Endorsements for Erica German for Scarsdale School Board

These letters were submitted by Nan Berke, Shilpa Spencer, Radhika Dewan, Tina Lin and Sharon Chesler.

(Letter from Nan Berke)

As a former Edgewood and SHS PTA President, and a former member of the SBNC and co-chair of the SBNC Administrative Committee, I know that the School Board Nominating Committee can work well. It has helped make Scarsdale schools what they are. I have also seen times when the SBNC gets it wrong. This tends to happen when personal agendas dominate the group.

While I know none of the people running for school board this year, or what happened in this year’s SBNC, two things pop out:

Mr. Zeigler has not lived in Scarsdale long enough or volunteered with the schools in any meaningful way. If you want to devise ways to change and improve something, you first need a solid understanding of how it works.

Education is Scarsdale’s industry; I think it is vital to pick someone who has shown a commitment to thoughtfully learning about how our schools operate. Mr. Zeigler is not yet that person.

Ms. German, on the other hand, has ample experience with the schools. Why was she not chosen as a school board candidate? Those outside of the SNNC Committee do not know, but it is baffling.

I will be voting for Erica German. I respect her experienced and very thoughtful approach to running for school board. I applaud her for running outside the system. Fortunately, the SBNC is structured to allow for the possibility of outside candidates, making it more democratic. Non-SBNC candidates have run and won before, and served this community well. I think Erica will do the same.

Nan Berke
258 Nelson Road

(Letter from Shilpa Spencer)

Dear Scarsdale 10583,
I am writing this letter (in my individual capacity) to wholeheartedly voice my support of Erica German for the Scarsdale Board of Education. As a long-time Scarsdale resident and fellow PTA volunteer, I have had the privilege of working alongside Erica for years, and I can say with confidence that she would be an extraordinary addition to our Board.

Erica is also one of those rare people who combines genuine warmth with exceptional capability. She cares deeply about every member of this community - not just as a leader, but as a person. She listens carefully, asks the right questions, and always keeps the needs of students and families at the center of her work. In every volunteer role I have seen her take on, she brings the same tireless energy and thoughtfulness.

What strikes me most about Erica is her ability to hold space for different perspectives with civility and respect, which is a quality that feels especially important right now. She doesn't lead by imposing her own agenda; she leads by listening first, building consensus through respectful dialog, and focusing on what is best for our children. Erica will listen to all voices, will represent all of us, and will work diligently to collaborate across disparate ideas and agendas. This, above all else, feels so critically important in our elected leadership and is my strongest reason for endorsing her.

But I have many additional reasons why I know she is the right person to join the BOE right now. Erica is exceptionally and uniquely qualified for this role because of her 17 years of volunteerism on behalf of Scarsdale families and our children. She has rolled up her sleeves and done the real work for many, many years. She understands the critical importance of the work she does, she understands the great impact that Board leadership has on our community, and she has very firsthand knowledge of the breadth and depth of diversity that makes Scarsdale the uniquely beautiful community that it is. Erica has lived in Scarsdale for almost 2 decades, she has raised many children through our school system, and has put in the time and work to develop a strong understanding of the complexities and beauty in our community. The PTC role alone requires her to collaborate across all seven schools, working with parents, teachers, and administrators on issues ranging from student wellness to special education to technology, but she preceded that with years of service in a multitude of other roles within Scarsdale. And even if more compelling than her very extensive experience, is very strong passion for our shared community, and unrelenting desire to serve it.

Her professional background as a practicing psychiatrist gives her a perspective that is uniquely valuable on a school board today. She understands in a deep way that student well-being and academic excellence are inseparable, and she brings both clinical insight and human compassion to that understanding. As a mother of four children who have attended Scarsdale schools, she also lives these issues personally.

Erica German is the correct choice for one of the Board of Education seats, and we would be making a mistake as a community if we didn’t elect her. Please join me in voting for her.

Shilpa Spencer

(Letter from Radhika Dewan)

I am writing this letter in my personal capacity.

I am very pleased to support Erica’s candidacy for the Board of Education.

I have known Erica for over 10 years, and one of my earliest interactions with her has stayed with me. When I was new to Scarsdale, Erica was chairing the garden club at Quaker Ridge. She went out of her way to make me feel welcome and took the time to give me the “cliff notes” on QRS & the community. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes about who she is — inclusive, generous with her time, and deeply invested in helping others feel part of the community.

Over the years, I have seen those same qualities reflected in her broader involvement in our schools. She has taken on numerous PTA leadership roles, including serving as PTA President at Quaker Ridge School, where I had the opportunity to work closely with her. I saw firsthand how seriously she takes the work, how thoughtfully she approaches issues, and how committed she is to doing what is best for students and families.

What I have always appreciated about Erica is her calm, measured approach. She listens carefully, considers different perspectives, and brings people together in a constructive way. Those qualities matter enormously in a Board of Education member.

What also sets Erica apart is the breadth of her experience as a parent in the district. Having had children progress through elementary, middle, and high school, she brings a comprehensive, ground-level understanding of the student experience across all stages. She has a strong pulse on both student and community needs, and she understands how decisions made at the board level translate into real outcomes for families.

I believe Erica would bring judgment, experience, and a genuine commitment to the community and to the Board of Education, and I am happy to support her.

Radhika Dewan

(Letter from Tina Lin)

Dear Scarsdale10583,

I am writing to express my unequivocal support for Erica German for the Scarsdale Board of Education (BOE). With extensive experience as a PTA leader and as a psychiatrist, a thoughtful analytical approach, and genuine kindness, Erica would be an outstanding Board member. The challenges faced by our community and our students are difficult and nuanced, but Erica possesses the skills, the relationships, and the temperament to lead effectively. I offer this endorsement as a private citizen, unrelated to my position on the Scarsdale High School PTA Executive Committee.

