our tax dollars wisely at the end of the day this is about education. What do these candidates know about education? The board is intended to be the lay persons oversight of the education of the children of Lakewood. I too send my children to the private school system and want my tax dollars fairly allocated to the private school system where appropriate and legal, but this is about education and not about how to reduce the burden on the private school system. To have a board comprised of Yeshiva students and on-line business entrepreneurs will do little to solve the failing school system in our town. We need a fiscally responsible board that understand the education needs of all our children and know how to create an environment of accountability. I ask everyone, do these candidates fit that bill? Would you want them to be the Menahel of your kids school? I wouldn’t. The public school system of today will produce our Lakewood neighbors of tomorrow, it is our choice who those neighbors will be, crack addicts or responsible upright Lakewood citizens. I think we can do it correctly with the budget in place today, but it needs responsible educators to do that.
the fact is that the tax paying voting majority cares very little about the quality of the public school. Why should they care to spend their hard earnd money on it?
All over the U.S. communities are recognizing that lack of accountability on the part of employees is a partial cause of the failings in public schools. (no child left behind, race to the top are two federal level examples of trying to deal with this issue.) How can you expect to educate upstanding human beings if the adults around them are cheating their employers? Its trickle down irresponsibility that is harming theses kids.
Who did you vote for last election?
Tell me how chesky or Zlatkin know anything about education? They learnt on the job, your whole parsha makes no sense none of the candidates have any experience the only one is ABE who’s been on the board for 10 years and stands up for the community.
I Think Mr. Mandel Is A Very Qualified Candidate. He Be A Real Asset To The Board. Much Hatzlacha
nothing runs well without fiscal responsabilty. Right now Lakewood’s finances are a mess, we need to clean those up, before we can continue with improving our education. ( which certainly needs lots of attention). I would be wary of anyone promising too much…
As I have been watching the lakewood board of ed for years already I have a simple point to make to lakewood. Last year as you all know there were signs around town “LOWER TAXES” the campaign was run by 3 people who successfully won the election, did u see a change yet in your bill? They have been on the board for one year almost the only thing I have seen them do is turn the BOE into a reality TV show, we all are getting effected by them in one way or another, if you taught or sent your kids to tiny tots you got effected, there are tons of parents who aren’t getting what there kids need another group who got affected by the 3, if u drove for negba u might have lost your job already, if u even dreamed about getting your kid into schi you got affected there are plenty more people who got affected and zero who have gotten help, its time to wake up and join together we ALL are getting affected, this election let’s join together and support someone with years of experience and Daas torah, we need ABE in on the board he’s in there for our interest, no private agendas.
How about protecting SCHI?
To “To the point” (#14), you make my case perfectly. “No private agenda”???? Is Tiny Tots (please let’s not open that can of worms again) not a “private agenda”? Driving for Negba? Is that not a private agenda? What in the world do drivers for Negba have to do with education? We need a board that is interested in providing a functional educations system for the children of Lakewood within the budgetary limitations that we have. Plain and simple. Do you think that the candidates we have are capable of doing that?
As for learning on the job… we tried that with our President, he’s still learning and we are still suffering… let’s find someone that has learned already and has some experience.
Mr mandel got my vote!
Currently I am a student of BMG
Since you are pointing that out I think I can ask you to ask the Roshey Yeshiva of BMG and Rav Matisyahu what they feel about your running for BOE and your platform.
Let us know what they say.
as a coventry resident i can say he is the most qualified person to be in public service he has already proven hi expertise in fiscal responsibility you have my vote
Is he related to Heshy Mandel?
No he has not mentioned daas Torah, neither has anyone els
to 18: please ask first what roshei Yeshivas and Mashgiach think about you, yungerman, blogging on internet.
most of these Board members are definitely good people, but they LACk any real plan or experience. Their only agenda is to cut, cut, cut.
It takes more than that. The Lakewood BOE is not just another townhouse development. Its all about children and their futures.
Be honest: would you send you child to a mosad headed by someone whose only credential is being an efficient townhome development manager??
Why on earth do you assume I’m a yungerman?I’m a baal hobaas who works with non-Jews and I see how much resentment these type of campaigns cause.That is why I’m commenting.When I was a yungerman in BMG I sure wasn’t involved with things like blogs or elections.
The reason why I’m telling Mandel to speak to the RY of BMG or RMS is because (1)he makes a point of identifying with and bringing them into his campaign (2)Having spoken to some of them I know they feel the same way I do about these campaigns.(3)He makes a point of saying he spoke to askanim so apparently he is not adverse to advice seeking.As such it would be appropriate to include his RY or Rov in the process.
Finally:I hope you understand the difference between posting on a blog and the enormous severity inherent in running for public office.I’m not an ask-a-shalohs about everything /Daas Torah type person but on the chance my running for public office was the wrong thing to do there is no way I am willing to risk giving Din V’Chesbon for having done so after 120 years.Were I able to say that I asked many (non anonymous) Rabbonim I would feel better about the risk.
It is with great confidence that I can say Mr. Mandel will be a great benefit to the entire lakewood community
I got to know Mr Mandel over the last few years and I could honestly attest to him his clear understanding of the issues we face. From the lack of education that leads to a lot of the problems that the public school faces from drugs gangs and then some. The issue of buses is a valid issue but definitely not the #1 issue just another thing wrong with the whole BOE. I think Mr. Mandel will bring the proper judgment to the BOE and give each important issue the right amount of time to properly understand all the options and to consult with people that are more knowledgeable to come out with what is the best available option for everyone.
This twon will crumble very shortly,the BOE will be run by a bunch of yeshiva guys with no job experience,no business experience,forget about any kind of degree!I myself am a yeshiva guy and run my own business and I know I’m not qualified for the BOE, or the Fire position etc. Why do these 30 year old guys with zero time(coventry board is a joke and doesn’t count)as public servants in any capacity think they can do this job? I don’t get it, I would love to see some responses to my question
Ira is the real deal
Anyone running for the boe should be more concerned about the education of the children. That there is enough money for the needs of educating and providing a thorough and efficient education. For many many years the public schools have had to do without many things in classrooms and work with bare bare bones budget, teachers have had to buy their own supplies to teach their students.
TO 23:
You could not have said it better!!!
To # 15 sometimes u have to unlearn to learn again wht u didn’t get the first time