Mike

As promised, I have comported myself throughout this campaign respectfully and with the utmost integrity.

You have all come to know me over the years as the most engaged parent with respect to School District issues and as an unwavering advocate for your children.

As you go to the poll tomorrow to elect a new School Board Trustee, please vote for the TRUSTEE you know you can TRUST – MIKE VALENTI.

•  You can TRUST me to Protect Educational Excellence as a Core Value in Briarcliff

•  You can TRUST me to Protect, and Grow, the Value of Your Home

•  You can TRUST me to Protect your Checkbook from the Tax Man

•  You can TRUST me to work collaboratively and productively with my fellow School Board Trustees

•  You can TRUST me to work with my fellow School Board Trustees to be more transparent and    responsive

•  You can TRUST me to work with my fellow School Board Trustees to restore an environment of    respect, transparency, integrity, collaboration, unity and harmony

•  You can TRUST me to work with my fellow School Board Trustees to carefully and fully acclimate    our new Superintendent and to assure his success as our new leader

•  You can TRUST me to work with my fellow School Board Trustees to develop goals and a vision    that brings this community back together

•  You can TRUST me to work with my fellow School Board Trustees to develop budgets that are    thoughtful, protect the sanctity of educational excellence yet are fiscally responsible and fiscally    sustainable

•  You can TRUST me to work collaboratively and constructively with my fellow School Board    Trustees and the Collective Bargaining Units to come to mutually agreeable terms

•  You can TRUST me to reopen the Fields with expedience and fiscal prudence – and to never put    any child’s health or safety at risk

•  You can TRUST me to LISTEN – and HEAR – ALL groups from our diverse community

•  You can TRUST me to REPRESENT YOU

It has been my privilege to have your consideration as a candidate.

It would be my privilege to have your TRUST in tomorrow’s election and to demonstrate to you over the next three years that you TRUSTED the right candidate for School Board TRUSTEE.

• I WILL restore an environment of respect,    integrity,transparency, collaboration,    unity,harmony and a strong community voice.

•  I WILL utilize both my deep, well developed    analytical skills as well as my widely    recognized management skills (creative,    independent out-of-the-box thinker, excellent    management and leadership skills, excellent    people and relationship management skills,    vision).

•  I WILL adopt reopening of our fields as a top    priority (with expedience and financial prudence    and without compromise to any child’s health or    safety).

•  I WILL respond to ALL phone calls and emails     and commit to doing so on a same day basis.

•  I WILL listen to – and HEAR – the entire community.

•  I WILL meet with any community member to discuss their views.

•  I WILL form a personal advisory committee with representatives from all constituencies.

•  I WILL work collaboratively and constructively with my fellow Trustees.

•  I WILL be a model ambassador of our very special school district.

And here are some things that, as YOUR school board Trustee, I will NOT do:

•  I will NOT prioritize an agenda of tax cutting over an agenda of academic excellence and firm    property values.

•  I will NOT allow inefficient budgeting or educational delivery models.

•  I will NOT allow taxes to cause residents to leave or homebuyers to pass on Briarcliff.

•  I will NOT disrespect the community, our students, our administration or our faculty.

•  I will NOT distort or manipulate data.

•  I will NOT react before independently verifying facts and data.

•  I will NOT micro-manage administration or staff.

•  I will NOT forward ill-conceived, unrealistic, fiscally imprudent, fiduciarily irresponsible, unilaterally    developed campaign promises that I cannot keep if elected.

•  I will NOT represent only the views of an elite few.

•  I will NOT be single-minded or inflexible.

•  I will NOT give you reason to regret your vote for Mike Valenti – not even for a fleeting moment.

Your VOTE = Your VOICE.

Please vote thoughtfully.

Please cast your vote for Mike Valenti on Tuesday, May 17.

As a candidate for Board of Education Trustee I stand for academic excellence above all else. My core values line up well with the core values of Briarcliff. Academic excellence must be preserved, promoted and supported for ALL students. The education and success of our children is my top priority.

Here in Westchester County the number-one driver of property values is the quality of the school district and its reputation for academic excellence. We have been through a difficult economic cycle. The economy is recovering. The job market is recovering. Securities markets are recovering. Home prices are not. Many say that real estate is all about location,

Property in Briarcliff has commanded strong premiums due to the quality and reputation of our school district. However, it may not surprise you that as of late realtors in other top performing school districts are already warning prospective buyers to avoid Briarcliff due to our prioritization of tax cutting over academic excellence and the overt sequential dismantling of our district. If this cycle continues we individually stand to lose tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in property values. Collectively, billions of dollars in property value could be at stake.

Could we be stepping over dollars to pick up dimes? Could we be picking up nickels in front of a moving steamroller?

We go to the polls shortly on May 17 to elect a new School Board Trustee and I shall hope to have your support.

However, we are also voting on our school district budget. As a candidate, I feel the necessity to comment on the budget vote as there appears to be some controversy and an open community discussion around encouraging a “no-vote.”

•  I support a budget of $48.4 million and believe this to be a solid, fiscally responsible and sustainable number.

•  I am troubled by the “process” for the second consecutive year as well as how the budget will be deployed and spent.

As you go to the polls on May 17, please remember that you are voting for the number ($48.4 million) and not the “broken process” or what the $48.4 will and will not be spent on.

Here is a recent quote – used by permission – from local second generation realtor, Mark Seiden:

Please vote carefully and wisely on May 17 as you choose a new School Board Trustee and as you contemplate your support for our school budget.

•  Vision
•  Community voice
•  Representation
•  Respect
•  Integrity
•  Transparency
•  Academic excellence
•  Firm property value
•  Fiscal restraint

• High School Parents who seek a voice as their children continue to blossom socially, athletically, artistically and academically – moving through a

curriculum that prepares them to hopefully attend some of the best colleges and universities in the country,

• Middle School Parents who seek a voice as their children transition from Todd into a world that begins their college preparatory years,

• Todd Parents who seek a voice in their children’s educational experience in their critical, formative years, and last but not least,

• Parents of preschoolers seeking a voice in the educational journey their children will soon embark on.

Reasonable taxes are dependent on a reasonable school budget. 76% of Briarcliff’s school budget is attributable to the costs associated with personnel – primarily salary and benefits.

With contracts up for renewal with all district employee groups, this is the #1 issue that will impact our school budget, perhaps for years to come.

With this in mind it is imperative that, as you evaluate candidates to add to your Board of Education, you focus on skill set and experience as a negotiator. As such, the qualities and qualifications I bring to this process will have an invaluable positive influence on the upcoming contract negotiations.

I am a skilled, experienced, thoughtful negotiator. Here are a few things that anyone who has participated with me in a contract negotiation would say about me:

•  He’s tough

•  He’s smart

•  He’s fair

•  He listened, and he heard

•  He’s detailed

•  He’s skilled

•  He’s experienced

•  He’s positive

•  He cared

•  He preserved a positive relationship

•  He preserved morale

•  He presented a framework of collaboration and inclusion

•  He helped to keep us all on the same side of the table

•  The result was a win/win

As you contemplate who to decide to add to your Board of Education this Tuesday, consider the #1 issue that will affect your school budget, and thus your taxes, for years to come.

An individual with thoughtful, experienced, proven negotiation skills – who brings results – should be your choice.

I’m Mike Valenti and I am seeking to be elected as your representative on the Briarcliff Manor Board of Education. Information on my background, especially as it pertains to my ability to fulfill my commitments to this Board Member position, can be found on this website in the About Mike section.