Board of Education

The Board of Education is the official policy-making body of our school district. Nine members serve on the Board, without pay, and are elected to three-year terms. Board elections take place in May along with the annual school budget vote.

The Ichabod Crane Board of Education can be reached via email at boardofeducation@ichabodcrane.org
Emails sent to the above address go to the Board Clerk for further distribution to Board members.

2020 Board of Education Election

This year, qualified voters in the Ichabod Crane Central School District will elect three (3) members to the Board of Education this year using an absentee ballot, per Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order. Ichabod Crane board members each serve three-year terms.

Board of Education Elections and the 2020-2021 Budget Vote (click for more information) both take place on June 9, 2020.

The term for one of the seats begins June 10, 2020, while the other two seats begin their terms July 1, 2020.

New York State Education Law does not limit the number of terms of office a member may serve. Board members receive no salaries or other compensation.

2020 Board of Education Candidates

Below are the five candidates running for the three open seats on the board of education this year. Each has shared a little more about themselves, why they are interested in being on the board and a picture.

Elaine Berlin

I am honored to seek election to the Board of Education for the Ichabod Crane Central School District.

I grew up in Valatie for most of my life, leaving only to attend college in 2002. I returned home in 2006, while I attended Albany Law School. My husband, Dale, grew up in Stuyvesant and graduated from Ichabod Crane in 2000. We now live in Kinderhook with our two children. Our daughter is currently in first grade and our son will attend kindergarten in the fall.

Anyone who lives here knows that this is a special community. I always knew I would raise a family here, and that my children would attend Ichabod Crane. It is important to me that Ichabod Crane continues to be a school district that provides an excellent education for all children in our community and prepares them for the ever-changing world, while still being fiscally responsible, especially during these times of uncertainty.

As a taxpayer, a parent, and a friend to many in the area, I believe I have a broad perspective of the needs of the school district. If elected, I would work hard to communicate these needs to the Board and effectively collaborate with the other members for realistic solutions. Although the current circumstances are unprecedented and unsettling, I am committed to ensuring that Ichabod Crane provides the education that our children deserve.

John Chandler

I am interested in serving on the Ichabod Crane Board of Education to advocate for public education and for the development of policies and a culture for the District that are student-centered; focusing on both academics and diverse opportunities that will encourage all students to discover and develop their interests as individuals and as well-rounded, caring, responsible, and productive members of the community.

I have lived in Columbia County since 1978 and the Town of Kinderhook since 1999. My spouse teaches in a neighboring district, and we have three children – one currently attending Ichabod Crane, and two that recently graduated. I am a 1986 graduate of Hudson High School, went on to attain my JD and MBA from Albany Law School and Union University, and am currently a Vice President in the Wealth Management group of Berkshire Bank.

Tammy Crawford

I have lived in the Ichabod Crane School District most of my life. My husband Keith and I both graduated from the district and we have been married for 32 years. We raised our son here, have many friends, and are deeply passionate about our community. I am a past business owner within the district and have since gone back to an old career with Albany Braces. Working with kids and their parents make me happy.

I was elected to the school board in 2017, and often joke that people told me it is not a big commitment, only one night a month they said. I have learned differently; the last three years have not been easy. We spent numerous late nights putting together one of the biggest capital projects our district has ever done. I was on the superintendent search committee after some unfortunate events and feel that we did an amazing job getting input from staff, teachers, students, and community. I have been on numerous committees over my three year term, and am very proud of the fact that I helped push for our junior national honor society when I was first elected.

I know the next 3 years may be even tougher, with the craziness of the world today, and the mess that our state is in. I am up for the challenge and my only agenda is to donate my time and passion to our community.

Kelly Firmbach

My name is Kelly (Rosbrook) Firmbach. I’m a Class of ’85 graduate and longtime resident and homeowner in the Ichabod Crane School District, looking to serve as a member of the ICCS Board of Education.

Pride in my alma mater is one of my core reasons for wanting to participate in this process. My twin children, 3rd generation Riders, graduated in 2015; my mother was a 1963 graduate. Commitment to our school district is a priority for me, reflected by my previous work as a member and President of the Ichabod Crane Elementary PTA, Booster Club member/photographer and participant on Superintendent and Primary School Principal Search Committees.

