Dorothy Roberts
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Dorothy Roberts is an at-large representative on the Sachem Central School District school board in New York. First elected in 2011, Roberts won a new term in the at-large general election on May 16, 2017.
This candidate participated in Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.
Elections
2017
Three of the nine seats on the Sachem Central School District school board in New York were up for at-large general election on May 16, 2017. Board incumbents Teri Ahearn, Victor J. Canales, and Dorothy Roberts filed for re-election and ran unopposed. They were all re-elected to another term.[1][2]
Results
| Sachem Central School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Dorothy Roberts Incumbent |
33.86% | 2,865 |
| Victor J. Canales Incumbent |
33.28% | 2,816 |
| Teri Ahearn Incumbent |
32.86% | 2,780 |
| Total Votes | 8,461 | |
| Source: Sachem Central School District, "Annual District Meeting Closing Agenda," accessed September 6, 2017 | ||
Funding
All school board candidates in New York who raise or spend more than $50 are required to file campaign finance reports. If candidates raise or spend less than $1,000 they are required to file with their city or county's board of elections. If they raise or spend over $1,000 they must file with the New York State Board of Elections. Candidates who raise or spend less than $50 (including their own personal funds) do not have to file any reports. If this occurs, candidates are required to file an exemption statement with the appropriate board of elections.[3]
2014
Roberts defeated challenger Kelli Burnham in the general election on May 20, 2014.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Dorothy Roberts Incumbent |
52.6% | 2,897 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kelli Burnham | 47.4% | 2,611 | |
| Total Votes | 5,508 | |||
| Source: Sachem Central School District, "Official Vote Results," accessed May 20, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Roberts did not file a campaign finance report with the New York State Board of Elections during the election.[4][5]
Endorsements
Roberts did not receive any endorsements during the election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
Dorothy Roberts participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[6] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on April 26, 2017:
| “ | A plan for future progress in academics, technology and drug prevention.[7][8] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in New York. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Blank | |
| “ | No comments[8] | ” |
| —Dorothy Roberts (April 26, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Offer additional training options. Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| Yes. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Only with clear policies in extreme situations. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers |
See also
- Sachem Central School District, New York
- Sachem Central School District elections (2017)
- Sachem Central School District elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Sachem Central School District, "Budget Vote 2017," accessed May 17, 2017These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Elisabeth Moore, "Email exchange with Allison Florio, Sachem Central School District clerk," April 18, 2017
- ↑ New York Board of Elections, "Campaign Finance Handbook," accessed May 8, 2017
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Contribution Search," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Expenditure Search," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Dorothy Roberts's responses," April 26, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Sachem Central School District elections in 2017 | |
| Suffolk County, New York | |
| Election date: | May 16, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-Large: Incumbent, Teri Ahearn • Incumbent, Victor J. Canales • Incumbent, Dorothy Roberts |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
