Boyertown Forward, a Community Group, Encourages Dialogue with School Board Candidates

by Julie Cordingley

Boyertown Forward, a local advocacy group for public education, invites all area residents to attend a school board candidate Q & A. The event will be held at the Liberty Fire Company in Bechtelsville on Saturday, April 26th from 12 to 4 PM.

The Q & A is a casual opportunity to meet three candidates and bring them your questions and concerns. Because the up-coming election will have significant impact, the focus of this meet and greet is to learn how the community can build strong schools and set students on the path to a bright future.

Boyertown Forward defines itself as a group that is “a community of public education advocates whose goal is to keep everyone informed, engaged, and empowered when it comes to Boyertown schools.”

The group was created in 2023 when former Boyertown school board member Donna Usavage came together with other people in the community who share a concern about the direction of education in the school district. After being on the school board for 10 years, Usavage remained involved, attending school board meetings, and became concerned over some of the changes that she was seeing. Usavage says, “The first thing I noticed were educational presentations by school administrators seemed to be diminishing.” She also noticed that “board members appeared to be more invested in political party loyalty than in best educational practices.”

For the upcoming school board election, the group is endorsing three candidates, all of whom are cross filed with both major political parties on the ballot. 

In Region 1, the group is supporting Dr. Michelle Wiley.  It notes that “Dr. Wiley is dedicated to putting students first, supporting teachers, and ensuring that our schools provide the best education possible.” Wiley has 23-years of service as an education leader. For more about Dr. Wiley and how she would  help shape the future of our schools if elected visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574849068777

In Region 2, the group endorsed candidate Jason Szczurowsk, who is described as "a husband, father, and 24-year coast guard veteran."  You can read more about what he would bring to the table serving on the school board at his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/electjasonski.

In Region 3, Boyertown Forward is supporting candidate Lynne Conner. The group explains that "with over four decades of dedication in the healthcare field, Lynne has spent a lifetime caring for others."  She aims to "bring that same passion, leadership, and commitment to our schools and community.” Learn more about Lynne's views on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574754217540.

Core Beliefs of Boyertown Forward as explained by the group:

Public schools are the only educational entity in the US required by law to meet the educational needs of every child, regardless of income, social standing, race, gender. Properly executed, public schools are essential to the future of this country.

• We believe in the Boyertown School District’s vision statement to “Cultivate an exceptional, innovative, learning community that enables ALL students to succeed in a CHANGING world."
• Families are the most important people in a child’s life. Parents should advocate with their children’s educational needs in accordance with their family’s values. Families collaborating with their children’s teachers results in the best outcomes for students. Policies exist in our school district to support and encourage that. But one group of parents making decisions for all families is NOT the same as parental rights.
• A child’s emotions, behavior and academic progress are deeply connected. A child must be ready to learn before they are able to learn. Beyond the everyday stress of growing up in today’s world, 1/4 of Boyertown students have special educational needs and 1/4 of Boyertown students come from low income families. Every child comes to school with unique challenges and educators need the tools to identify and address these needs in order to effectively teach our children. Children are not widgets. Focusing just on academics leaves most of our children behind.
• Fiscal responsibility means informed and long-term planning. Board members must be willing and able to strategically plan for the long-term needs of the school district. Lack of long-term planning has resulted in small cuts over time, resulting in less educational opportunities for our students and has put our district’s future in peril.
• The School Board governs the district… they do not operate it. The latter is called micro-managing. Distrust is not an effective leadership approach. Effective governing involves hiring an effective leader, setting and enforcing policy, long-term financial planning, advocating for public education at the state level, and a commitment to continuously learning.
• Behavior matters. The School Board’s behavior sets the tone for the entire district and community. Effective School Board members commit to the highest level of ethical and respectful behavior.
• Diverse ideas and perspectives result in effective teams. The make up of a School Board should reflect a wide variety of perspectives. School Boards are no place for political agendas.
• Strong Schools make Strong Communities. A school district’s reputation for excellence attracts businesses, helps property values, encourages students/talent to stay local, and increases the School District’s ability to attract and retain talent, thereby assuring its quality moving forward.

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