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Saturday, May 11, 2019

Candidate's Review

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:

  1. Review the most recent Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Goals with Superintendent and School Directors and establish goals based on that plan.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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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