I’ve worked for 25 years in the banking industry; the majority of those as an analyst in Treasury Management for Bank of America and currently, for KeyBank. For a two-year period when my children were young, I left banking and was a substitute teacher at Ichabod Crane Primary, both as a per-diem sub, as well as a permanent sub covering a maternity leave, providing valuable insight from the educator’s perspective.

My other core reason and my overall goal for becoming a School Board member, as it should be with any well-intentioned board member, would be to ensure the entire student body is served well and with respect. This can only be done by fostering effective partnership between all stakeholders—parents & guardians, district personnel & Administration, the local community and the students themselves. We have valuable resources in each of these groups and will need to be innovative in drawing on those resources, as I anticipate we’ll have some unique challenges coming our way in the next several years in the wake of the current COVID-19 Pandemic and quarantine.

I welcome the opportunity to fulfill these goals as a fair-minded and impartial member of the Ichabod Crane Board of Education. Thank you for your consideration.

Susan Ramos

I have a long career working and caring for children which demonstrates my abilities and passion required for the duties as a Board Member for the District.

I have participated with the Ichabod Crane School Board for the last ten years; beginning with participation as a volunteer on the Audit and Finance committee and then the last 9 years on the ICC School Board. Since then I’ve participated on many different committees. During the last 9 years, the district made the difficult choices, closing schools, going from 3 bells to 2 bell and now a one bell system, upgrading our IT system, building on classrooms at the Primer school to now updating the Middle School and High School all by maintaining fiscal viability programs and services to our students. We have also gone through 2 superintendent searches. These decisions lead ICC to be in a better financial position than most districts in the Capital Region. Now we continue to move ahead. The board is putting together has put forth a budget can support the district’s programs.

I am a taxpayer whose child attends the High School. I’ve volunteered for the 5 years at the Primary School in kindergarten and first grade assisting students who needed additional support as well as for special events. I am vested in this school district.

I look to continue to work with the district with the hopes to add programs that will benefit our students. My goal for continued participation on the board is to assure that the children of the district receive a quality education with high standards set and met for academic performance that ensures their success for the future while being fiscally prudent and receptive to the taxpayers and community members.

Board Meetings During COVID-19 School Closures

Meeting Electronically
Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.1 has suspended the provisions of the Open Meetings Law requiring school boards to conduct their business at meetings that allow for in-person attendance by the public. Due to that Executive Order, school boards can meet electronically using video and teleconferencing. Read more in Frequently Asked Questions from NYSSBA on Implementing the Open Meetings Law during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Therefore, Ichabod Crane board meetings will be held on Zoom for public health and safety reasons. Members of the public will be allowed to view these meetings, but please be advised the district cannot guarantee information provided to Zoom by public attendees will be kept confidential nor do we guarantee that the data transmitted is secure.

Public Participation
At this point, the Board would like it noted that due to the new meeting format and concerns for security during meetings, there will not be a live public comment section in Zoom board meetings. However, the public is encouraged to continue reaching out to the Board via email boardofeducation@ichabodcrane.org at any time. Messages sent to this email address go to the Board Clerk for further distribution to all Board members.

The Next Board of Education Meeting Is:

Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 – Budget Hearing

Time: 7:00 PM

Place: Online via Zoom. Click here to join the meeting at the above time.

- Meeting ID: 879 9823 1159
- Password: 7U6B0v
- Dial-In by Phone: +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)

Agenda: Check back closer to the meeting date

Supporting Documents: Visit the Budget page for full information on the Proposed 2020-2021 Budget.

The Next Board of Education Committee Meetings Are:

Date:

Time:

Place:

Supporting Documents:

2020 Board Elections

The district is currently awaiting guidance from New York State about how/if the 2020 Board Elections will be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 situation. More information will be posted once it’s available. In the meantime, specific questions be directed to the Ichabod Crane Board Clerk via email at mpotts@ichabodcrane.org

2019-2020 Board of Education Members

- - John Antalek (2021), Vice President of the Board
  - Jessica Berner (2021)
  - Tammy Crawford (2020)
  - Matthew Nelson (2022), President of the Board
  - Jeffrey Ouellette (2022)
  - Susan Ramos (2020)
  - Regina Rose (2021)
  - Elizabeth Phillips (2022)

Student Board Representative

- - Anna O’Shea
  - Trevor Wolfe (alternate)