What motivated you to run for the school
board?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: I was motivated to run for school board after seeing
the lack of support the children were receiving in Coatesville school district.
After moving into the district I quickly realized the children needed someone
to advocate for them and put their interests first.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: My adult life has been dedicated to the service of special education,
mental and behavioral health advocacy and systems change. My motivation to run
comes from the firm belief in the importance of an equal and equitable
educational opportunity for ALL students regardless of their challenges or
abilities. As a district we need to continue to build on our strengths while
being solution based on the areas where we need to improve.
Special Education,
mental and behavioral health are areas in which we need to improve to give the
children and youth an equitable learning experience and provide opportunities
for success. By doing so, this also builds a culture of acceptance, nurture,
success, and safety for all students. I bring a different skill set to the
Board of Directors that is needed to increase the success of the Special
Education Department. My goals for Special Education come from a practice
level, using data, meaningful and appropriate service and supports, as well as,
the business and financial aspects that drive the ability to provide
programming that is individual to all students.
Region II
Assetto: With my many years in education I thought I might be able to help.
Harlan: Both of my children. My daughter
is in 5th grade at Reeceville and she is reading on a 1st grade level and she
has been there for the past three years. The special education department is
very flawed and special education is my passion. I want to be the voice for the
families that are able to talk or understand how the special education works.
Our son had some issues happening at school and they never did anything to help
him. This can’t continue.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): I was made aware of some shady doings i.e.
putting a gag order on a citizen by the District. That action disturbed me
because as a citizen and taxpayer you have the right to voice yourself. That
led me write a letter requesting the Legal Expenses incurred by the District
which when the response was received noted that 3.8 million dollars had been
spent since the current Administration came to power. In the same response it
was noted that "WE HAVE NO RECORDS". That floored me. As a retired
Federal Investigator you have to have records for money spent.
Region III
Finkbohner:
After speaking with many community members and educators within the
district, I realized that our district was in dire need of repair. Not just
from an academic standpoint, but furthermore from a financial and business
operation perspective. It was after watching decision after decision being made
within our district and hearing from community members who just felt helpless, it
was time for me to be a part of the solution and not the problem. It was time I
pursued a change. It was time the community had a voice.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills: I am running for the Coatesville school board, because….
I care deeply about
our children, our teachers and the Coatesville School District community.
I am concerned about
the District’s management: we have raised taxes; implemented sketchy
instructional programs; reduced the services provided to our students with
disabilities and have disturbing charter school flight. And we lag behind the
other districts in Chester County academically and with innovative educational
programs.
I believe we (the
District) need to CHANGE DIRECTION we need to Go Forward rather than to
continue to go backwards.
What skills or experiences do you have that
makes you different from the current board members or those running?
Region I
Carter: Declined to
participate
Harris:
Being an active
parent of children in the school district
Integrity: I will do
what’s right for the students and faculty
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: I have over 30 years of extensive training and professional job
experience in special education, mental and behavioral health, as well as,
relationship building, communications, marketing, planning, finding solutions
for problems, business management and coordination, facilitation, training, and
board and committee leadership.
MY EDUCATION - Family Peer Support Specialist Credentialed
Trainer, 30+ years of extensive training in Special Education, Mental and
Behavioral Health, Youth Mental Health Certified and multiple Leadership and Communication
trainings, including from the Georgetown University in 2018 and 2019.
Region II
Assetto: 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.
Harlan: My experience is Special Ed. My skill is being a
team player, listening to everyone’s opinion and understanding even if there
opinion doesn’t line up with mine. I am a mom of two children with special
needs I get it and I am relatable. When I tell parents in the community that I
understand, I truly understand.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): I am somewhat hard nosed from the
standpoint that I don’t accept everything that appears in writing. I also
firmly believe that Teacher teat and should not be forced to do things that are
wrong. As a board member the Superintendent answers to the Board not that the
Board answers to the Administration. Wrong doing by anyone is not allowed. Any
action taken by the Administration that involved staff must have the approval
by the Board as well as a written legal opinion before taking any action.
Region III
Finkbohner: My set of skills relate most closely to the business
and financial aspect of the duties of a school board member. While I also have
a vested interest in the education of our students, my strong points relate to
business and finance.
I
currently serve as the Vice President of my HOA Board of Directors, and I had
previously served as a board member for the West Chester Area Men’s Softball
Organization so I understand the importance of budgeting and being fiscally
conservative while projecting short- and long-term costing. I also have worked
in Customer Relations for several years and I understand what it means to
deliver a product to your "customers" that meet their needs to keep
them using your product, which in our case is providing the community with an
educational system they want to be a part of. And right now, we are not doing
this, and it is indicative by the number of students who are leaving our
district to obtain an education somewhere else.
