It is our pleasure to pen this letter in support of Emily Beys for re-election to the Port Washington School Board.  We have been lucky enough to not only observe Emily through her dedication and leadership as president of the current board, but also to get to know Emily as a neighbor.

As two people who have been actively involved in both the district and other organizations in town, we know how challenging leadership can be and how much work and patience it takes to get things done.   Perhaps there has been no greater challenge than to lead the school board during these last two years during the pandemic.  Working within the district, with parents, teachers and children often poses specific challenges and pressures, and with heightened emotions over the past two years perhaps more than ever before.

Emily led the board with a steady hand trying to balance the interests of parents, students and teachers at the same time.  During that time, she made herself accessible and was always willing to hear various views.  She allowed parents to speak their mind, even if the result was meetings several hours long.

Like many parents, we often would reach out to Emily to not only express our concerns, but ask questions about policies in place.  She would always return our emails or calls, or stop by on her daily walks about the neighborhood to ask for our input and explain the board’s line of thinking.

Going forward, let us all hope that the health challenges will be in the past and that the board can continue to focus on continued excellence for our students. We are confident that Emily will continue to dedicate the necessary efforts, accessibility and leadership to continue to make her mark on the district and are proud to endorse her for reelection to the School Board.

Proud to support our neighbor and friend Emily Beys for school board

Ilana Engel

Matt Engel

Port Washington