- Sat May 09, 2009 12:58 pm
#292439
from Left to Right: School Board Candidates Pearl Smith, Ted Mason, Pamela Assenmacher, Susan Morrison-Bellamy, Denise Ashe, Ken Christovich, Maggie Roddin and moderator Barbara Sherf.
[video width=600 height=250]http://home.comcast.net/~vff63/ENRO/DSCN0804.jpg[/video]
Wanting to know more about the Norristown Area School District (NASD) School Board I went to the Candidates Forum on May 5th sponsored by the League of Women voters, and the East and West Norriton residents associations. There was good but not overwhelming attendance. On May 19 we must vote for 4 among the 8 candidates at the forum running for the school board. The candidates took turns answering about a dozen questions posed by the audience. On several questions there seemed to be general agreement. Moving fifth grade children from elementary to middle school led to lower scores for those students and most candidates agreed that they should be put back in the elementary school. Ken Christovich expressed concern over the longer bus rides 5th graders had to make to go to the middle schools. All Candidates agreed on the importance of music and art education, English as a second language classes and more State and Federal funding for special needs children.
There was a contrast between incumbents Pearl Smith, Denise Ashe plus newcomers Pamela Assenmacher, Susan Morrison-Bellamy and three of the other candidates: Ted Mason, Ken Christovich, and Maggie Roddin about the cost effectiveness of past and future plans for the school district. The NASD defenders (Smith, Ashe, Assenmacher and Bellamy) claimed that although the public perception of the NASD was “a little blurred” the schools are exceptionally good and that the School Board had made all possible reductions to the school budget. I got impatient with the platitudes often repeated by this group e.g “ we must provide a quality education for our kids”, “salaries should be reasonable” “ we should have community imput”. Who doesn’t know that?
Of the group of NASD challengers (Mason, Christovich and Roddin) Ted Mason was the most specific, probably because he has worked for local industries and as a substitute teacher in Northern Montco. He reminded the incumbents on the board that tax payers are stressed by the 65% increase in local school property taxes while the average salary in the district has only increased 15% over the last decade. He pointed out that while there are outstanding students in the NASD, the lower performing half of students have brought down the districts PSAT scores. The low scores have negatively affected property values. Home buyers with children look at the PSAT scores and the NASD does not compare favorably with neighboring school districts.
When asked about negotiating teacher’s salaries and their attitude toward current salaries, Assemmacher and Bellamy claimed we should find a solution that is agreeable to everyone. It should be a win-win situation. Ashe claimed unions protect workers so we can get the best education. The curmudgeon in me believed Challenger Maggie Roddin when she said that everyone thinks they are underpaid and that no one will get exactly what they want from Teacher Union negotiations. Both Roddin and Mason said there needs to be a correlation between pay and outcomes.
There was concern about the cost of charter schools. Pearl Smith said the Charter Schools and the transportation costs were underfunded. Ken Christovich suggested that we reduce the usage of charter schools and their costly transportation commitments by bringing the students back to regular schools. Maggie Roddin claimed the district was spending lots of money on charter schools because people did not want their kids in the NASD. I have neighbors who like their local elementary school and others who are afraid to send their children there. One even sold his house, because of uncontrolled bullies.
The “defender candidates” irritated me most when they just made vague replies about more community input in response to a simple, specific question, which was: “Presently the public is only allowed to speak at the beginning of school board meetings. Will you change this to allow the public to comment on issues before they are decided?” Again Ted Mason was to the point saying he would allow dialog after each board agenda item discussion and before the vote. (East Norriton Township supervisors do that). Maggie Roddin was more colorful and far flung in her answer: “ The Prime Minister of Britain interacts with parliament as meetings go on - we should too.”
I have seen both encouraging and discouraging aspects of our local schools. I am not sure what is the norm. Since I do not have a school age child, I do not have as much first hand experience as many of my neighbors. Since we have a democracy the incumbents will be re-elected if most parents are satisfied with the schools otherwise they will not. I just hope I have given a feel for the general attitudes expressed by the candidates and that people will care enough to vote.