A
life experience I was fortunate to have was that sports were my life growing up
and specifically basketball was my sport of choice. I learned at a very young
age that you cannot win a game all by yourself. You must learn to work in
unison as a team in order to achieve your goals. The same approach applies to
the school board. If you have 9 members functioning as individuals, you will
not achieve the levels in which you strive for. I bring a background of
understanding the importance of working as a team to achieve success.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
I have been in the
business of education for over 30 years, working for school districts and education
companies.
I have been on the
front line, teaching Coatesville students and in the back-office working hard
with others in the running of our school district. I have had the good fortune of participating
in big state-wide initiatives such as, The Governor’s Urban Academy and LEAPS
(the Leadership Academy for School Administrators) and also with the University
of Pennsylvania, Minority Student Consortium.
While in District
Office I saw first-hand the district’s academic achievement grow year by year.
We were a slim
Central Office staff … we all had to pitch in and work as a team to get the job
done so I also worked on Professional Development, New Teacher Induction, the
Strategic Plan, Staffing and Grant Budget Management.
After 10 years I
retired from the District but I did not retire from education. For the following eight years I worked as an
Education Consultant out of my home office in West Caln. I supported implementing innovated
educational programs in districts and schools across the country, Colorado,
Delaware, New Mexico, Texas and Utah to name a few.
In 2018 I joined the
staff of the Coatesville Area Public Library where I continue to work with
students, parents and community members of the same municipalities served by
CASD: Caln, Coatesville, South Coatesville, East Fallowfield, Valley , West
Brandywine and West Caln.
Do you primarily see yourself as a
representative of the community or as a representative of the school system?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: Community - As a representative of the community.
The students and faculty are the community and their interest come first.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: Community - As a
School Board Director, I see myself as both. I am a representative of my region
and community. My PRIMARY role is that of a representative of my community it
is imperative to be open, transparent, honest and listen to what the members
feel are strengths, concerns. My goal is to build a culture of community
engagement and true voice. Our community is blessed with many, many folks that
have talents, experience, and abilities to help inform and build CASD into a
district that others would like to replicate. We need use/engage all our
collective voices and skills! As a
representative of CASD it is my job to bring professionalism to my role. To
“shout out” our strengths and all the wonderful opportunities within the district.
To be strength based in my approach to solutions and ideas. Work in a
collaboration with the administrators, teachers and staff. Listening, hearing
their concerns, using their many talents, to build a culture where folks want
to work and spend their entire career.
As a representative of both the community and school system it is my
pleasure to bring leadership, accountability and transparency to both roles.
Region II
Assetto: Community - I believe that all School Board members must
represent the community because the school district is there to serve the
community.
Harlan: Community - I have lived in this district all of my
life, I am a proud graduate of CASD. The community is a big part of me. A
school district is only as strong as their community. We need to bring the
community back to the school system. We need to listen to the community and
hear what their concerns are, and let them know we hear them.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): Community - The Community elects
the Board, but your main goal is to make the school and students better.
Region III
Finkbohner: Community - While I selected community, I believe
that it is my job as a school board member to act as a representative of the
community and school system. After all, our community is who attends our
educational system. Any decision made should be determined a success or failure
by the overall impact on both community and our school system alike.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills: Community
- Please Explain: I see myself as both a
representative of the community AND as a representative of the school system.
The Pennsylvania School Board Association published the Seven Principles for
Governance and Leadership.
The first principle
is Advocate Earnestly:
- Promote public education as a keystone of democracy
- Engage the community by seeking input, building support networks, and generating action
- Champion public education by engaging members of local, state and federal legislative bodies.
As a CASD School
Director, I believe that to be an effective representative of the school
district one must also represent the community.
When the school district and the community have two views of reality,
there will be great dissatisfaction and distrust. CASD cannot be truly successful unless
District Leadership, the School Board, Parents, Community Members, along with
Teachers and Staff work together for the good of the cause.
What type of opportunities/strengths do you
feel CASD has and how do we accomplish them?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris:
- 1st opportunity: Provide additional support for students with special needs. This can be accomplished by adding more support in the classroom and bringing back special needs classrooms.
- 2nd opportunity: Provide alternative paths for kids instead of focusing solely on college. For the kids that do want to go to college, make sure they are prepared.
