Maryanne F. Combs is another longtime activist in the Roslyn School District who is now running for the school board. A twenty-five year resident of Roslyn, Ms. Combs said she is running to promote "character education" in the school system.

Noting that the Roslyn schools are known for being in the forefront of educational innovation concerning academic standards, Ms. Combs said she would also like the district to take a lead in dealing with character issues "on a daily basis."

With school violence remaining a national concern, Ms. Combs said schools need to add a fourth and fifth "r" -- respect and responsibility -- to the "three r's" of American education. Such acts of violence may result in feelings of alienation among young people, Ms. Combs speculated. Therefore, developing the "moral fiber of our youth" should become a top priority. She added that building character and morality are not "negative issues." Instead, they would focus on "universal virtues" and on young people being "attentive, kind, and compassionate" toward each other.

Ms. Combs noted that there are state-mandated "prevention against violence" programs in the school system. Board members, in her view, should continuously look at such programs to see how they are working and how they might be improved. Ms. Combs also stressed her support for bringing in speakers to the schools, including those from a "bully-proof" speakers program.

On other issues, Ms. Combs said the school board should be fiscally responsible to individuals who live in the district, but do not have children or are senior citizens. Ms. Combs said she would like to keep class sizes the same, even during these times of increased enrollment. The candidate also supports staff development and staff support programs. Ms. Combs praised the district's academic standards and said she hoped the district could keep its reputation as a place beneficial to both residents with or without children in the schools.

Other school board candidates have mentioned athletic programs as part of their concerns for the district. Ms. Combs noted that the varsity baseball team is traveling to Cooperstown for a tournament, while later this summer, the varsity football team will be going away for a week to practice and come together as a team.

Ms. Combs and her husband, Ronald, the assistant director of the Surgical Intensive care unit at the New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, have six children, ages two to fifteen. Five of her children currently attend various schools in the district. Since 1991, she has been an active member of PTA boards throughout the district. Ms. Combs has served as a PTA president for the past five years, first at East Hills, then at the Heights, and currently at the middle dchool. She has served on numerous committees in the district, and is a member of both the Middle School Crisis Intervention team and the Interviewing team for perspective new staff members in various schools. For the past twelve years, Ms. Combs has also been a religious education teacher at St. Mary's in Roslyn. She is also a member of the Heights Civic Association.

"I believe that I would be an asset to the Roslyn Board of Education as an individual who is honest, loyal, sensitive, and non-judgmental," she said. "In my diverse leadership roles I am an active listener with effective communication skills. I am an organized and efficient worker that is dedicated to the tasks that lie before me. I will be in the school system longer than most individuals and [I] welcome the opportunity to be a part of the leadership role that Roslyn has taken in so many important issues that impact our children."