Centre County school board candidates weigh in on diversity, equity and inclusion programs

The Centre Daily Times recently sent a survey to all school board candidates with questions about a number of issues, with some of the questions submitted by readers. Twenty-two candidates responded and 14 did not. We have published their unedited responses, which were limited to 1250 characters. We will publish additional responses in other stories.

In the past years, diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies have become more common within school districts’ curricula and operations. Ranging from opportunities for English language learners to increasing faculty diversity to new steps to stop bullying and harassment, DEIB encompasses a wide range of programs.

Candidates were asked if they would support future DEIB initiatives and what areas they would focus on.

State College Area School District candidates

Amy Bader — As a two-term incumbent I have been part of creating a foundation of equity in SCASD form the beginning — from the passage of the Inclusive Excellence Policy to the hiring of a director and to today, where ongoing audits and goal-setting are the focus. DEIB in the school setting is primarily about supporting every student so they can meet their potential, no matter their identity or background or current circumstances. It is about making education accessible to all. There are major changes occurring in our community and our schools need to be prepared. The district has seen increasing levels of poverty which impact students’ ability to learn. Our demographics continue to become more diverse in ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as other identity categories. There also has been growth in migrant/refugee communities, as well as English Language Learners. All the various changes means the district should prepare to meet the needs of such students — so those are the types of initiatives I do and will continue to support. We must have a commitment to EVERY single student, EVERY day. That requires thinking about who they are and how best to help them succeed — that is what DEIB in schools is all about.

Gretchen Brandt — Yes. If reelected, I will support increased DIEB initiatives. The initiatives I support include the following: the HOME Office at the High School, The SCASD Anti-Racism Resolution, the Peer Advocacy program, The hiring & continued support of the DIEB Director, Affinity Groups, No Place for Hate, The Social Justice Summer Institute, the Diversity & Activism Club, the LGBTQ+ Alliance, and the Board Inclusive Excellence Policy. My goal as a school director is to make sure that ALL students, faculty, & staff feel included, valued, and that they matter.

Anne Demo — Yes, I supported middle schoolers during DEIB programs like No Place for Hate and was impressed with how well they prepared students to listen and engage each other respectfully. I now work in the School of International Affairs. Programs like No Place for Hate set a strong foundation for the diverse world our students will enter. Such programs not only foster belonging but also prepare students for work in a global world.

Barry Fenchak — What is the mission? Is it to support “initiatives,” or is it to foster a truly welcoming and safe environment for every SCASD student? I support all actions that effectively and demonstrably enhance the well-being of our students. I do not support those that are inert, or even harmful, to the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. “Primum non nocere” — First, do no harm. Both our financial resources, and the time and effort of our faculty and staff, are limited. In recent years we have spent more and more time and money on “initiatives” — while rates of student mental health issues increase, student happiness declines, and division and identity politics tear at the fabric of a unified school community. “Many Voices, Many Viewpoints, One Community“ Initiatives that yield no positive results — and especially those that yield negative results — impede the success of our missions. Our efforts need to be focused on improving outcomes, not to simply implement more and more of even the most well-meaning “initiatives.” Support what works. Eliminate what doesn’t. And know how to measure the difference.”

Daniel Kolbe — Supporting diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion initiatives is important for fostering a fair and inclusive society. These initiatives can take various forms, and their effectiveness depends on the specific context and goals of the district. Every student, educator and staff member deserve to be themselves to feel safe and seen. I would love to see an increase in the mentorship programs offered by the Office of Equity and Inclusivity. These mentorships can be vital for students to learn more about themselves, while finding a sense of community.

John Kracovic — Everyone in the district should feel welcomed and cared about. To build a sense of belonging among our student body, I would look to increase the budget for sports and extracurricular activities which encourage students to team-build with people based on common interests. If we want to build community, we need to focus on bringing people together. I also support policy that imposes serious consequences for hateful behavior toward anyone, regardless of their race, cultural background, religion, or other beliefs. I support workshops or other interventions that can help all kids deal with challenges. Teaching students and staff how to communicate with people from other cultures in a kind way is valuable for everyone. It gives people insight into what others are going through. All kids need to be involved to build a community and SCASD’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office can play a role in this. The district should look at suspensions and other punishments carefully on a case-by-case basis. An important role for DEI would be to give at-risk students tools for diffusing or avoiding potentially violent or adversarial situations.