- 3rd opportunity: Better parent and school relationship. Have more programs that promote school involvement.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago:
We have strengths in the
diversity of our students and community. As I stated above one of the
opportunities we have is to bring in the expertise in the Coatesville area to
work alongside the district in, decision making, planning, and implementation
in all areas of needs (Financial, Operations, Curriculum, Special Education,
and Technology.) We can reduce costs by using a collective and collaborative
approach to reaching goals. We need to optimize the use of grants, pilot
programs and free technical assistance to better enhance the programming while
reducing costs.
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: CASD can become a school that other schools could
model. We should set up focus groups with the community and talk with them and
listen to what they would like to see at the school. Are we going to be able to
address everything at one time, no but that is when we will need to prioritize
these needs. We need to empower our parents and our community to help us with
this. There are plenty of resources in Chester County that we need to take full
advantage of. I think one of the first items that needs to be addressed is
hiring a grant writer so we can take advantage of the opportunities that are
out there.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): We have some young teachers some
or most of them graduated from Coatesville and want to give back to the school
and district from which they graduated. The take pride in their work, however,
the current Administration interferes with the educational process.
Region III
Finkbohner:
I firmly believe, that with proper leadership and direction, CASD can be
a district that sets an example for other districts to model. Community
engagement is key. We have a community who cares about CASD and the education
their children are receiving. The board needs to show them that we are willing
to listen and work to address their concerns.
In
addition, there are a plethora of grant opportunities available that I
personally do not feel are being fully taken advantage of. We need to make it a
point to looking into grant writing to enhance our position as a district.
Lastly, Chester County is one of the most desirable places to live in
Pennsylvania and if we can improve the educational system we can begin to
entice businesses to develop here in Coatesville which will benefit our
community in so many ways.
I
love Coatesville and our community, and I like many others have made a huge
financial investment of buying a home here. We have a very close-knit community
who support one another and that speaks volumes. We should look to continue to
build off of this in the future.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
CASD has an
opportunity to CHANGE DIRECTION. What
the District is doing now IS NOT WORKING.
The District’s
Academic Growth as measured by the State is going backwards.
- Many families are moving out of the Coatesville School District.
- More families are sending their students to charter schools.
- School safety has become the primary concern for many families.
- There is toxic climate created by the District Leadership in the way teachers and staff are treated.
- There is a brain drain of talented educators and administrators who have left our District.
- I am concerned that our community, does not have a voice … does not have a mechanism for sharing concerns with and getting answers from the School Board and District Leadership. We have become the SILENCED majority.
I acknowledge there
are points of pride: CASD Sports
Programs for one. However, only a small
number of our students will have careers in life in sports. We need to do more for all CASD students to
be successful and have hope for their futures.
We need to DO MUCH MORE.
What is the most pressing issues facing the
CASD and how would you address them when you are on the school board?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: The most pressing issue is special education. When I
am on the board I would address this by doing more research on IEPs and
pressing for more resources to allow us to follow these IEPs. Push for students
getting the services that they need.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: I believe there are several pressing issues or priorities, financial
(including taxes), special education implementation including: gifted, mental
and behavioral health, a culture in which the staff do not feel support and
valued that causes a “revolving door” of staff (which impacts us financially in
training and re-training and student and family engagement), and the inability
to keep families in the district which increases the drain on the district
financially.
I do not believe that
the board can effectively address them without some internal and external
changes.
- We need to look at the direction the district is going by doing a root cause analyses of all programming and services.
- We need to address the concerns of the staff and work towards solutions that create a welcoming, professional culture by looking at the “why” in their concerns. I believe the staff should have the opportunity to help come up with the solutions and plan that they feel fits them. A plan doesn’t work without the input and buy in from the participants.
- We need to re-design the special education department, programming, services and supports by providing for the needs of ALL the students
- We need sub committees comprised of community, parents, and professionals to brainstorm and plan using their expertise in areas of finance, marketing (vs paying a marking company), special education, gifted education, community engagement (not just involvement), technology and grant writing. What does the community, students, staff, teachers, administrators, parents feel they need or want? What do they feel are our strengths and concerns? I want to be transparent, let’s ask and share.
- I want to be completely transparent in where every penny the district spends is going, line by line.
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: For me the most pressing issue we
face is our Special Education department and programming is flawed. This also
plays into our discipline issues. A lot of the children who we are seeing
repeatedly in the office or getting suspended probably have an IEP and we need
to look at why their IEP isn’t being implemented correctly. I feel if we could
have more mental health staff this would help with the discipline issue as well
as meeting our students where they are when it comes to their mental health.