As a long-time PTA and community volunteer, I share several mutual friends with Erica and have long heard others sing her praises, but I did not have the privilege of working with her until she and I served on the Parent Teacher Council (PTC) together as Presidents of our respective schools’ PTAs in 2023-2024. During our time together on the PTC, I was impressed by Erica’s ability to ask appropriate questions, articulate critical points of an issue, and propose consensus-driven solutions. Her careful and thorough edits to PTC statements demonstrated her sensitivity, attention to detail, and appreciation of how words matter. At the same time, Erica recognizes that actions speak loudly. With an unfaltering “can-do” and “will-do” attitude, she can be relied upon for any task, from attending lengthy BOE budget meetings to assembling a complicated balloon arch for a SMS 8th grade event (even without having an 8th grader).

To the BOE, Erica would bring important institutional knowledge and trusted relationships, built from many years of being a collaborative volunteer and an involved parent of four children in Heathcote, Quaker Ridge, Scarsdale Middle School, and Scarsdale High School. Erica was a volunteer class parent, led multiple committees at various levels, and served on the QRS PTA Executive Committee as VP of Class Parents (2016-2018), President-Elect (2022-2023), and President (2023-2024). She is currently the President of the Scarsdale PTC. Having established mental health and emotional well-being as critical components of our children’s education, the BOE will also benefit from Erica’s professional expertise as a psychiatrist.

Erica knows Scarsdale Schools; she knows the processes; she knows the people; she knows the community; and she knows the issues. She is a candidate who will seamlessly transition onto the Board of Education and be impactful from day one.

Above all else, I trust Erica. At her core, she is generous and compassionate. She listens with an open mind and has always treated others with respect and civility. I have the utmost confidence that she will act with integrity and make balanced decisions based on insightful analysis, consideration of all perspectives, and most importantly, with our students as the priority.

I hope that you will vote for Erica German for the Scarsdale Board of Education on May 19th.

Best Regards,
Tina Lin
19 Murray Hill Rd.

(Letter from Sharon Chesler)

I'm writing in my personal capacity as a Scarsdale resident - not in my role as the Membership Chair of the Greenacres Neighborhood Association, or as a board member of Scarsdale Little League.

I've known Erica German for years — as a neighbor, a fellow parent, a PTA colleague, and a fellow baseball mom cheering from the bleachers. I'm writing because I believe she would be an extraordinary member of our Board of Education, and I want every Scarsdale voter to know why before May 19th.

Erica has been embedded in our schools for 17 years — not as an occasional presence, but as someone who shows up consistently, does the unglamorous work, and builds real relationships with teachers, administrators, and families across all Scarsdale schools. She served as PTA President and Parent-Teacher Council President, working with all seven PTAs. For the past two years, she has attended nearly every public Board of Education meeting — not because she had to, but because she cared enough to show up before she ever decided to run. I watched her do this work up close. She listens before she speaks. She brings people together rather than dividing them. She earns trust rather than demanding it.

What makes Erica's candidacy truly exceptional is the combination of what she brings as a parent and as a professional. She is a practicing psychiatrist whose career informs her understanding of student mental health and wellness — at a moment when every one of us is worried about our kids. This isn't a credential on a resume. It's the lens through which she sees every policy question. When the board debates scheduling, curriculum, or how we support struggling students, Erica will ask the questions a psychiatrist asks: Is this actually working for kids? Who are we not reaching?

She is also a parent of four children who have grown up in our schools — two SHS graduates, one current SHS student, and one still in elementary school. Not only has she lived every stage of Scarsdale schools: the excitement of elementary school, the social complexity of middle school, the pressure of SHS, and the college process. She is still in it, right alongside the rest of us.

I respect the work the SBNC does. But I'd ask our community to consider this: the nomination came down to a committee of 30 people, with just 16 votes needed to secure it. That is a small group to speak for an entire town. Our democratic process exists precisely for moments like this — so that Scarsdale voters, not a subset of them, make the final call. And Erica has given us every reason to choose her.

Some have suggested that Erica's deep involvement in our schools makes her less qualified — that familiarity is somehow a form of bias. I'd ask you to consider that argument carefully. Every board member brings a perspective. The question is whether that perspective is grounded in real knowledge and genuine commitment, or whether it's simply new. As a psychiatrist, Erica has spent her entire career making sure her own viewpoint doesn't cloud her judgment — that's literally part of her professional training. What 17 years in these schools gives her isn't a predetermined agenda. It's the knowledge to ask the right questions, and the relationships to understand what the answers actually mean. Experience isn't bias. It's preparation. And it's exactly what we need on this board.

Erica said this about why she decided to run: "On a personal level, this decision is also meaningful to me as a parent. I want my four children to see that if you care deeply about something and believe you can contribute, it's worth continuing to step forward, even if the first path doesn't work out." That's not a campaign line. That's character.

If this letter isn't enough to get you to vote for Erica — I encourage you to visit ericagerman10583.com and see for yourself. Read her priorities, her background, and what her neighbors are saying. Five minutes on that site will tell you everything you need to know.

This is a three-way race for two seats. If you want to support Erica, please vote for her and her alone — every vote counts, and splitting your ballot helps the opposing slate.

Scarsdale is lucky to have a neighbor like Erica willing to serve. I hope you'll join me in voting for her.

Sharon Chesler