Beachwood Board of Education Election 2011: Alec Isaacson

Editor's Note: As part of Patch's local election coverage, we will provide profiles of each of the candidates running for office. These profiles will offer biographical and issue-oriented details about each of the candidates to help you, the voters, make more informed decisions at the ballot box. Stay tuned for more coverage of the election, and for full election coverage, visit  and "like" our Beachwood Elections Facebook Page.

Name: Alec D. Isaacson

Age: 43

Occupation: Information Technology Consultant

Education: Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 1985 – 1990

Politcal Affiliation: Democrat

Office Sought: Board of Education

Previous Political Office Sought or Held: None

Candidate Statement: Twelve years ago, my wife Cheryl and I chose to put down roots in Beachwood. It wasn’t a difficult decision; we wanted a community that valued education. My wife, a Lyndhurst native, knew that Beachwood was the place to be for excellent schools. Our daughter Emily began pre-kindergarten at Fairmount four years ago and I’ve seen each day that Beachwood is the best community to raise a family. Our son, Noah, will begin kindergarten next year and I know his experiences will be just as rich.

I first became involved in our schools like many others; I attended orientation, conferences, and back to school nights. My wife Cheryl became involved as well – room mother, volunteer, and PTO treasurer. I was impressed by our exceptional teachers and administrators; it was clear that they placed the educational needs of our children first. They inspired me to increase my involvement.

As a classroom volunteer, I saw first-hand how our schools work. More importantly, I was able to build relationships with the teachers, staff, and administration. That experience helped me to understand the “front line” issues that face our schools on a daily basis. As I see it, having that sort of insight and knowing the people is a critical pre-requisite to serving as a member of the School Board.

I took the next step and started attending Board of Education meetings more than a year ago. At first, I was there to understand the issues, form my own opinions, and share what I saw with others. Then, a few months ago, I realized that my involvement had given me unique qualifications to sit on the school board. I spoke to my wife, some trusted friends, and then decided to run.

I’ve watched, listened, and learned as the board put in long hard nights (and early mornings) discussing the issues and reaching a consensus which ensured that our schools were able to deliver the best possible education. I’ve been there to see how decisions from the administration and board flow down into the schools. I’ve also seen how decisions at the State and Federal level impact our community. I’ve developed good relationships with individual board members and administrators. I’ve seen how those relationships work, and sometimes don’t. Those unique experiences are what make me qualified to sit on our school board. I believe I’ve shown myself to be in this for the long haul and for the good of our community, schools, and (most importantly) our children’s future.

As an information technology expert, I will bring a valuable and important skill set to the board. I have more than 15 years of experience in solving business problems with the help of technology. A key aspect of that involves assessing what is truly needed and achievable given the available resources and then clearly communicating expectations. I am well versed in assessing what needs to be done, determining how to get it done efficiently, and working with a team to deliver a quality result.

I agree with my running mate, Steve Rosen, that our current administration has done an excellent job in reducing expenses while maintaining our educational programs. Now, just as parents and the schools press our children to do better, I believe that the Board needs to push the schools to do better.

We need to stand head and shoulders above the surrounding systems and be the community of choice for young families. Beachwood must be the role model for excellence in education and wise spending. We need to optimize our existing programs and offer new and innovative ones to supplement and complement our core. We must continue to increase the strength of our teachers and ensure that our district is operated as efficiently as possible.

To attract a consistent stream of new families - which will benefit our entire community by raising property values and keeping taxes low - we must also work with our City leaders. I have reached out to them, already starting to create relationships, and look forward to closing the gaps between the School Board and City Council. To that, I bring a new, fresh, perspective.

We need a Board of Education that has the skills and relevant experience necessary to move our schools forward. I have the skills and experience we need, and I want to use them for our community. I am asking you to allow me to serve Beachwood as a member of the Board of Education because experience matters.

I look forward to meeting as many people as I can between now and November 8th. I want to hear what you think and want as we share our pursuit of excellence in education.

You can also see me on my Facebook page.