It is that time of year again, when high school seniors all over the country are in panic mode trying to juggle a heavy school load while working their way through the seemingly insurmountable college application process. This moment provides the measure of how well the student has prepared for their next level of success.  Our team believes that one important measure of a school district’s performance is the success of our graduates in attending and excelling at the college of their choice. The School Board of Directors is ultimately accountable to the stakeholders in our schools and broader community for delivering the exceptional education that prepares every student for success in college or in a technical career.

The responsibility of the Board is to provide for educational programs that meet the needs of our students and provide them with a solid foundation that will carry them into the future.  To do this we have to understand the expectations of our school community and develop programs that they highly value.  Our team is committed to listening to our community and being held accountable for providing the programs and services that align with the community’s values.  This is not an easy task because often small groups can be very vocal about the desires of a few.  We are committed to representing the whole of the community, seeking advice and feedback from students, parents, teachers and alumni, on the quality and value of programs and instruction, and making the most informed and best decisions possible. 

Accountability doesn’t stop at the Board level, our administration, staff, and even the students all have to be accountable if this District is to really be exceptional. Increased accountability means the establishment of consequential measurements of success to track district and individual performance.  We need to set clear expectations and then hold accountable the administrators who are responsible for the day to day leadership and operation of our schools and district.

If elected we will establish specific measures to increase accountability. We will build upon the recently adopted process of establishing and tracking goals and objectives for the School District Administration.  This process that was adopted in early 2011 and provides focus and mutual accountability to achieve agreed upon goals for the district. We will encourage the development of effective assessment and evaluations within our schools. Properly structured evaluation programs will improve communications, foster development of our more junior staff members, and   set the example for sustained excellence in our schools.  We will conduct community outreach at the individual school level, led by our School Board members, in order to establish a better dialogue with all stakeholders, and to address institutional problems.  We will establish a system where all students are encouraged to be responsible for their education and provide meaningful redirection of students who are not engaged through alternative programming, counseling, and fair and consistent application of consequences.

Leveraging the accountability, we will look to improve our existing programs and strategically invest in programs that give Radnor students a real advantage. It should be noted that not all of these things will increase cost to the bottom line; they may take reprioritization of existing funds, or simply better utilization of time and/or resources.  For example, Advanced Placement classes are typically taken by high school students beginning in their junior year, with the added perception that these classes are the domain of students in the honors track.  We believe all students should be encouraged as early as 9^th grade to consider AP classes.  Not all AP classes follow the track system, AP Art History, for example, may appeal to any child and they are not restricted with prerequisites. 

We will improve the Guidance office services, first step will be to improve structured planning for 9^th to 11th grade students because waiting until 11^th grade can be too late.  We will also look to provide more services for our seniors and help more actively with the application process, including essay review.  Understanding where our kids get accepted and what we can do to improve their chances, we will bring in the decision makers from local and not so local colleges and talk to them about acceptance criteria, especially that which is beyond test scores.  We will also look more closely at the remediation rate of Radnor students, how many of our graduates have to take remedial classes, before taking freshman year courses, especially in the area of math.  Radnor has talked about dual enrollment and leveraging relationships with local universities for more than 10 years, we will drag it over the finish line and put into place a process by which motivated Radnor students are encouraged to take classes at local universities in senior year.  This will not only prepare them better for freshman year away from home but will give them credit towards graduation. 

Though the items listed above focus on the high school student, we recognize the need to re-evaluate the programs at the elementary and middle school as well.  The District needs a forward thinking plan for the use of technology in the classroom.  Online text books and virtual learning have demonstrated success and can be a more efficient use of time.

Our team understands that increased accountability throughout our District will lead to better results.  We recognize that these initiatives represent necessary change to the status quo so that our District can embrace the challenge of improving upon our educational excellence.

A $76million budget is serious business and choosing the leadership to manage it should be more than a popularity contest. 

It takes 5 votes on the school board to move the District in the right direction.  We ask that you to vote for the 5 of us on Election Day to secure a brighter future.

Radnor Republican Candidates for School Board

Pattie Booker

Howard Gartland

Chuck Madden

Steve Modell

Janie Partridge