Every behavior is a way of communication for our students. We need to
understand what is going on so that we can make sure we are supporting them the
best way. We need to bring back our Emotional Support classrooms, our Autistic
Support classroom. We need to stop putting all the students together. In our ES
room we need to make sure that we have staff trained in understanding trauma,
and understanding emotional needs of students. This isn’t something that is
going to happen overnight, we need to work through this.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): First and foremost is
accountability by the current Administration, Secondly, the issue of no
records for the 3.8 million dollars spent for legal fees for the four year of
this administration shall be accounted for. We have to take a hard look at why
students left to go elsewhere, And along with everything else, we have to star
holding the line with taxes. Too many of our citizens are retired and on fixed
incomes and raising taxes every year does not help.
Region III
Finkbohner: Charter School Exodus. I mention this as the most
pressing concern because this has such a profound impact on so many aspects
from education to community. The impact
Charter School exodus has had on our educational system is that it has allowed
us to be able to determine the short-comings of our school district that is
driving families away from CASD. Items such as Special Education, Curriculum
and Discipline are some of the top reasons for families choosing to send their
children to Charter Schools as opposed to CASD.
Using
this information, our district should focus on these concerns and work to
improve them to retain our student body and attract more families to attend
CASD. The community impact is in relation to tax dollars. Every student that
leaves to Charter Schools negatively impacts the community’s pockets with taxes
being raised to balance the district’s budget.
Onto
the main question of how can this be fixed? Special Education can be improved
by providing our students with better supports (educational and behavioral) for
their individual needs. A very serious
conversation should be had about bringing back the Alternate Education and
Autistic Support programs into our district.
Also,
providing our teachers with the proper supports in order to effectively educate
our students. Next, we need to seriously re-evaluate our curriculum here in our
district. There needs to be constant evaluation and analysis of what is and is
not working for our students and educators.
We must maintain open dialogue with our teachers to hear their feedback
of what they find is and is not working for the students, after all they are
the ones in the classrooms each day. If we are to implement new programs, we
should be sure that these programs are what fits best within our district and
not what studies have shown to work.
We
need to better understand what will work for our district and when it is
determined what direction we will go academically, constantly evaluate the
process of these programs to ensure their effectiveness. We should be result
driven academically. Continual improvement in academic performance is
indicative that decisions within our educational system are working.
Lastly,
I believe that in improving Special Education and Academic Comprehension within
our district with the proper supports, we will see a significant improvement in
district discipline levels. The next step in improving discipline in our
district is consistency. When dealing with behaviors, it is important to be
consistent in the handling of these incidents. Inconsistency can further
confuse the students and in turn can lead to further disciplinary concerns.
This means a stronger level of support from administrators when a teacher is
handling a behavioral problem and not undermining them. We cannot have our
teachers feeling like they are helpless and on an island by themselves. Keeping
in mind we are all a team and want what is best for our students and working to
achieve the same goal.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
CASD is going
backwards. We need to change our
course. We need to move forward. And
start with the following:
- Review the most recent Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Goals with Superintendent and School Directors and establish goals based on that plan.
- Establish collaborative process with stakeholders from the community and the District to regularly review the District’s Comprehensive Plan to determine if established goals are being met; to determine if the plan needs to be changed or modified due to newly identified needs.
- Establish a School Safety Study Team with community and district members to determine what works, what is broken and how can we fix the issues that surround the District regarding school safety.
- Establish a Student Academic Achievement Study Team of content area experts to determine what is causing the District’s state scores to decline and to develop a plan to stop the decline and move forward.
- Repair and restore the relationship of District Leadership with teachers and staff caused in part by the contentious contract negotiations and Superintendent’s endless series of Loudermill Hearings.
How can this be
done? I believe that we need to bring in
outside experts with resources and methodologies to guide CASD Leadership,
Teachers/Staff, Parents and Community Members through a formal process to
review, reflect, brainstorm and implement changes for taking CASD forward.
(There are ways to bring in outside support without it being a hit to the
budget.)
Please share your ideas on the challenge of
balancing the budget, while not cutting too many programs or jobs?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: Cutting any more jobs or programs is not an
acceptable way to balance the budget. I would need to do more research on where
the money is allocated.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: Answered Above and Below
Region II
Assetto:
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
Harlan: This is where we need to think outside the box.
