David Sydow, Merrimack School Board Candidate

David Sydow

Age (as of Election Day)

39

Position Sought

3 Year Term for the Merrimack School Board

Party Affiliation

Family

I have a wife Nancy, and three sons: Cameron who is 10, Evan who is 8, and Owen who is 7. All three of my children attend Merrimack Schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I have a BS in Computer Engineering From UMass Amherst and an MS in Computer Engineering from WPI

Occupation

I am a software engineer with 15 years of professional experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

daveforschoolboard.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I want to help make our School District into a place where students are provided with an exceptional education.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is that we have a school system that failed to properly educate an entire class of students for an entire year, and we now have a vacancy in the Superintendents office. It's a position that needs to be filled with someone who has the vision and capability to get our district on the right track and trending towards academic excellence. I have had a significant amount of experience in interviewing and hiring at all levels for different job types over the past fifteen years, and I would bring that knowledge to the existing board to help get the right candidate for the job.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I think my blend of personal and professional experience is unique among the candidates. When I'm working, I'm constantly forced to make tough decisions where there is no clear cut right or wrong answer. Because of that, I've had to develop skills to help me make hard decisions, and techniques that I can use to continuously validate the efficacy of my choices. Outside of work I volunteer as a CASA, which has taught me how to advocate for people who don't feel like they have a voice. I think many members of the Merrimack community can relate to the feeling that they weren’t given a voice by the current school board this year, I know I certainly can. I also volunteer as a mentor for FIRST and a coach for youth sports, both of which emphasize the values and skills of teamwork, but also accountability. The right blend of both teamwork and accountability is something that's critical for any successful team, including the School Board and the district Administration.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Over the past year, the children of our district received only about half of the educational hours of almost every other district in New Hampshire. But the troubles run deeper than that. Post secondary enrollment in Merrimack, which includes some trade schools, has dropped by almost 10% since 2014, while at the same it has increased at a national level. Advanced Placement test scores for Merrimack have stayed relatively flat since 2014 when compared with the rest of the state, and there are many other indicators of concerning performance as well. I haven't seen a single mention of any of these indicators by the current board at any meeting.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think our current school board did a very poor job in working with the District Administration in responding to the virus. It's why I initially decided to run for the position. I would have done many things differently. Most notably, I would have followed the simple matrix provided by DHHS that defined when school should be in hybrid vs. remote vs. full in person learning. I would also have required the Superintendent to come up with an educational plan that actually provided the students of Merrimack School District with the legally mandated number of educational hours.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

You can read about my platform at https://daveforschoolboard.com/my-platform

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Try to learn something new every day

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?