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Clausen, 23, has lived in the city for her entire life. She does not yet have children. She is a graduate of Peekskill High School and holds a B.S. in Psychology and Business Administration with a minor in Human resource management from Guilford College. Clausen currently works as an educational advocate at Helping Hands Advocacy.
Why did you choose to run for the board of education this year?
I want our school district to be a positive place for all students and staff. I am a graduate of Peekskill, I have been a member of this community since birth. I want our schools to be a source of pride for our city. I don’t want the advocacy firm I work for to have any clients coming in with complaints about Peekskill. I believe we can be better by having outside the box thinking and not thinking of kids as a bottom line to a budget.
What issues in particular would you like see addressed?
I believe there are many issues that need to be addressed. We need to look at the efficiency of our school district and make sure that the District is working to the best of its ability. Special education, included gifted and talent programs, needs to be addressed; if done properly, strong programs can increase revenue for the district as well as the value of a Peekskill education. The District’s website needs to be revamped to be user friendly and facilitate better communication between the schools and the community. Our budget is something that needs to be looked at creatively: revenue has to happen, we can't rely solely on a tax cap and constantly cutting corners.
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