Let’s look at our resources that we have. We should go line by line to see what
we can change, use in house, or looking at things that we might not really
need. I think this is going to be an ongoing process, and I feel hiring a grant
writer could really help. I also think we really need to investigate waiving
all the fees that we waive. Right now, the district can’t continue to do this.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): This is somewhat difficult but
there are answers. First I would freeze all Administrative salaries. Secondly,
I would take a hard look at the contracts currently in place. And without doubt
that would not be any new construction activity In addition, I would look at
the maintenance of our buildings and wherever possible use volunteers, that’s
the way it was done when my children went to school, especially Clan.
Region III
Finkbohner: Without knowing the full financial scope of what our
district is currently dealing with due to a lack of transparency, I will speak
to this from a generic perspective. First and foremost, we as a district need
to perform a financial analysis of our spending on a regular basis and be
fiscally conservative with our spending. Determining whether it be monthly or
quarterly what our expenditures are and can they be reduced and how can they be
reduced?
We
also need to ensure that what we are spending on is justified and we are
receiving a return on that investment whether it be academically or
financially. I firmly believe that the last thing we as a district should do,
is cut programs for our students. These are imperative to the success of our
students in our district. Our school board and administration need to be
accountable if we are not being fiscally conservative and investing poorly in
the education and infrastructure of our district. I also believe that our
compounded debt should be addressed as quickly as possible as this is also
driving our expenses within our budget.
I
will not make any promises I cannot keep but I can assure you that cutting
programs for our students, cutting jobs and raising taxes are all items I would
prefer not to discuss when balancing budgets as nobody, including myself would
like to see any of this happen. If we can prioritize our driving expenses in
our district and work to minimize these, we can position ourselves in a
favorable capacity moving forward with a goal of zero tax increases for our
community.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
Where to start! I
believe we need to take a close look (a formal analysis) of outsourcing costs.
Are we really saving money OR are we just moving costs to another budget line?
I believe we need to take a close look (another formal analysis) of all legal
fees paid by the District. In particular, how much do we spend on attorneys to
have disciplinary hearings of administrators, teachers and staff? I believe we
need to take a close look at the data on the success or lack of success of our
instructional and professional development programs. If the District is not
moving forward, perhaps these programs should be retired and/or replaced. I
believe we need to take a close look at the data on the success or lack of
success of District Leadership. Based on the data, take the appropriate course
of action.
The hiring and retaining of highly qualified
teachers and administrators has become more and more challenging. How would you
help CASD address this issue?
Region I
Carter: Declined to participate
Harris: New teachers should be better vetted before hiring
is complete. We should be more selective of teachers and ensure they are here
for the right reasons and are diverse.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: We need to address the staff cultural issues first. FIRST, let’s ask them
in an honest way what they feel needs to change.
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: We need to let the teachers know that we hear them,
and we are working towards changing the things that we can at this moment. If
teachers and staff feel supported and heard, then they are going to want to
stay. It is going to be rough before it gets better, but we need to respect the
teachers and listen to them. They are the ones who are in the trenches every day.
They know what they need and what they don’t. I also think that board members
need to try and go into as many classrooms and schools as they can to get a
true understanding of what is going on and how we can help.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): Retaining good teachers and staff
is possible, however the current administration does not see it that way. Wrong
doers are fired with a negative mark. Illegal hiring practices are terminated.
There have been instances where former graduates have applied for a position in
the district and didn’t even get a reply, but got a job in another district.
The wrong doers are let go. In short if there is not a paper trail you are
gone.
Region III
Finkbohner: Diversity is a major concern of mine when it comes
to the educators in our district. I also find it appalling that we do not have
more teachers who are alumni of our district. These are two items that need to
be addressed moving forward.
I
believe also that if we can correct the reasons as to why teachers and
administrators are leaving and analyze those reasons and address them with the
intent of correction, we significantly improve the concerns over hiring as our
teachers who are here will want to stay. To be a teacher it takes a special
person. Someone who is passionate about education and has a desire to help
children. We have a staff here in CASD full of these types of educators and we
need to keep them here. We do so by listening to our teachers and hearing their
feedback of frustrations they have within our district. For educators and
administrators that leave our district, every month copies of their exit
interview questionnaires should be sent to all board members for their review.
Allowing them full visibility of the concerns within our district to help them
become educated and define areas of focus moving forward. It is unfortunate
that we have lost the educators and administrators that we have but we can
learn from these experiences moving forward.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
I believe that we
need to bring in outside experts with resources and methodologies to guide
stakeholders through a formal process to review, reflect, brainstorm and
implement a best-practices process for hiring and retaining highly qualified
teachers. We need to survey and formally
gather open and honest input from current teachers and comments from exiting
teachers. We need to do something about
what we hear/see other than punishing the messengers. (There are ways to bring
in outside support without it being a hit to the budget.)
