Editor,
I am a retired NYPD Officer and a resident of Warwick for 10 years along with my wife, Karen and two children that attend schools in the Warwick School District. I am running for a seat on the Warwick School Board of Education. It would be my honor to serve this exceptional community. I have advocated for the educational needs of my kids but also our community’s children.
I am a former member of the Hudson Valley Family Council Advisory for LIFEPlan CCO NY, currently Central Hudson Region NYS PTA Diversity Chair, volunteer for the Special Olympics as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), advocated and obtained free of charge autism training for our local first responders and current community officials are working to set dates for such training to become reality.
My family and I now feel that the time has come for me to seek election for a seat with the Board of Ed. I am looking to bring fresh ideas and positive solutions, as a parent I have always been concerned about education, as a tax payer as well and my running for the School Board will allow me to continue working and advocating for the education of all children in our community.
As a parent of a little one with an IEP, I can relate to many parents with kids with disabilities. In the past (2018), I gathered around 500 signatures from parents in our community and surrounding areas attempting to bring pre-school services for kids under the spectrum (IDD) to avoid them the long drive, out of district and county sometimes (still advocating with current officials). I worked in the past representing center-based services providers wanting to bring change and solutions to this situation in our area considered “under-served” due to limited program options for pre-school aged children on the Autism Spectrum.
I drove my son for two years and he took the school bus for a while but when I saw it took him a daily commute of four to four-and-a-half hours, I decided to continue driving him until his transition to the WVSCD, where now they have an excellent program and support for his needs as well for other kids his age. I know about the sleepless nights, tantrums, difficulties for support services and feeling discourage because the lack of after school services for special needs students.
I would like to advocate and find a way for advance technology hardware for our students as well for teacher development. Committed to helping every child succeed including integration and participation for those with special needs. I believe there are workable solutions and those will enhance the education and success of our students. Education is basically the most important thing we spend money on as a society.
I’m a very strong advocate, not only with our schools, but also working beyond our doors, whether it’s at the County level or Albany (lobbying with the NYS PTA) to be able to communicate and work with government entities to let them know the issues we’re seeing, and where we need help. We are a diverse community and we must celebrate that diversity. Our schools are here to serve the educational needs of all the children equally.
I would like the opportunity to continue to enhance our district along with the current board members where students, parents, teachers, and staff feel they are welcome and that they belong. As a Latino parent part of beautiful diverse Warwick, I humbly ask for your vote of confidence, as I seek to be part of a change!
LUIS ABRAMSON
