GUILDERLAND — says she’s making her first run for school board because she cares about kids.

She has three grown children of her own, who all went through the Guilderland school system, and, at 64, she is retiring in June after 24 years as a teaching assistant at Lynnwood Elementary School.

“I really would like to continue to be involved in education,” she said.

Slack began her career as a high-school English teacher, first at Troy High, then at Berne-Knox-Westerlo. She became a teaching assistant, she said, because she wanted to spend time with her family.

“As long as you don’t need the money, it’s the perfect job,” said Slack. “You’re with kids who really need you and you get to be with them all day.”

She reiterated her reason for running: “It’s the kids. I want things to be OK for our kids. I’m not sure they’re at the top of everybody’s list.”

She also has been distressed with divisiveness on the board. “A board needs to work together,” said Slack, and to work well with teachers and administrators. “We need to work as a group,” she said.

Slack said she’s pleased to have the endorsement of the Guilderland Teachers’ Association. In addition to meeting the needs of the teachers, she said, “The union’s job is also to meet the needs of the students so I gladly, proudly accept their endorsement.”

Slack said she’s taking no financial support from the GTA.

She said further that she was bothered by a statement made by Melissa Mirabile, the founder of Guilderland Parents Advocate, in the April 24 Enterprise: “When the teachers’ union began to use the data base to influence voters and pay candidates to run,” said Mirabile, “the need stepped up for independent candidates.” (Last year, the GTA had offered each of the two candidates it backed a $500 campaign contribution. Both candidates accepted the endorsement; one accepted the campaign money, the other did not.)

“It bothered me that she said the union pays them to run for the school board,” said Slack. “They don’t pay them to run. They support the candidacy. It’s so far off base, it’s bizarre.”

If elected, Slack said her primary allegiance would be to the students, “to make sure they have...the care they need.” She went on, “The only way to get that is by working with the board and the administrators. It really has to be a unit, working to meet the needs of the students.”

On combining supervisory posts, Slack said, “In a time of belt-tightening, you do have to find ways that may not be your preferred way.”

Referring to the supervisor of English and social studies at the high school, she went on, “It seems to have worked with Patricia Hansbury-Zuendt. Dale Westcott had to take on more and more,” she said referring to the late supervisor of science, math, and technology at the high school.

Slack said she was pleased the board cut back the suggested guidance supervisor post to half-time. “We have to accept there are things not everyone will be happy about. It’s good Mr. McGuire is suggesting new things,” she said of the superintendent’s recommendation for a guidance supervisor. “You go with what the board thinks. He makes recommendations and the board decides.”

On block scheduling, Slack said, “As a teacher, I can see times you would want block scheduling...There are times it doesn’t work as well.”

She continued “I think Project Lead the Way is great but there has to be room for it.” Slack’s daughter, who graduated from Guilderland in 1992 and is now an engineer overseeing the cleanup of Lake Champlain for the state of Vermont, had few courses in high school that were appropriate for her engineering interests.

“I know parents have serious concerns with choices between art and music,” said Slack, adding that an evaluation is needed.

On foreign-language study, Slack said, “In the world we live in, more than Spanish is needed.”

She referred to Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat, and said, “We’re all in this together.”

But she went on, “I don’t know how much more we can squeeze into an elementary day...I know the program is successful. The kids talk. They know colors and words.” She praised the Spanish teachers and said of the sessions, “The kids are all participating and happy.”

But she said, “Time and money is a concern.” She concluded, “We need to not expect the world will talk to us. We have to be able to communicate both ways. We can’t expect everyone to speak our language.”

On accountability through testing, Slack said, “I don’t think tests should be used to decide tenure. Students have such different needs. Sometimes they aren’t going to make it. Does that mean we’re not doing our job well?”

She went on, “I’m not totally in favor of mandated testing. It takes so much time from classroom learning, and it doesn’t always show what kids are learning and the depth or variety of what we have to teach.” Teachers, she said, are sacrificing some of their more innovative approaches because of the testing constraints.

Slack also said, “I don’t think you need to compare [Guilderland scores] to other schools’.”

Slack then spoke forcefully about the effects of testing she has observed on the struggling students with whom she works: “I’m in learning workshop,” she said, “and help out in all the fields.”

In administering tests to students, she said, “They look at you and say, ‘I don’t understand the question.’ These kids already feel ‘dumb.’ Just when they’re starting to think they’re OK, do we have to have them go through this ordeal? We know they can’t do this. I’m sitting at the bottom of the pile. It’s heartbreaking sometimes.”

Of leafleting on school grounds, Slack said, “I don’t think it should be allowed...It doesn’t seem to be a legal practice.” She cited comments made by her running mate Catherine Barber at the last school-board meeting. (See related story.)

“I think it was expedient,” she said of allowing candidates to hand out flyers in the weeks leading up to the election between the hours of 3:30 and 11 p.m., something Slack isn’t planning on doing.

“What if someone comes from an unwelcome group we seriously disagree with or don’t think the children should be exposed to?” she asked. “We have to let them be there. We’ve opened a door we shouldn’t have.”