What are your thoughts on the current
discipline problem and what will you do to address it?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: Discipline is a big issue that I cannot tackle by myself.
We as a whole need to research the best solutions for the kids and the faculty.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: We need to increase the supports and services for these students.
Implementation to the fidelity of the models the district is using for
inclusion, behavioral supports (PBIS) and restorative practices are critical.
We need to be collecting honest and transparent data to drive the programming.
Creating school based
mental and behavioral supports using a holistic approach is necessary to the
success in decreasing discipline issues. Training teachers extensively in all
aspects of what is needed in our district, for our population in trauma
informed care, suicide prevention, the effects of poverty, and equity.
Community/family engagement by providing educational opportunities to
share/train what each of these processes look like in practice when there is
fidelity to the model
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: I feel I answered this question in my above answer.
I alone cannot fix the problem. We must work together to fix this problem. I
don’t feel it is one issue, it is a multitude of problems and by addressing
special ed, I feel will be the beginning of fixing the discipline issue. I also
feel that we need to talk to the students to understand what is going on in
their building, why are they getting in trouble, what would motivate them to do
what is expected of them.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): One problem is the use of cell
phones. As for the current discipline problem, both students and parents must
be held accountable. Sending students a
JP is not the solution, it cost money. It’s time that we instill that you cause
a problem you get a suspension or serve detention after school. In short we
have to look at the current policy and if necessary re-write a new one. Again,
it comes back to accountability by the Administration.
Region III
Finkbohner: I believe that discipline problems in our district
stem from behavior problems. Behavior problems stem from poor Special Education
and education in our district. We have gifted students who are not being
challenged academically and we have students below grade level who are not
getting the support they need. If we can improve the Special Education in our
district, we will see a significant decrease in the behavioral problems which
in turn will positively impact the discipline problem we face.
I
also however feel that our teachers and principals need stronger support from
administration to handle discipline issues as they arise. Too often are our
teachers undermined as well as administrators which leaves them lost and
confused as to what they can and cannot do. Consistency is key. Consistent
handling of discipline will help the students as well as provide better
direction for teachers and principals. How can out teachers and principals lead
out students if they themselves are not provided with specific direction?
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills: I believe that the District has a broken approach to discipline. I have
spoken to many parents while campaigning, while walking my dog, while working
in the Coatesville Library and while “hanging out” with grandparents. The story is the same. There is a lack of meaningful
discipline. Their kids get hurt. They have no choice but to take their kids
out of the District.
In 2017 there was a
wonderful group of caring and interested administrators, parents, grandparents
and community members who came together formally and regularly to review,
reflect and brainstorm. Unfortunately,
District Leadership chose not to continue with this group and it never got to
the implementation step. Instead,
District Leadership put in some behavior modification programs to address the
problem. (Waiting for data to validate
success or lack of success on the behavior modification programs.)
What are some of your ideas for improving
school safety and significantly reducing bullying in our schools?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: There should be a zero bullying policy that should
be strictly followed throughout the schools.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: Addressing the previous issues above will help in these areas. It is all
intertwined together.
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: Bullying: seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce.
Teasing:
make fun of or attempt to provoke in a playful way.
I
think we need to educate the community, teachers, and students on the
difference. Sometimes I feel parents and students jump to bullying right away
when really it was teasing. Teasing happens all the time in school and even in
the adult world. We need to make sure that we all understand the difference
especially children. We also must understand their perception and help them to
understand the difference. Children learn from what they are exposed too, and
if they are seeing this at home, they learn this. We need to have more
community seminars to help our parents with raising their children. We must
look at our community and meet them where they are. We have a lot of children
being raised by grandparents who are tired, they already did this they don’t
want to do it again. We need to help them. I am not sure what this will look
like, but I am willing to try.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): As a retired Federal Investigator I served on
the Pennsylvania Hate Crimes Task Force which met two (2) a month. Both the students as well as the teachers and
administrators should take responsibility for listening to any complaints and
deal with the problem immediately. Too often the administrators don’t want to
deal with the problem when reported, which has been the cause many times. I
would lecture both students and administrators of their responsibilities.
Region III
Finkbohner: Consistency with discipline is a large contributing
factor to the discipline issue we are facing. Bullying is a nationwide problem
in the educational systems, and I believe we should try to utilize new opportunities
within our district.
