Judgment Day is approaching. Eleven candidates are on the May 15 ballot for school board, all cross-filed as Republicans and Democrats.
Region 1; Haycock, Richlandtown, most of Richland Township. Two candidates for one seat, no incumbent. George Dager, with two children in QCSD, is an excellent choice to help manage the district's $80 million budget. He has more than 30 years experience advising multi-million dollar corporate clients in financial management, strategic planning, and communications. And when he isn't wearing his suit, he is a group leader for his church's kids club, and a bass guitarist.
Dager is one of four Reform candidates, along with Lou-Ellen Renshaw, Tom Marino, and Dean Wackerman, who promise to work together with current board members Paul Stepanoff and Manuel Alfonso to end the tax-and-spend culture, and assure greater public participation. Their comprehensive program is laid out on their website, Reform-qcsd.com. Read it and you'll vote for Dager.
His opponent, Vic Stevens, is as bad a choice as anyone could imagine for school board. He helped start the teachers union in Quakertown, and later was president of the Centennial teachers union. He has spent his life fighting for higher teacher salaries, and greater school spending. Yet his supervisors had poor opinions of him: Stevens' former principal in QCSD, Michael Hresko, reported "Low rating. Lacks industry". Former Elementary Supervisor Esther Chilcote warned "Poor planning/organization. Serious reservations. Will snow you with personality. Would not ask him back".
He quit The Main Street Theater, the Richland Preservation Board, and the Richland Ordinance Review Committee, after various disputes. Recently he has even resorted to lawsuits, suing 14 people, and threatening The Free Press, and me.
Region 3; Quakertown borough and a portion of Richland. Four candidates for two seats. Phil Abramson has been on the board for eight years, and is the past president. No one is more responsible for the multitude of problems than he. Hundreds of students suffered Integrated Math on his watch. But when seeking the endorsement of the Qtown Republican caucus, he told them that he actually was a critic of IM! Oh, please! Then he proclaimed that early-bird teacher contracts - which he personally negotiated and approved as president - are a "mistake". He's got that right. Time to hold him accountable.
Nancy Tirjan is just as bad. She has served 16 years, approving those tax increases, expensive contracts, and IM. And - surprise! - like Abramson, she now claims to "regret" the early bird signing, and "not allowing public participation". Hey, it's election time. She also voted against investigating grade manipulation. Abramson and Tirjan came to that Republican caucus with every expectation of getting the endorsement. But the caucus voted - unanimously - not to give any. Say goodbye to Abramson and Tirjan.
Their opponent, Tom Marino, is a Reformer. He has a business degree, 14 years of experience in commercial finance, and is licensed to give professional investment and insurance advice. He understands complex budgets, and the most cost-efficient use of your tax dollars. None of the incumbents have Tom's background. He also has two young children, and serves on the Richland Trails Committee and the Knights of Columbus. Marino is the clear choice here.
Kathy Mosley offers a whole new dimension. As Director of Children's Education at Philadelphia's highly-regarded Special People In the Northeast (SPIN), she is a tireless advocate for early childhood education. Mosley has a plan to establish full-day kindergarten, and a pre-K, here, using funds proposed in the state budget: "Sixty-five percent of state children will have access to full-day kindergarten, and we should not be in the 35 percent left out".
She has a degree in early childhood education, and a masters with distinction in educational leadership. And she understands the core issues: "The board needs to work together, and encourage an open exchange of ideas. I didn't see enough of that. We have to run a fiscally sound district within the means of the community". Let's give her the opportunity.
Region 2; Milford and Trumbauersville. Five candidates for two seats. Lou-Ellen Renshaw is the Erin Brockovich of QCSD, and the face of the Reform Movement. A mother of four, former legal secretary, and former high school office manager, she was appalled when, as a citizen member of the committee studying Integrated Math, she saw how vital information was being downplayed, ignored, or spun to favor IM.
Like Brockovich, she worked on her own, gathering the data that school officials claimed didn't exist. And she personally defended those findings when staff members tried to dismiss them as irrelevant. Result - IM is history. She literally changed the future for QCSD students! Renshaw has perfect credentials for board membership: Business college. Payroll accounting. Financial oversight of a high school budget. And dedication. She will eventually be board president.
Dean Wackerman is the most interesting of all the candidates. His family was politically active in Bucks County for decades, but he, and wife Linda, serve the people in a different way. Both are pilots in the Navy Reserves. Dean flew helicopters in the Gulf War. Linda was commanding officer for a squadron at Willow Grove.
Their kids in grades seven and 10 were struggling with IM. Dean was frustrated that he couldn't help them, but trusted that the board knew best. "I assumed all colleges were teaching IM, like our school was. The Navy looks out for Linda and me, so I just assumed that all government did the same. I can't believe I was snowed for that long."
"Spending was out of control, and people were just left out. I finally decided to get off my butt and do something myself". And he discovered that there were others, The Reformers, who shared his frustration - and vision. Now he is one of them. Honesty, military teamwork, motivation. And a masters degree in management. Qualities we need.
The wildcard in this election could be June Hunt, a mother of two with a BS in economics, and an MBA. She taught Marketing and Economics at Allentown Business School, loves education, and wants to inspire others. "Education is the second best gift we can give our children, after unconditional love. There is a big disconnect in this community. We need to balance programs against cost".
Hunt, who is admittedly still learning the issues, sees herself as the person to bring together the current board members and the Reformers, and promises to judge every issue on its merits.
Jerry Bassett is a software engineer who has been involved with QCSD programs since 1978. He feels that, overall, the district has done a good job of educating its students. However, his wife is a QCSD teacher, requiring that he abstain from voting on virtually anything important. His dedication is admirable, but we can't have a non-voting director.
Last and least, Board Vice President Linda Martin is another long-time member who is directly responsible for those taxes, spending, early-bird contracts, improper meetings, Integrated Math, and questionable grading. She has done nothing to warrant re-election. Like Abramson and Tirjan, school is out.