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Exeter School District 4 yr {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

School DirectorSchool directors govern the school district. They set policy, establish curricula, adopt a budget, and determine the tax rate necessary to support it. They select the superintendent and approve appointments of staff. About half the board is elected every at each municipal election. They serve part-time and are not paid for their work.Term: 2 or 4 years.

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    Andrea Battler
    (Dem, Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    Joseph Cooke
    (Dem, Rep)

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    Jason Mell
    (Dem, Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    Julia J Shaffer
    (Dem, Rep)

Biographical Information

1. What skills, knowledge, and experience do you have to help you be an effective School Director?

2. Why are you running for School Director?

3. What do you see as the top 3 challenges facing School Boards? And how do you think the School Board should respond?

4. Do we need our schools to better prepare students with life skills for young adulthood – cooking, financial literacy, civic engagement, household problem solving, self reliance? And if so, how could the schools accomplish this?

5. What is the place for Emerging Technologies (including AI & Zoom-type) in the classroom?

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Education, Experience Masters of Science in Information Systems, Drexel University; Bachelors of Science in Information Systems, Albright College; Master Planner Certification - PMPEI
Qualifications Currently serving first term as school director
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jasonmellexeter
Website http://votemell.com
As a former editor for a local news service, I've followed local government affairs for over a decade. I have in-depth knowledge of the problems and issues faced with the school district in addition to the three years I've already served as a school director.

I’ve also served on the boards for other organizations over the years, including the Exeter Youth Soccer Association, Exeter Community Library, Albright College Alumni Association, and the Exeter Township Planning Commission.
I have a vested interest in the success and integrity of the school district.

As a parent of two children attending our public schools, I recognize the importance of maintaining a high standard of education and program offerings for our students.

As a life-long learner and spouse of an educator, I witness the challenges faced in our education institutions.

As a taxpayer, I understand the financial strain placed on our homeowners to support the education needs of the youth in our community.
Underfunded state mandates, academic achievement, and cyber charter reform are the top 3 challenges I see school boards facing currently. Some of the issues can be addressed by improving advocacy at the state level and engaging consistently with our state representatives. Strengthening academic achievement will take more efforts working with administration in determining how best to adjust teaching to meet the demands of our student demographics.
Yes, we do. Students have long been ill-prepared to handle the challenges of everyday life. Some of these remedies are already being mandated at the state. For example, public schools will soon be required to teach financial literacy to high school students, starting with the 2026-27 school year, due to the passage of Act 35 of 2023.

As for other areas, I believe we should encourage our students to take corresponding electives to help with life challenges they'll face.
Emerging technologies should be embraced by students and teachers as a learning tool in the classroom. However, they should not be relied on for every component of day-to-day learning.
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