Jeraldine (Jeri) Keane, age 54, not registered to a political party, is running for re-election to the Raymond School Board. She resides at 23 Birch Drive, Raymond.
With a PhD in counseling/psychology, Keane is licensed as a psychologist in the State of Maine. She has worked full-time as a director of a counseling center and taught as an adjunct at Saint Joseph’s College. Currently, she is in private practice in Windham.
Why are you running for School Board again?
Jeri Keane: There’s a lot of unfinished business I would like to be a part of. I think the number of years I’ve been on the board supports and helps with future vision. We have a lot ahead of us in terms of No Child Left Behind, Maine Learning Results…as well as all the things that are happening with people’s concerns with property taxes and how to balance that with the demands of having an excellent education system.
How do you think you can work with a board, whose opinions may vary at times, to effect change?
Keane: We have a wonderful board. I’m the chairperson this year and my role is to get as much information as possible and allow people to have their say and then try to come to some consensus and know that not everybody’s always going to agree. We work very hard to take into consideration people’s differing opinions but also to get a bigger picture of what it is we need to be doing to provide the educational service we need to provide (while) also being very aware of the cost. That cost is becoming much, much more important to the taxpayer.
What do you think has prepared you for this position?
Keane: I’d have to say my experience in education. I have an understanding of how schools work, and I believe I stay on top of current issues and current concerns in the world of education. In the role as a psychologist and in clinical work one has to be able to step back and look at the bigger picture and use that to come to some good conclusions about directions to go in.
What do you think is the biggest single challenge that Raymond schools face in the next three years?
Keane: Property values and taxes. I think we’re all concerned about what the revaluation is going to mean for people and what that’s going to mean for municipal as well as school programs. As the taxes go higher I think there will be a desire to have property tax relief and I would imagine it will have to happen by cutting from the municipal and school budget. That will be very painful to do. I also think that continuing the work of the One Raymond concept will be a challenge.
How does having someone like you, with experience on the School Board, benefit the citizens of Raymond?
Well, I think there’s importance to having someone who’s been on the board. But ideally, we cannot be stuck in ‘I’ve always done things this way.’ It’s always useful to have an historical perspective. I believe I would continue to have a fresh eye.
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