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Occupation
Special Education Teacher
Qualifications for office
I am an incumbent; currently seated on the Bethel Park School Board, so I understand and have experience in the workings of the board. I am also a educator, so I understand EDUCATION, BEST PRACTICE, and STUDENTS
Education
B.S. Elementary Education, M.Ed Special Education
Facebook
One BP
I have been an educator in a public school for the last 14 years and have served on the Bethel Park School Board since 2021. As a seated board member, I understand the workings of the school board; especially what falls under our jurisdiction and what does not. As an educator, I have vast knowledge of curriculum, best practice, students, and how a school actually operates. I think this is critical in being effective on the board.
The evolving landscape of education presents potential changes to our federal funding, which is a critical concern. Second, with the Common Level Ratio dropping by over 20 percentage points and rising costs, we are left to navigate how to balance our books moving forward. Lastly, we must consider the broader financial impact on our community—specifically, whether we can continue to fund the programs that Bethel Park students and families have come to know, appreciate, and expect. While many of these uncertainties remain to be addressed, I believe we are well-positioned to tackle the financial challenges, especially regarding the third concern.
As a school director, I believe that teachers play a vital role in curriculum selection. That said, when approving curriculum chosen and piloted by teachers, I would look for selections that prioritize both educational integrity and respect for community values.
It's imperative that all curricular materials meet the PA standards for academic rigor, developmental appropriateness, and alignment with state and national learning goals. The focus must always be on what best supports students’ critical thinking, literacy, and understanding of different perspectives.
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Occupation
Project Coordinator
Qualifications for office
10 years experience as a volunteer and professionally working in school systems on Special Education, disability, and Family Engagement at state, regional, and local levels
Education
Duquesne University, BS
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574631121032
I have volunteered to help families understand public school boards, school regulations, family advocacy, and Special Education for the last 10 years and have taken thousands of hours of professional level training over this period. In my professional role at the Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center, I work on a family-led statewide network supporting systemic change in public education for students with disabilities through deep family engagement. Additionally, I serve on the Special Education Advisory Panel for PA and am honored to be able to work on behalf of all students with disabilities to advise the Bureaus on their unmet needs. This experience allows me to bring families, students, and schools together as partners.
First, it's vital that school directors work with organizations like the PA School Board Association to continue to advocate for adequate funding for our public schools; I'm honored to serve on several of their committees this year. Second, our focus must be on decisions that address both necessary facilities updates and improved academics for all students. Third, should school funding be drastically challenged, we must remember that our primary obligation is to focus on instruction and we might need to put some of our wonderful, but optional, programs on hold. However, residents must understand that about 75% of our costs are fixed and mostly go towards our excellent and professional staff.
During my term, we created an excellent Curriculum Council consisting of our professional teacher leaders and administrators who work very hard to research, review, and write the curriculum that is recommended to the board. While there is a segment in every community that wants to restrict access to some materials for other people's children, our job is to make sure that appropriate materials are available for students who need them. Parental choice is exercised by reviewing the curriculum, discussing their concerns with the teacher, requesting other assignments based on their children's needs, or making other educational choices for their children. Public school is for all children and we need to meet all of their needs.
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