Candidate Questionnaire: Lydia Solomon

Radnor Patch has reached out to local candidates to find out more about them. Here is information from Lydia Solomon.

Name: Lydia T. Solomon

Running For:  Radnor School Board Director

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Positions Held Previously: 

School Board Positions: incumbent School Board Director in Radnor, Board Director of the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, Vice Chair of the Curriculum Committee, member of Policy Committee, member of Government Relations Committee, Representative to Radnor Coordinating Council.

Community Positions: President, Vice President, and Secretary successively at all three levels for Radnor Elementary School, Radnor Middle School, and Radnor High School.

Why are you running for office:  It has been an honor to serve the community on the school board for the past four years.  I originally ran for school board because I realized through many years of service to the schools as a volunteer and PTO officer, I felt an obligation to contribute to the community by ensuring that our schools remain excellent.  I am a certified school psychologist in PA and a faculty member at Eastern University where I teach in the Education department.  I am also trained and have worked as an economist.  This skill set allows me to contribute to the school board in unique ways. 

What do you think are the biggest issues you would face in office:

There are many difficult issues facing public education.  It is imperative that the district attracts and retains the best teachers and administrators. We need to improve communication between all stakeholders.  There is increased financial pressure on the school district due to unfunded mandates at the state and federal level, such as retirement (PSERS) expenses, Keystone exams, and special education mandates.    Because tax revenues will be capped under the Act 1 guidelines, school boards will need to be innovative and plan for the future.  Our greatest challenge is to continue to offer the best education possible at a reasonable price to the taxpayer.  The solution is to continue to do what I have done while on the board: to work collaboratively to contain costs while focusing on excellence in education by hiring and training excellent teachers and staff, implementing curriculum enhancements, and by keeping small class sizes.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish:

I am extremely proud of the work we have accomplished since I joined the Radnor School Board.  Our financial situation is sound due to painstaking attention to all expenditures. The tax payers have received the lowest four tax increases in a generation and a tax decrease this year.   In addition, the board has restored the focus on curriculum and instruction with several innovative curriculum enhancements.  I believe that Radnor is very well positioned to take on the challenges in the future.  It should be stressed that that is quite an achievement in a time when public education is under serious threat in many areas.  My focus continues to be providing the best educational experience to every Radnor student at the best price. 

I want to continue the work we began on the Government Relations Committee to reach out and establish communication with our elected officials at the state and federal levels so they can be better informed about education issues.  I am a strong proponent of full-day Kindergarten.  This program will allow teachers critical extra instruction time with students at a pivotal point in their education and ultimately save the district money for remediation in the older grades.  I will continue to serve as a champion for all students, while balancing the needs of the taxpayers to be fiscally conservative.  I believe that the best educational outcome can be achieved through open and transparent dialogue with all stakeholders to come up with a win-win solution for all.  I will continue to work to ensure that all voices are heard while being extremely respectful of the financial expenditures by the community.   I will continue to seek that fine balance to ensure that education in Radnor remains excellent.

Website/other information to promote:  www.radnor2013.com