In
our district, we should have speakers come in and speak to the students within
small groups to explain the profound impacts of bullying. This will allow our
students to become better educated on the detrimental effects of bullying and
hear first-hand experiences of its effects.
We should also explore opportunities such as ShredHate . The goal of
ShredHate is to reduce bullying incidents in schools by enhancing the
compassion of our youth. Programs such as this should be explored to help in
the fight against bullying.
Lastly,
enhancing our support systems internally to promote peer handling of bullying
situations helps to position our youth on the correct ways of handling bullying
scenarios.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
Discipline, school
safety and bullying are interrelated.
Establish a School
Safety Study Team with parents, grandparents, community members, teachers,
guidance counselors and district administrators to determine what works, what
is broken and how can we fix the issues that surround the District regarding
school safety. A range of data should be
collected and analyzed from surveys of parents, students and teachers to
teacher-generated discipline incidents reports (along with
principal-generated). At one time CASD
had a zero tolerance policy for bullying.
At one time CASD had programs for students on how to respond when being
bullied. Where did these programs
go? Where they replaced with something
better? Or not?
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?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: I
would listen to the parent. Then get all my facts in order and present the
issue to the school board (and other parties as needed) to resolve the issue at
hand.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: My role is to listen, hear and address the issue in
a transparent fashion immediately.
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: I would listen to the parent, and I would bring it
to the school board and discuss what the issue is and how we can resolve the
issue. We may not be able to resolve all issues, but we can certainly try.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): If the problems is a written approved school
policy I would sit down and explain it. If there was written policy I would try
to seek a solution. However, sometimes the problem could be self-made, to which
a common ground could be found. In short gather all of facts before making a
decision.
Region III
Finkbohner: I believe it to be my duty to hear and pursue the
concerns of the parent. It is my responsibility to follow claims and concerns
by parents. A prime example of this would be, during school board meetings the
board members should be more engaged with the community and respond, within
legal limitations to the concerns brought forth to them (board members).
Community
members feel as though they have no voice and that needs to be changed. We
cannot further drive a wedge between the community and school district.
Instead, we should be building bridges to understand that we should be working
in partnership with the community members as we all should be striving to
achieve the same goals.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
I see my role as one who listens to the issue, researches the
circumstance of the issue, shares the issue with School Principal and District
Leadership and other School Board Members as appropriate and prepares and
delivers a response to the parent. For
some issues a more formalized follow-up may be required based on how serious
the issue or response to the issue may be.
No response to a parent/community member is not acceptable.
How transparent do you feel the district is
now?
Region I
Carter: Declined to participate
Harris: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Hills:
Did not respond to our request to participate
Santiago: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Region II
Assetto: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Harlan: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Wuertz:
Declined to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Region III
Finkbohner: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Marshall:
Declined to participate
Mills: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Looking forward, what are your views on
transparency and what kinds of school-district information should be made
public?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris:
- The budget should be more transparent and easily accessible.
- Policy changes
- Removing of programs
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: As I have stated above we need to be as completely
transparent as the law allows the district to be. Communication and
relationship building with honesty are the key.
Region II
Assetto: Everything that is legally open
for view should be available for the public to see.
Harlan: I feel the district isn’t transparent at all, and
this is something that if I am elected will fight to change. We need to be more
transparent if we want the community to come to board meetings and talk and believe
that we want a change.
In
my opinion everything that can should be made public. We owe this to our
community. They need to understand and see where their tax dollars are go too.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in
Candidate): Too often than not, many of the
printed materials sent out to the parent via the post office, do not tell the
truth. As an example, committee meetings should be held at least 1 week prior
to the regular board meeting. The public has the right to have answers to
questions when raised during the open comment period, instead of put in writing
and you might get an answer. Too often especially with Administration they like
to use "Executive session" to do their work this way there is no
record.
Region III
Finkbohner: I personally do not feel the district is very
transparent and there is significant room for improvement. The more informed
the community is on the inter-workings of the district, the more awareness the
community will have and in turn we can assist the district in fixing some of
the problems we are facing. The
community at large should not have the perception that the district is hiding
items from the community as this is detrimental to our partnership. If the
board/district cannot be trusted there is no relationship with our community.
Specifically,
Financial and Operations information should be completely transparent. A
committee such as a CFA (Community Financial Advisors) should be formed to work
together with the school board to achieve financial improvement within the
district. This enhances community engagement as well as promotes transparency.
I also believe that financial line items should be public knowledge.