Aaron Miller — I am always in favor of increasing representation, listening, dialogue, and improving the sense of connection within our community. I don’t support specific initiatives without information, but if the district had a compelling reason to introduce a new DEIB component to the school I would be open to it.

Michelle Young — Feeling lonely and disassociated isn’t unique to certain populations. Many of our students feel this way regardless of their immutable characteristics. Our kids need to make and build on relationships that make them feel connected to each other giving them a sense of belonging to the larger organization. We do this by moving away from programs that reinforce the separation of our students and work to build a more unified atmosphere within the district ... advocating for an environment where our commonalities are celebrated and work to eliminate an “us vs them” climate. Instead of approaching relationships between individuals or groups thinking about all the potential ways you or they are different; we should focus on similarities and even similar goals to open students to a potential connection. It could be an academic interest, a club, sport, hobby, or other extracurricular activity shared in common among students or with a coworker. The possibilities are endless ... by focusing on similarities you have the power to create connections and build relationships that either supersede cultural or other differences ... or make them irrelevant.

Nathan Bish and Megan Layng did not respond to the survey.

Bellefonte Area School District candidates

Jennifer Barnhart — One of the best descriptions of diversity describes it as a fact while being equitable is a choice. We cannot change things such as race, gender, age, religion or how we were raised or things such as current and past economic status, rural vs urban living, parent, pet-owner, job level/experience, etc. I believer working with diverse groups leads to better outcomes. Reverting back to the PA education funding, I question if it was looked at from several diverse viewpoints, such as rural, urban, low-economic, high crime, etc. originally and only through the unconstitutional and unequitable decision leads to starting over. As someone who embraces learning about DEIB for my own growth and self-awareness, I find some of these to be forced and unnatural and therefore counterproductive. My experience has found that natural appreciation or discussion for DEIB in any organization, team or group builds a better, stronger and longer lasting outcome. With that said, the initiatives I support are awareness, value and understanding. As a school board leader, I encourage all voices to be heard while also listening. And any trainings should focus on offering open and SAFE discussions.

Patrick Buck — It is critical to ensure that students feel safe and welcome in our schools. We must do what we can to provide a positive learning environment that encourages both academic and personal growth. In today’s culture it is critical that we provide guidance and support to our children when they are most impressionable and vulnerable, this sometimes means guiding and teaching when young people lose their way. Our responsibility as teachers, parents, and community members is to ensure the next generation has a strong moral foundation to propel them moving forward. It is equally important that when we are creating policies, we ensure that we make accommodations when appropriate; however, we must not create an uncomfortable situation for the majority. This balance is critical to make sure all feel welcome and are safe.

Paul Dombrowski — Yes, absolutely. I have an M.Ed. in Counselor Education, so by my nature I embrace the spirit of DBEI. It is a matter of public responsibility. This matter is especially important now because of rising opposition to DBEI itself and to the very notion of fairness and equality as foundational principles across the nation. Initiatives are one thing that often times the amount to a passing impulse delivered in a doctrinaire way. Even more important than concrete initiatives is our teachers as models, sending a clear and powerful message in their behavior, attitudes, and language. Personal action speaks louder than words and posters. Is the responsibility of our teachers to believe in, embrace, and enact the principles of DBEI as expression of the very principles of our Commonwealth and nation. I have the support of the Bellefonte Area Educators Association.

Julie Fitzgerald — As a school district, we have a legal and moral obligation to provide all students with equal access to a quality education and address any inequities in opportunity that may exist. The district needs to utilize student experience and achievement data to develop initiatives that address any barriers to student success so that all students have the opportunity to achieve their career goals.

Tim Kessling — The district already has a strong DEI policy in place and outlines Bellefonte is a place for all students, staff, teachers, parents, and community members. Every student has a place and is encouraged to be themselves. We all recognize the importance of an environment where everyone can feel like a part of the team.

