My name is Erika Glick, and I’m announcing my candidacy for a seat on the Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education. As a parent, educator, and business owner, I can offer a unique perspective to the Board.

As the owner and director of Katonah Village Kids, a preschool in the village of Katonah, I’m often one of the first connections a young family makes in the area. I understand what they prioritize: strong educational foundations, clear communication, and an engaged community. A similar formula of such components is what attracted my husband and I to this town so many years ago and to this day, the spirit of moxie and togetherness is what inspires me to run for the BOE.

Understandably then, having moved here for the community and the schools, it crushed me when I needed to pull my own children from the Katonah-Lewisboro School District. They both have language-based learning disabilities; one has dyslexia. Neither was receiving an appropriate education in our schools. They were struggling to read, despite being intellectually capable and growing up in a print-rich, educated environment. Their struggles prompted me to dive deeply into the research on literacy: how the brain processes language, how reading develops, and what methodologies are most effective. What I learned is that our district has much of it wrong. Children require a systematic, explicit and structured approach to learn to read. Despite well-meaning and hard-working teachers and administrators, many students are struggling, and not just those with learning disabilities and differences. I was startled to discover that hundreds of our elementary students receive Response to Intervention (RTI) services in reading, and that RTI teachers use the same ineffective instruction strategies as classroom teachers. I was also shocked to see that KLSD spends a significant sum each year on litigation costs, including multiple legal battles with families forced to send their children out of the district simply for appropriate literacy instruction.

I read the work of researchers, went to conferences, and met with experts. Armed with a strong grasp of the problem, I began attending Board of Education meetings in order to advocate for changes to our literacy program, including a request for the formation of a literacy committee. Over the past several years our district has made some improvements in this area, but the changes have been slow in coming and not enough. After years of advocacy and dozens of meetings, I’ve watched wave after wave of families try to participate at our Board of Ed meetings, only to go home feeling frustrated and “unheard.”

As I was attempting to enact meaningful change utilizing the channels available, it became clear I wasn’t alone. I met with countless families similar to mine. Families who felt repeatedly brushed off, minimized, or simply told to be “more patient”. I trusted the process, assuming our district would value the opportunity for input, communication, and collaboration. I tried to bring my questions, my knowledge, and my hope for change to the board and was ignored.

I feel compelled to run because, after all my years of advocacy at BoE meetings, I see that there is room for improvement. We must improve transparency, communication and cultivate wider participation with the public. Additionally, as a body of elected representatives, we must reclaim the Board’s purpose and power to make positive change.

I have a demonstrated commitment to this community and a motivation to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I feel passionately about engaging in this process. My philosophy is that there’s always room for improvement and growth. While I may not have all the answers, I am confident enough to ask the hard questions, to keep an open mind, and to truly listen.

I appreciate that the Board is charged with navigating complex situations and making hard decisions. As a local business owner, I understand the intricacies of budgets and planning. I’m clear-eyed about mitigating rising costs in our district, and I’m dedicated to keeping spending in check and the tax burden as low as possible for the whole community.

There is already so much to celebrate in our district, and so much more potential and promise. I want to continue what we do well—but I’m courageous enough to examine what we do with a critical lens. I’m running for the Board because I truly believe I can help. I’m deeply invested in the success of this district, not only for the sake of my own children and the students in my school—but for the sake of each and every child in our community. I thank you sincerely for your consideration and support.