Henry Assetto (Region II)

About the Candidate

Tell us about you: (Such as your family, children, are they CASD graduates etc.)

My dear wife Angelina and I have been very happily married for 45 years. She has always been right by my side and encouraging me. She worked for 19 years for the school district in learning support and as an emotional support person. We worked together at Gordon Middle School for many years and we now work together teaching at Longwood gardens.  My Children are CASD grads: a teacher, Architect, 2 Lawyers and a corporate exec.

Tell us about what you do for a living:

I taught History for 40 years, I teach at Longwood Gardens part time now.

Public Service:

Civil Service Commissioner and History Commission

Campaign Website: None

Campaign Facebook Page: None 

“I applied for a seat on the school board because I want to help improve the future of this district. I have encouraged all the board to look very carefully into expanding STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering the Arts and Math) I have been looking at this whole new way of learning. Students today are different from those that I taught. Technology has been a part of their entire lives. STEAM gets them up and more involved in their own education. As a Social Studies teacher there is still the possibility of Social Studies driving the curriculum. We must all work together for a better future.”

What motivated you to run for the school board?

With my many years in education I thought I might be able to help.

What skills or experiences do you have that makes you different from the current board members or those running?

I have had a great career. I served on the National Education committee and House of Delegates for NCSS, I was a member of the National Social Studies Supervisors Assoc. I served 16 years on the Executive Board of the PA Council for the Social Studies and was Awards Chairman for the State. I was the National History Teacher of the Year 1999 2000. I edited the bestselling History Textbooks for Houghton Mifflin Pub. CO. I edited scripts for the Schlesinger Video series on US History.  I was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Twin Valley Ed. Assoc.

Do you primarily see yourself as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system?

Community ✔     |       School System

Please Explain:  I believe that all School Board members must represent the community because the school district is there to serve the community

What type of opportunities/strengths do you feel CASD has and how do we accomplish them?

I believe we have a very serious perception problem. This school district encompasses 75 square miles in the heart of Chester County, one of the richest counties in the state. Yet we cannot attract new residents or business to the district. I remember when Coatesville was called the Heart of Chester Co. We had it all until it was decided that Coatesville would be the place to warehouse the poor. We have done an outstanding job of educating everyone for the past 60 years but it now is becoming unsustainable. This district must be more competitive with the rest of Chester County Schools.

What is the most pressing issues facing the CASD and how would you address them when you are on the school board?

The most serious problem facing the Coatesville Area School District today is diminishing returns. We must do anything and everything in our power  to increase the tax base not the tax rate. What will it take to improve the school district so that we can attract new families to consider moving into the school district and encourage the parents of children attending charter schools to attend our schools. We must make Chester County realize that we have done a tremendous job of educating the majority of the poor residents of the county for more than 60 years. We see the other communities in Chester County prospering while we stagnate. Phoenixville and Kennett Square are both experiencing a renaissance. What can be done to bring this prosperity to Coatesville? We live in the middle of one of the wealthiest counties in the state. We must do whatever we can to bring about positive change. 

Please share your ideas on the challenge of balancing the budget, while not cutting too many programs or jobs?

 

I am very anxious to hear all about the upcoming discussions on the budget. I am very aware of the fact that the residents can no longer have tax increases. We must do all in our power to increase the tax base not the tax rate. Last Tuesday I traveled to Harrisburg and met with 4 legislators. They must understand that we need help from the state. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King said there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. Now is the right time to help this district

The hiring and retaining of highly qualified teachers and administrators has become more and more challenging. How would you help CASD address this issue?  

Having been a teacher for my lifetime career I believe our professional educators are the most important asset this district has. They meet with and work with our students every day. We must open lines of communication and work together to do everything we can to move this district toward a much better future.

What are your thoughts on the current discipline problem and what will you do to address it?

I had a reputation as a strict taskmaster. I had very high expectations for all of my students. I believe that an education does not come cheaply or easily. I encouraged my students to realize that a good education is the key to a better future.  I had very, very few discipline problems in my classroom.  I kept my students engaged in their own learning. I believed that every teacher must be a teacher of language and reading because that is the way we learn. I used Social Studies as the vehicle to teach basic learning skills. I am anxious to open discussions about discipline.

What are some of your ideas for improving school safety and significantly reducing bullying in our schools? 

The Pennsylvania school code says that no one will be allowed to disrupt the learning of others. Sadly the subject of bullying and school safety is today a serious problem nationwide. One of the great assets of the district is that our students very early get to know and appreciate the differences and the qualities we all have in common. They develop a respect for the beliefs and cultures of our diverse population and they learn to work together.

If a parent comes to you with a particular school issue, how do you see your role as school board member to resolve that issue?

All during my years of teaching I worked very closely with parents to solve problems. I spent untold hours talking with troubled students and parents and doing everything in my power to solve problems. I had a great reputation with students’ parents and other teachers and administrators as a problem solver.

How transparent do you feel the district is now?

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Looking forward, what are your views on transparency and what kinds of school-district information should be made public? (Excluding information that pertains to student records and the particulars of personnel records that would constitute an invasion of privacy.)

Everything that is legally open for view should be available for the public to see. 

Are you committed to a yearly survey of families, students, graduates, community residents, faculty and staff about what they see as major strengths and shortcomings of the district and its schools?  

Are you committed to yearly surveys?   ✔

Are you committed to publicly sharing the results? ✔

Why or why not?   I would favor public surveys the more people we can get involved the better things can become. There are many very intelligent educated and successful people who live within this district lets form a think tank with residents input to make things better for all. It does no good at all for anyone to sit and complain or have only a negative attitude. Let’s all join together with a new commitment to do all we can to bring about positive change. 

Have a question for the candidate?  

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