Darrell Sharp — No I would not. I believe that in some cases, these initiatives come from a good place with good intentions. However, they rarely, if ever, meet that intent. I feel the most detriment to a school occurs when these DBEI initiatives leak into the hiring process. When we start to hire via intersectionality, we are on a path to failure. Rather than hiring on experience, qualifications, and overall merit required for a position, these DBEI initiatives turn into a “box checking” exercise and that is NOT how you get a school filled with the best talent. I want the best education professionals working and having long careers within the Bellefonte Area School District. DBEI policies will not help us get there. Focusing on experience, educational background, merit, attitude, internal drive, passion, attitude, and work ethic will get us there.

Donna Smith — Students who feel “different” or like they don’t belong struggle with learning and self-confidence. Some of them feel unsafe. I wholeheartedly support initiatives that help students feel that they are included and accepted. But even more, having DEIB initiatives help all students develop empathy and respect. They improve creativity, critical thinking skills and facilitate maturity. Additionally, when our graduates enter the professional world, they are expected to interact positively with others, regardless of differences. Failing to address DEIB sets them up for significant challenges. Because initiatives help all students in immeasurable ways, I am a strong supporter.

Kim Weaver — The Bellefonte Area School District already has strong initiatives for diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion, outlined in the resolution adopted by the Board of Directors on February 9, 2021. The resolution outlines that the Bellefonte Area School District is a place for all students, staff, teachers, parents, and community members. We recognize the importance of an environment where every person can be themselves without fear of being singled out or ostracized. There is always room for improvement; however, our district and school board members are committed to an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment for every single person in our district. Our board works with the district’s Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) Committee to ensure that the policies in our district provide equal and equitable treatment to all. Our DEI policies seek to promote a climate of acceptance, tolerance, and goodwill. Students cannot learn if they are not loved and cared for. Students cannot learn if they are being bullied or excluded. Again, there is always room for improvement, and we are dedicated to supporting the development and education of our students.

Joe Yech — I support DBEI initiatives. Our differences make us stronger as a whole. A public school system should be accepting and inclusive of everyone, and regard differences as an enhancement to the learning experience. Every student deserves a great education. I have a simple approach to this topic: We will be all inclusive.

Denelle Korin did not respond to the survey.

Penns Valley Area School District candidates

Nicklaus Engle — I would fully support increased diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion initiatives. Specifically, I would love to see more programs discovering diverse cultures, championing local history, empowering the natural environment and providing all students avenues for athletics regardless of competition level.

Mike Pase — Simple answer is yes. Penns Valley has a variety of programs currently in place that need continued support and there is always room to look at new programs. Anti-bullying and harassment are at the top of my list. Every student should be safe and respected.

Celesta Powell — I believe in every aspect of our community and our schools we need these initiatives. I however do not feel that a school holds the only burden in these initiatives with instruction time being as necessary as it is- especially post COVID. All aspects of a school schedule could be reviewed to ensure it is a community healthy and free of harassment and bullying as a community can make it.

Dan Hall, Molly Miller, Kim Kellerman-Domin, Domer Smeltzer, Daniel Pick and Scott Butler did not respond to the survey.

Bald Eagle Area School District candidates

Jason Penland — Due to the limit on characters, I will focus on equity. It is the hallmark of the Fair Funding Battle for starters. Closer to the heart of equity for our district is broadband internet access. During Covid I asked for an internet survey to be run to determine the needs of all of our 100% remote students. 60% had internet at 5Mbs or higher. Four in 10 students did not have good enough internet to attend school remotely! As a result of this we installed internet hotspots around the district so students had very little distance to drive and download their lessons if needed. We must ensure that everyone has an equal chance to succeed regardless of their situation. Equity also means that a student can be challenged regardless of their current education level. The state provides a tremendous amount of funding to get students to proficiency, but after this there is a gaping chasm to go from proficiency to advanced, and even more so to attain a gifted IEP for increased instruction. Although no scores or tests will show it, students from proficient to advanced are vastly underserved in public education and this needs to change. Equity means more opportunity for these students as well.

Molly Hoover, Erica Danneker and Brandi Bartley did not respond to the survey.

Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District candidates

Tiffany Warlow — Yes, EVERY student should belong and feel as though he/she belongs in their classroom. Adolescence is a difficult time, and any supports we can utilize to help our students become successful and feel comfortable with who they are and be inclusive of others who may be different from themselves, so they all can focus on their academics, is of utmost importance.

Todd Jeffries, Tim Bainey and Alexander Boumerhi did not respond.