School board member Fred Daly is facing two challengers for Seat 6 on the Rochester School Board in the Aug. 10 primary.
Daly, who has been on the board since 2003, is running for a different seat than he currently holds, Seat 5. He made that decision because only one person had filed to run for Seat 6 when he filed, he told the Post-Bulletin in June, and he didn't want to give that person a "free run" at the position.
A third candidate joined the race after Daly filed; Anne Becker and Deborah Seelinger round out the field.
In campaigning, Daly said he wants to take the district's plan to increase student achievement to completion. The district needs to increase its use of technology and online resources to target instruction to students individually, he said, adding that he will protect reading, math, and science when budget cuts are necessary.
"On other subjects, I will look at other means to provide before recommending cuts," he said.
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Seelinger, the Rochester Education Association-endorsed candidate, touts her knowledge of the district she's gained as a volunteer and parent-teacher association leader, also serving on attendance boundary, superintendent hiring, and budget-reduction committees.
"I believe the Rochester school district needs to refocus its energy on students, staff, and community," she said.
Measurements of the district's five-year plan need to remain consistent, she said, and the current economic situation requires the district to prioritize its efforts on closing the achievement gap between diverse groups of students.
Reasons Becker has given for running for school board include the desire to provide for excellence in education; she also notes that she has three children in the district, including one with Down syndrome.
"It’s time to stop thinking about solving the problems, and start solving them," she says on her website.
The district needs to focus its budget on core educational needs, she said, and closing the achievement gap between diverse groups of students can be speeded up by using technological and educational innovations.
Seat 6 is being vacated by Sandra Soltis, who took office in 2007 and is not running for re-election.
