I write this letter to you in support of Adam Haber and his candidacy for State Senate. Before I speak about Adam, I first want to state that Adam has not asked me to write on his behalf, nor is he aware that I am writing this letter of support. And while, I serve as a Roslyn BOE colleague of Adam’s, I do not write this as a representative of the Board—I simply write this as a person who knows Adam’s selfless interest in public service. Actually, I wouldn’t even consider Adam a friend; yes we are friendly colleagues, but we have never socialized. In other words, the only interest I have in Adam’s successful run for the Senate is my interest in living in a better community and State. This is the point of view from which I speak.
I first met Adam as an adversary. He ran against me and two other incumbent members of the Roslyn BOE almost eight years ago. He was a formidable candidate, one who did his homework and secured the largest number of votes by learning the intricacies of public education and working hard at the campaign. I was saddened, at the time, that a savvy and experienced educational leader lost his seat on the Board to Adam. More than seven years later, I recognize the incredible importance that election had on the children of Roslyn. To say that Adam has earned his seat on the Board is understating the facts. To say that Adam has made the Roslyn schools a better place for teachers to teach and children to learn is still falling short of clearly explaining Adam’s impact on the Roslyn community.
As a 30+ year professional educator, I often find myself asking how Adam understands the complications of school governance as well and sometimes better than I do. His determination to understand contractual processes, school budgeting, pedagogical strategies, school safety, and student learning is remarkable. It is as if he works day in and day out studying the “manual” on education. That leads me to think about his work ethic, his ability to understand complex organizations, his willingness to dedicate his time to the task at hand, and his determination to be the best he can be.
Politics is, in my opinion, in an unfortunate place—for a variety of reasons. I often wonder why people even want to get into it. I know why Adam wants to become a State Senator and this is the part of the letter that I hope he doesn’t get mad at me about. In addition to wanting better for his friends, family, and community, Adam wants to be thought of as a person who has “done good.” He is not looking for the power that comes with the position or the moderate fame that is attached to public service. He wants to feel good about helping others. He does have this need…listen to this closely. He wants to feel good about helping others. Adam’s want to do for others, in my opinion, pushes him to do more. If we lived in a place and time in which our elected officials all felt as Adam does, politics would be considered more like service and less like selfishness.
I do not know Adam’s opponent, so it would be wrong for me to say anything negative about her. I do know Adam Haber and I strongly support Adam’s candidacy for one reason. I know, with confidence, that Adam Haber will make our communities and our State a better place for us to live.
—David Seinfeld