[video width=600 height=250]http://home.comcast.net/~vff63/ENRO/DSCN0804.jpg[/video]
Wanting to know more about the Norristown Area School District (NASD) School Board I went to the Candidates Forum on May 5th sponsored by the League of Women voters, and the East and West Norriton residents associations. There was good but not overwhelming attendance. On May 19 we must vote for 4 among the 8 candidates at the forum running for the school board. The candidates took turns answering about a dozen questions posed by the audience. On several questions there seemed to be general agreement. Moving fifth grade children from elementary to middle school led to lower scores for those students and most candidates agreed that they should be put back in the elementary school. Ken Christovich expressed concern over the longer bus rides 5th graders had to make to go to the middle schools. All Candidates agreed on the importance of music and art education, English as a second language classes and more State and Federal funding for special needs children.
There was a contrast between incumbents Pearl Smith, Denise Ashe plus newcomers Pamela Assenmacher, Susan Morrison-Bellamy and three of the other candidates: Ted Mason, Ken Christovich, and Maggie Roddin about the cost effectiveness of past and future plans for the school district. The NASD defenders (Smith, Ashe, Assenmacher and Bellamy) claimed that although the public perception of the NASD was “a little blurred” the schools are exceptionally good and that the School Board had made all possible reductions to the school budget. I got impatient with the platitudes often repeated by this group e.g “ we must provide a quality education for our kids”, “salaries should be reasonable” “ we should have community imput”. Who doesn’t know that?
Of the group of NASD challengers (Mason, Christovich and Roddin) Ted Mason was the most specific, probably because he has worked for local industries and as a substitute teacher in Northern Montco. He reminded the incumbents on the board that tax payers are stressed by the 65% increase in local school property taxes while the average salary in the district has only increased 15% over the last decade. He pointed out that while there are outstanding students in the NASD, the lower performing half of students have brought down the districts PSAT scores. The low scores have negatively affected property values. Home buyers with children look at the PSAT scores and the NASD does not compare favorably with neighboring school districts.
When asked about negotiating teacher’s salaries and their attitude toward current salaries, Assemmacher and Bellamy claimed we should find a solution that is agreeable to everyone. It should be a win-win situation. Ashe claimed unions protect workers so we can get the best education. The curmudgeon in me believed Challenger Maggie Roddin when she said that everyone thinks they are underpaid and that no one will get exactly what they want from Teacher Union negotiations. Both Roddin and Mason said there needs to be a correlation between pay and outcomes.
There was concern about the cost of charter schools. Pearl Smith said the Charter Schools and the transportation costs were underfunded. Ken Christovich suggested that we reduce the usage of charter schools and their costly transportation commitments by bringing the students back to regular schools. Maggie Roddin claimed the district was spending lots of money on charter schools because people did not want their kids in the NASD. I have neighbors who like their local elementary school and others who are afraid to send their children there. One even sold his house, because of uncontrolled bullies.
The “defender candidates” irritated me most when they just made vague replies about more community input in response to a simple, specific question, which was: “Presently the public is only allowed to speak at the beginning of school board meetings. Will you change this to allow the public to comment on issues before they are decided?” Again Ted Mason was to the point saying he would allow dialog after each board agenda item discussion and before the vote. (East Norriton Township supervisors do that). Maggie Roddin was more colorful and far flung in her answer: “ The Prime Minister of Britain interacts with parliament as meetings go on - we should too.”
I have seen both encouraging and discouraging aspects of our local schools. I am not sure what is the norm. Since I do not have a school age child, I do not have as much first hand experience as many of my neighbors. Since we have a democracy the incumbents will be re-elected if most parents are satisfied with the schools otherwise they will not. I just hope I have given a feel for the general attitudes expressed by the candidates and that people will care enough to vote.
Last edited by Virginia Fitzpatrick on Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:59 am, edited 1 time in total.