GUILDERLAND — "If I’m elected to the school board," said , "I’m truly going to listen to what the community has to say."
Kelly, an auditor with three children, said she realizes that, as just one member of a nine-member board, she couldn’t promise action. "But I can work with the other members of the board to help them understand a community member’s or parent’s ideas," she said.
As a board member, Kelly said, she would serve the students "first and foremost."
"I really love kids and I really want to make sure they get the best education possible," she said.
Kelly went on, "Certainly we have to take a look at how much things cost."
Speaking to the example of combining the social-studies and English supervisors’ posts, Kelly reiterated the views she had expressed while serving on the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee. "I advocated keeping the separate posts," she said. "It’s important to keep professionals within their own levels of expertise. I was disappointed they’ll be combined. That’s a lot of work for the English supervisor."
Kelly said she "definitely" supports the $82 million budget. "Certainly, it’s always a compromise," she said of the budget-building process. She has served on the advisory committee since 1999.
She named among items she "maybe would have liked to see handled differently" the new position for a technology supervisor.
"I understand that was one of the board’s goals," she said of technology education. "I just don’t know if we have the infrastructure in place...if we’re still having trouble just getting the computers to work the way they’re supposed to."
Kelly said the new superintendent "should be a person who is very happy working with students." And, she went on, he or she should be "someone who really wants to listen to ideas our staff has, our parents have, and from the community at large."
Being superintendent, Kelly said, is "a very difficult job, a balancing act. The superintendent has to have a lot of energy," she said and she would be interested to learn how candidates for the post had handled problems in other districts.
Kelly does not believe the superintendent is a non-voting board member. "The board is the voice of the community and the voice of the taxpayers," she said, "and the superintendent reports to the board. I don’t see the superintendent as a member of the board. He certainly has to give a lot of information to the board, but he’s not a member of the board."
On the teachers’ contract, Kelly said, "I think the board needs to bring in an outside contract negotiator."

She said this suggestion had been made at a citizens’ budget committee session, where it was stated people who live in town with this expertise may volunteer their services. Kelly recommends forming a committee of community members who have expertise.
"Our teachers need a good salary," said Kelly. "They have a difficult job and are asked to do many things. Their benefits need to be on a par with the rest of the community," she said, adding that, in general, "Benefit costs have gotten out of control."
As far as salary increases for teachers, Kelly said, "I haven’t heard any numbers yet...State employees aren’t getting 5-percent increases. I don’t know what type of percentage increase we should be looking at."
She concluded, "I definitely want our teachers to be happy and well paid and have excellent benefits but we have to be sure the taxpayers are respected also."
About the reading curriculum, Kelly said, "I think the reading program still needs to be addressed. I don’t think the teachers should have been overly upset with the board asking for more information.
"The parents who came forward had a lot of good information....
"Even after the meeting where the staff presented the reading program, I still had questions and I’m still concerned. We have wonderful teachers and no one said they are not doing a good job. People are just asking what more can be done.
"We definitely have a problem," she said, citing figures on state-wide tests that show a third of eighth-graders score below state standards in reading. She said scores in other subject areas are higher.
"It seems to be, as the content gets more difficult, students that don’t have the needed skills aren’t able to succeed," said Kelly. "That tells me some other methodologies need to be incorporated."
On the length of the school day, Kelly said the length is appropriate at the middle school and the high school. "Everybody has gotten through it," she said of the early start at the high school.
"I wish the committee made more inroads for high school," she said. "I understand there are many components," she said, citing times set for interscholastic sports competitions as a factor over which the district has no control.
"At the elementary school, I’ve always thought the day was much too short," said Kelly. "It doesn’t seem like a full day," she said, stating that mothers from other districts were often surprised by the 1:50 p.m. dismissal.
"Our school day is the shortest in the area," said Kelly. "I definitely think it should be lengthened. There’s so much we have to pack in. I don’t think we have enough time."
On full-day kindergarten, Kelly said, "I think it would benefit the students". It could help children with their reading and readiness skills for first grade."
She added that it may soon be mandated by the state and concluded, "I have always fully supported full-day kindergarten. It will be expensive but, if we roll up our sleeves, we can find the money to do it at a reasonable cost."