Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association

Candidate for Abington Board of School Directors

Download & print PDF with an overview of all candidates, individual responses and questions to be asked at the Forum on October 27, 2011. RMCA and our co-hosts are pleased to provide this candidate an opportunity to present qualifications and priorities. These are the opinions of the candidate and RMCA does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of the content or typographic errors: 

In your view, what function does the Board of School Directors provide in the School District?
The function of the Board of School Directors is multi-faceted and includes:
1)  Governing by setting policy through a collaborative strategic planning process that sets goals, involving curriculum, student growth and achievement, professional development, , and adopting a financial plan with both short and long term goals.
2)  Advocating for a comprehensive system of public education, engaging and promoting community support; allocating resources to facilitate student achievement, and maintaining legislative awareness and communication;
setting goals with and evaluating the superintendent, employing qualified staff to meet student and program goals.
3)  Govern responsibly by staying current with changing needs and requirements of public education, engaging all community stakeholders, complying with board policy and other laws, operating as a collective board in making decisions.
4)  Delegating responsibility for implementation of board policy to the superintendent, assessing student growth and achievement using data, and evaluating the effectiveness of all of the above.

What role do you envision for yourself on the Board of School Directors? What experience do you bring to the position and what do you want to accomplish?
I was appointed to the Board by a bi-partisan group of directors 5 years ago.  At that time, I was a parent in the District and had been attending Board meetings regularly for approximately 8 years. I have served on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and the Governor’s Institute for Parental Involvement as part of Abington School District’s delegation.

Additionally, I was a vocal participant in the District’s meetings to determine the community’s wishes as Copper Beech was built, and again when it was time to rebuild/build the remaining elementary schools, Highland, Roslyn, Willow Hill and Overlook.  On a smaller scale, I was extremely active in my children’s elementary school PTO, from classroom parent to Publishing Center Chair, to PTO Vice President and finally President.

In the past 5 years, I have been a very active member of the Board, serving on many Superintendent’s and Board committees including the Environmental Resources and Conservation; Gifted Education;  Textbook;  2008 Strategic

Planning Committee - Steering Committee; Personnel, Property/Real Estate, Township/Borough Liaison; Abington Human Relations Advisory Council and Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Legislative Council.  I believe my experience both as a member of the Board as a whole and as a member of these various committees provides me with a larger overview of the inside workings of the district, what representatives of the community are thinking with regard to many issues and also provide me with the opportunity to learn more about these issues and how they affect the Abington schools.

In addition, I serve on the Board of Trustees for the Montgomery County Community College as well as being a Parenting Educator with the Center for Parenting Education.  My viewpoints as a School Board Director are
enhanced as a result of my work with these two excellent organizations.  I am constantly learning new information about such things as workforce training and college preparedness and my training and experience as a teacher for the Parenting Center helps me better understand the problems, challenges and rewards of parents today. 

Being informed on these and other similar issues helps me be a well-rounded school board director for Abington School District.

My goal as a school director is to serve the Abington and Rockledge communities by seeing that the school district continues to provide our students with an excellent public school education while being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers.

The School District has a budget of $130 million. What are your funding priorities over the next four years?
As a school board director, I have worked with the rest of the Board and administration to be fiscally responsible – assuring that taxpayer dollars are not being wasted, but used carefully to provide the students of Abington School District with the best possible education; to prepare them to be good citizens; well-rounded, well-educated and prepared for either college, job training or the workforce. These will be my priorities for the next four years as well.

RMCA is co-hosting the Forum with the Abington Cheltenham Jenkintown League of Women Voters and Abington Parent Council (PTA & PTOs).

References and Links  
Strategic Plan Mid-point Review 
2011 Budget Summary
Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators White Paper 
Teachers' Agreement 
Memo on Rights and Responsibility of Students 
Board Communications