School Board President seeks re-election

By CLOEY CALLAHAN
Posted 5/5/21

Philip Howard, the current vice president of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District school board, is seeking re-election for his fourth term. He has sat on the board for three consecutive terms …

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School Board President seeks re-election

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Philip Howard, the current vice president of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District school board, is seeking re-election for his fourth term. He has sat on the board for three consecutive terms since 2012 and is ready for another term that will “continue the progress” of the district, which is also the slogan for his 2021 campaign, and help students achieve success even past their graduation at Academy Field.

“Serving in the capacity of a board member really puts me in the position to advocate and ensure that our children get the proper education that they need to be successful beyond getting their diploma,” said Howard, who was born and raised in the City of Newburgh and is a byproduct of the school district himself. “It’s something I’m very serious about. I care so much about these kids.”

Howard has always wanted to be a part of the work for the district. Over his last three terms, he has served on every school board committee at least once and has also sat as the president for one year. Currently he is on the personnel committee, the curriculum committee and the chairman of the policy committee.

His highlights over the past nearly ten years have included the graduation rate increasing 10 percent since he’s been on the board and the offering of a dual program at Newburgh Free Academy North that allows students to graduate with both their high school diploma and an associate’s degree within four years. Additionally, Howard is proud of the district’s food program, which allows students to receive free breakfast and lunch with no questions asked.

“Being a byproduct of this district, when that was not happening when I was young, there was a stigma attached to getting free lunch,” said Howard. “That no longer exists … our children are getting the nutrients they need so they can focus on the education while they’re in our building.”

While things drastically switched gears with the COVID-19 pandemic, Howard was ready to act as a school board member to ensure needs were being met as best as they could be. During the pandemic, the district fed over one million families, which allowed families to not worry about getting food on the table during this unprecedented time.

Right now, Howard’s biggest concern moving forward is how to come out on the other side of the pandemic. With him seeing that the pandemic will have the “biggest impact on children and scholars of the marginalized community,” he hopes to work with families and have better overall engagement with the entire unit to make sure the student sees success.

“We have an incredible district here,” said Howard. “Everyone in our district is about the children. Everyone in our district is about the vision and mission statement of our district.”

Howard strives to contribute to the mission of “inspiring students to become tomorrow’s leaders,” which he believes is only possible because of the staff, faculty and departments that the district has, in addition to a board that is “really connected to the vision and mission statement” of the school.

With his slogan #ContinueTheProgress, Howard is expressing that the Newburgh Enlarged City School District continues to progress but isn’t quite there yet.

“I want to continue the work and passion we have for our scholars and continue putting great pieces in front of our kids,” said Howard. “I’ve been here for the entire duration of my life. I’ve seen Newburgh struggle and soar. I’ve seen the Newburgh Enlarged City School District be referred to as one of the best in the country. Right now is one of our up times, and I want to continue to be a part of that progress.”

Aside from the school board, Howard is a community leader sitting on a number of different boards including the board of directors for the Newburgh Armory Unity Center and the board of directors for the Newburgh Ministry. Additionally, he works with the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, a program launched by former President Obama for young boys of color to get what they need to be successful, where he mentors 25 children from the Newburgh school district on everything from education to lifestyle.

“I’m a goldback for life,” said Howard. “There is a certain thing about being a goldback that just makes you want to be a part of the success of young people and a part of what’s happening in our schools. It’s a great place to be. I truly believe that we have one of the best school districts in New York State, based on our diverse background of our scholars, the great work our teachers are doing and the great work of our [other employees].”