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VOTE411 Voter Guide

School Director - RIVERVIEW {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

School Directors are elected on behalf of the community to oversee the education of students in their jurisdiction. They serve as agents of the state legislature. They are responsible for curriculum and instruction management; all finances including development of annual budgets and levying of taxes and issuance of debt obligations when necessary; personnel; legal matters; management of facilities; and transportation of students as appropriate. Schools may include pre-K and career and technical schools.

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    Christopher Conard
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    Adeshewa Metzger
    (Dem)

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    Nick Paradise
    (Dem, Rep)

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    Bridget Seery
    (Dem)

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    Michael Smales
    (Dem)

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    Wendy Wilton
    (Dem, Rep)

Biographical Information

What is your experience with your public schools, and what in your background would contribute to your being an effective school board member?

How would you address anticipated shortfalls in school funding over the next few years? Please be specific.

How would you approach decisions about curriculum selection and access to books in the district to balance educational value and community concerns?

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Occupation Teaching and Accounting
Education Bachelors in Business Administration with minors in Art and General Science
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573926521799&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user
I have worked in and with public schools for the past 15 years. I enjoy teaching and have both volunteered and substitute taught at Riverview. I also have a degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University.
As an prospective school board member with both teaching and accounting experience I bring a unique perspective to addressing budget shortfalls. I would utilize my accounting skills to examine the districts financial statements and budgets. I will advocate for the justification for expenses incurred by the district. Our districts spending can also be benchmarked it to similar districts in Pa, inorder to identify areas where we maybe an outlier. Over all, I will prioritize meeting the needs of students while being considerate of the budget impact on community members.
I bring uniquely valuable skills to decisions surrounding curriculum selections and access to books. The curriculum and books selected should align with classroom needs and state standards. I believe teachers should be provided resources that allow for differentiated institutions. Books and curriculum enrich students lives in an age appropriate way teaching core subjects and about history and our multicultural America.
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Occupation Teacher
Qualifications for office Teacher with the Pittsburgh Public Schools (19 years)
Education MAT from Chatham University and BA from the University of Pittsburgh
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573808747871
I would be an effective member of the Riverview School Board because I’m a public school teacher and a parent of two daughters at Tenth St. Elementary. While we are happy with the education they've received at Tenth St., we still have progress to make when it comes to meeting the needs of students who require individualized support in order to receive the education they deserve. My background as an educator puts me in a unique position to be an effective school board member. I’ve been a teacher (ELA and social studies) with the Pittsburgh Public Schools for 19 years. During my time with PPS, I’ve written curriculum, coached sports, and served as a tech admin. I will bring a much-needed perspective of an educator to our school board.
If anticipated budget shortfalls become a reality due to changes at the federal level, it’s important to petition our state’s department of education and our governor to increase education spending to fill the gaps left by federal education cuts. We would also need to take a close look at our school district’s budget to find additional ways to save money or to cut spending that doesn’t necessarily reach or impact students. Being a teacher myself, I know what it takes to ensure that a school works well and what our teachers need to succeed. If cuts must be made, we will need a school board full of creative problem solvers who understand what really matters to a school and can come up with creative solutions to any budget shortfalls.
The curricula used within our classrooms should be age-appropriate, diverse, and aligned to state and national academic standards. I trust that the faculty and staff of the Riverview School District can select appropriate educational resources for our students, however, I would support creating a transparent process through which parents could provide feedback on proposed materials prior to their implementation. As for our school libraries, I firmly believe that students should have the right to access age-appropriate educational materials that feature a wide range of ideas and perspectives. The libraries within our schools should be places that promote critical thinking and open dialogue, not censorship.
Occupation Physical Therapist
Qualifications for office School Board Member since 2021, current Board President
Education Masters in Physical Therapy
I am the proud parent of two Riverview graduates. I appreciate the education and opportunities my children received in our small school district. While my children were in school, our board made personnel cuts in the music, art, nursing and guidance programs. Realizing how little I understood about the workings of the board, I became a regular meeting attendee and then was elected to a position in 2021. I have served on the Education, Finance, and Eastern Area committees and currently serve as the board President. I have learned how important it is to listen to opinions of fellow board and community members, that may vary from mine, and to respect the professionals in the trenches, all while keeping our students first in mind.
Budget season is always uncertain. State funding is never known until after school budgets are due. Yearly costs for pensions, health and dental insurance, inflationary costs for electronics and energy, and contractual obligations increase. County assessment appeals are in question. State mandates, such as the requirement for a resource officer, are handed down from the state with no supported funding to the districts. I believe it is our duty to prevent waste, to manage costs and to maintain the quality of the district, but also to avoid compounding the deficit every year. If you avoid raising taxes, even a small amount, year after year, the district will be set up for major cuts down the road. Educating the community is essential.
As a school board, we hire administrators and teachers with the expertise to make decisions regarding curriculum. As a board member, I expect that all curriculum is backed by research and updated on a regular basis. I support training for all staff as needed and yearly data analysis to determine the effectiveness of the curriculum over time. Regarding access to books, I will never ban a book that is determined by our school librarian to be age appropriate, from being on the shelves. Access to information is essential to learning and growing. While parents always have the right to determine what their children read, the school library is open for ALL children to seek information.