Name: Andrew Finkbohner Age: 35
Campaign Facebook Page: N/A
Website: N/A
Education: B.S Business Management
Family Life: Wife (former CASD teacher) and two children (ages 5 & 6)
Occupation & Background: Consumer Relations and Supply Chain management
Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?
I
am currently representing CASD as a region three school board member.
Initially, I ran thinking that I could change everything in this district
for the better. After serving on this board for the last two years, I
have found that to be easier said than done. It has been my priority
not to rubber stamp decisions being made in this district, and I will
continue to question decisions being made. I have pursued fiscal
oversight with our district and will continue to do so ensuring that we
constantly evaluate the return on investment (ROI) for decisions we have
made. I will continue to voice my opinions, and at times, go against the
grain where necessary to ensure I uphold the standards that I believe
CASD should represent. My priorities will continue to be the same
priorities I hold today. It is my responsibility to do whatever it takes
to improve the academia of our students, provide a safe and conducive
environment for our teachers and staff, and hold this district
accountable the transgressions that have plagued us, learning from past
mistakes.
In what ways have you served or currently serve our community?
As
mentioned in the previous question, I am a current board member; I currently sit as the chair of the Finance Committee. I have
served as the treasurer, and Vice-President of my HOA. Additionally, I
have volunteered my time to give back to our community in a variety of
ways.
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
This
is a good question. The cliche answer will be the answer that I will
give because I feel it to be most fitting. Every issue that this
district faces motivates me to put in the time, day in and day out. We
will never achieve perfection; however, we should continue to be motivated
by the shortcomings that are presented to this district and strive to
be the best we can be for our children. Any progress is good progress,
but we should never be satisfied. For far too long, our community has
been the ones to bear the brunt of taxation without representation and it is paramount that
we have people serving on this board that represent the qualities that
this community expects to be upheld. Sometimes, less than favorable
decisions must be made. These are decisions that will be criticized and
ridicule, but sometimes the unpopular decision is the one that best
serves our students, teachers, and community.
What is the formula for a good educational experience for our youth?
This
is a tricky question. Education should be equitable and is not a one-size-fits-all experience. A good educational experience for some may not
be the same for another child. I will, however, say that we should not
strive to provide "good" educational opportunities. We should, as our
CASD mission statement reads be "committed to excellence." While I
cannot give a formula for the reasons I mentioned, there are several
factors to consider. Strong fiscal oversight and accountable spending
provides opportunities for our teachers to have the materials and
resources needed to educate our students which would be aligned to
proper scope and sequence. To ensure those resources and curriculum are
being taught appropriately and to the best of our abilities, we should
have a professional development plan that elevates our teacher’s
knowledge and capabilities to meet those expectations. Our schools
should be safe for all, and we should be teaching our children natural
consequences. If you cannot control the discipline in the classrooms,
our teachers cannot teach, and our students cannot learn. Finally, we
must better provide differentiated instruction so we can meet our
students at our students’ level. Reading specialists should not be coaching or
guiding teachers, but rather should be delivering small group and one to
one instruction to improve literacy. There are so many moving parts in
the recipe for a good educational experience, and it is important to
find the right mix for each student that promotes a safe, healthy and
successful learning atmosphere.
How will you engage the community to improve public schools in the district?
Results.
Results. Results. This community has received too much lip-service over
the years. Too many promises without the deliverables. In my opinion, the only way to engage and to obtain buy-in from our constituents is to
allow actions to speak for itself. We need to implement stakeholder
sessions in which community feedback is not only received but valued
and considered. While decisions in a school district cannot be made by
our community, we can accomplish many things in partnership.
What is your view of the role of charter schools in public education? What is your position on charter schools?
I
will start by stating that our governmental entities do not do enough
to prioritize the importance of a strong education and public schools
are woefully underfunded. I believe that a child’s choice for
educational interests should be one that a parent has a right to choose.
I firmly believe in public education and as it stands right now believe
that a person’s right to choose can prohibit another child’s right to
FAPE and that is deeply concerning. Our funding formula for special
education MUST change at the state level. Our charter funding formula
MUST change. Education should be equitable for ALL students, regardless of the LEA. Making these changes would allow
better oversight for charter schools and allow public school districts
to have access to proper resources to educate their children. It is a
shame to see the disparity that exists between charters and
public-school districts especially in socio-economic depressions areas.
If you take a second to look at areas most heavily impacted by charter
schools, you will find Reading, Chester, Phila., Erie, Harrisburg, and
York, schools that have a very diverse community causing each to be "penalized" for their diversity. It is time that
Charter Schools academic performance standards be held accountable as
the charter funding formula was instituted to provide parents with a
choice in education that meets or exceeds that in which some from their
home school district. Should those standards not be met by Charter
Schools, charter schools should be held accountable through reduced
funding, charter sanctions, or denial of charter renewals. It is CASD’s
responsibility moving forward to correct the issues that led to families to leave this district and once again become competitive in education.
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden?
First
and foremost, this is a very deep-rooted problem in our district. We
must find ways to partner with our communities to enhance our business
tax base. A strong business tax base helps to offset other taxation
aspects and allows for a steady revenue stream for educational
reinvestment. I do not believe that increased taxation is the answer. In
my first year on the board, this district passed its first zero percent
tax increase as far back as I can remember. While the financial outlook
is bleak, we should continue to be innovative in savings, not
negatively impacting areas such as programming, teaching, or support
staffing. The answer is to not egregiously tax our
community year after year while continuing to repeat the same mistakes. We must find ways to get creative and innovative in our academic offerings while
improving the facilities our children and staff attend.
