Local parent running for Herricks School Board
Juleigh Chin, an active member of the community, will be running unopposed for trustee on the Herricks School District Board of Education.
“I feel that it is not only my calling, but my personal and civic responsibility to serve the public,” Chin says. Election Day is May 21.
Chin is running for the seat soon to be vacated by Dr. Sanjay Jain, who announced on April 4 that he would not be seeking re-election. His position will expire on June 30.
Jain’s decision to leave has come at the right time for Chin.
“A few years back was when I first thought about running, but the timing just wasn’t right. I had just started a new full-time job, the kids were still young, and I felt that I needed to wait.”
Chin has lived in the district since 2005 and served as PTA president at Denton Avenue Elementary School for four years and district council PTA vice president for two years.
She is active in many community groups outside the school district including several non-profit organizations. Chin is a member of the Town of North Hempstead Community Steering Committee and the Clinton G. Martin Park Advisory Board. She also organizes an email distribution system for hundreds of her neighbors alerting them to important issues like police activity, neighborhood watch information, and emergency plans for extreme weather conditions.
In 2011, Chin was named a Nassau County Trailblazer of the Year for her community service. She is also a founding member of the Korean Parents Association of Long Island as well as the Herricks Korean Community Chairperson. Chin also serves as a den leader and chairperson for Cub Scout Pack 202.
For Chin, the biggest issue facing the district going forward is its budget. She says it’s not easy managing a huge budget on limited funds, but Chin hopes to keep on top of the changing academic expectations of the state. The extent of standardized testing is another issue Chin hopes to address.
“Teachers are teaching our children to the tests, as opposed to their creative and naturally gifted talents,” she said. “My hope is that the state will consider the complaints of citizens seriously and reconsider the lengths at which they test the students.”
Chin also feels the recent cheating scandals on Long Island are unethical and morally wrong. “It’s a shame that students feel that the only way to get ahead would be to cheat their way forward.”
School security and student safety has become a major concern for parents recently, and Chin thinks the board and district have responded well so far in implementing new precautions, such as increased security guard presence.
“I think we are as prepared as a school or district can ever be,” she said.
The past school year has seen many safety obstacles from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the first marking period to the Sandy Hook tragedy and the recent events at the Boston Marathon, but Chin has faith in the district.
“It’s amazing how much of a caring community we’ve become, with empathy and unity overflowing. With all the bad, there is good, and I believe that we have a lot of the good here in Herricks.”