As a
community of taxpayers, everyone should have the right to know where their tax
dollars are being spent, especially during a time in which our finances are in
turmoil and tax hikes are conveyed as necessary. It is also important to be
fully transparent with the academic progress of our district. This will be a
direct reflection of the return on investment we as a community have regarding
educating our students.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
I find the lack of
transparency on the part of the District to be troubling. If one compares the web sites of other school
districts to CASD, one would find that the other districts provide much more
information on their strategic goals and more precise details in their
published comprehensive plans. CASD is less transparent about the how and what
the District does to educate our children; hire and retain teachers; gathered
data from parents, students, community members; and the District’s academic
performance on state standardized tests.
If one comes to a School Board Committee Meeting to learn/understand
there is no chance for dialog and to get answers to questions/concerns. Does CASD have any Strategic Goals?
Effective,
consistent, and open communication has been found to be strongly correlated
with successful organizations. It is important that a District communicate with
all parties – students, employees, parents and community – proactively and
intentionally.
What should be
published?
- District’s strategic goals noting short-terms actions, long-term actions and how they will be measured.
- Academic performance on standardized tests.
- Details of most financials, such as Independent Financial Audit and Vendor Contracts
- Survey results from teachers, staff, parents and community members. (should CASD give surveys)
Pretty much all
information should be public or made available upon request except information
that pertains to student records and the particulars of personnel records that
would constitute an invasion of privacy.
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?
Region I
Carter: DECLINED to participate
Harris: Are you committed to yearly surveys? ✔
Are you committed to
publicly sharing the results? ✔
Why or why not? The public has a right to see this
information and know what is influencing our decisions.
Hills: Did not respond to our
request to participate
Santiago: Are you committed to yearly surveys?
✔
Are you committed to
publicly sharing the results? ✔
Why or why not? I believe we should
disseminate fully transparent surveys twice a year. Let’s not wait until the
end of the year to address the needs, strengths, and concerns of families,
staff, faculty, and the community. Absolutely, not only should they be shared
they should be part of the process in establishing what needs to be asked.
Region II
Assetto:
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.
Harlan: Are you committed to yearly surveys? ✔
Are
you committed to publicly sharing the results? ✔
Why
or why not? I am committed to working
with the community and the district to come together and brainstorm ideas for a
yearly survey. I am not committed to just the community doing a survey on their
own and then presenting it to the board, I feel this will further divide us a
community. We want to work together so we need to work together. As long as it
is done in this manner I have no problems sharing the results.
Wuertz: DECLINED to participate
John E. Levan, Sr. (Write-in Candidate): Are you committed to yearly
surveys? ✔
Are
you committed to publicly sharing the results? ✔
Why
or why not? The public are the
taxpayers who deserve to know what is happening with their tax dollars.
Region III
Finkbohner: Are you committed to yearly surveys? ✔
Are
you committed to publicly sharing the results?
✔
Why or
why not? Absolutely, 100%. I firmly believe in accountability. I find
it to be a great idea to allow anyone with a voice in our district and
community to provide feedback to the board and admin. I believe in taking
constructional criticism about weaknesses and turning them into strengths.
After all, we as a district will only be as strong as our weakest link.
I
also believe that if the school board is making decisions that are not in the
best interest of the community and district, the community should have a way of
providing feedback to the board in the form of a CSAT. After all, the school
board position is an elected position by the community, and they have a right
to know the results. We should have nothing to hide so therefore the results
should be made public and we as a district should identify areas for
improvement. We as a district need to open to constructive criticism and not be
narcissistic in our approach to criticism. We should not condemn those who feel
our district is failing our students and community, instead we should embrace
them and work together with them to correct the educational system here in
CASD.
Marshall: DECLINED to participate
Mills:
Are you committed to
yearly surveys? ✔
Are you committed to
publicly sharing the results? ✔
Why or why not? Yes,
I am committed yearly surveys. Common
practice in successful Pennsylvania school districts is to survey Parents,
Community Members, Teachers/Staff and Students annually. The surveys might be in different formats
paper, in-person interviews, phone, and online.
Regardless of the formats, School Directors should carefully analyze the
collected data, make public the findings and respond to key issues
identified. Sadly, we have not surveyed
the CASD community re: CASD’s Special Education initiatives. Sadly, parents regularly raise concerns at
most school board committee meetings and school board meetings about CASD’s
Special Ed initiatives. And, most sadly,
District Leadership expresses a belief that “everything is just fine” and tries
to silence those who believe otherwise.
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