Why should we vote for Jeff Shi? Because he is uniquely qualified for the Great Neck Board of Education trustee seat.
Jeff has an engineering degree from a great college that is on many of our high school seniors’ wish lists. If elected, he will be the only person with an engineering background on the board. He has managed large technological projects in his day job, an experience that will prove valuable to our schools’ infrastructure improvements. As parents, we all understand how important it is to prepare our children for the constantly evolving world of technology. Jeff’s knowledge and experience will guide the district to build state-of-the-art science and technology programs. We are confident that he will be a unique asset to the school district.
Jeff comes from a family that is dedicated to public education. Both of his parents are renowned educators in China. Seeing and hearing conversations and discussions about education each and every day growing up, the value of public education is embedded and deeply rooted in his upbringing. He himself is a beneficiary of public education, graduating from a public high school, and his child is a part of the Great Neck Public Schools district. Jeff understands and values public education. Through his continuous analysis and contemplation, he has formed his own perspective of the merits and challenges of public education. When the call arose, Jeff stepped up as a firm supporter of Great Neck Public Schools and intends not only to preserve our valuable school system, but also enhance it to the best of his abilities.
There is another plus for choosing Jeff, which is his demonstrated leadership. In this campaign, which started not long ago, Jeff has quickly proven himself to be a leader that can unite different stakeholders of Great Neck through his resourcefulness, down-to-earth manner, sense of humor, open personality and his calmness in various situations. Jeff understands the multifaceted needs and challenges of our school system. He is willing to, and capable of, bridge different groups in Great Neck to work together and find solutions for our public education system. In just a few weeks, Jeff has garnered support from various groups in Great Neck, including those of different ethnicities. Jeff’s ability to convince, motivate and inspire people from diverse backgrounds will be a great addition to the leadership of our public school system.
This election is about the future of our public education system—the system that has served as the backbone of our democracy for centuries. We fellow voters should listen carefully to our candidates, study their backgrounds and understand their views toward our public schools. We need to seek comprehensive information through video interviews on the Great Neck Public Schools TV station, Facebook posts and letters to local newspapers. We urge all our fellow voters to make the informed decision—and the right decision—on May 16, 2017.
—Kevin Sun
