SCASD

Park Forest Middle School

Park Forest Middle School is due to be replaced. It has been due to be replaced for over a decade and its building is vastly inferior to that of Mount Nittany, SCASD’s other middle school.

Just as was true for the renovations to State College Area High School a few years ago and those of several elementary schools, I strongly favor its replacement with a LEED Gold or above building.

An Inclusive District

A few years ago, SCASD created the position of Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. They have also hired an assistant to go with that position.

Given the diverse ethnic and national backgrounds of students in SCASD schools, the difficulties for LGBTQ+ students, and the difficulties for disabled students, that was a wise move.

The addition of that position has had a positive effect on student life at SCASD schools and has helped SCASD address important civil rights issues that arise in every school district.

During my time on State College Borough Council, I pushed State College Borough to create a department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, which it now has. I was inspired to do this, in part, by the State College Area School District’s actions.

I will fully support SCASD’s office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

An Inclusive Curriculum

`American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” -James Baldwin

I want the stories of American and World history to be accessible to SCASD students in an age-appropriate manner. Some of the stories such as the crafting of our Constitution, America’s rebuilding of Western Europe after World War II, and the triumphs of the Civil Rights movement paint a wonderful portrait of how our country became what it is today. Other stories such as the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision, the battle of Wounded Knee, and the Chinese Exclusion Act paint a more problematic portrait. To understand the society we live in and the world we live in, it is essential for people to be exposed to both kinds of stories. SCASD’s recent introduction of an AP African American Studies course was an important step forward.

It is just as essential that students be exposed to literary stories from wide variety of American and world cultures in an age-appropriate manner. For young readers, this includes children’s books that tell a wide variety of wonderful stories about many interesting people and places. For high school students, it means books that tell great stories that help us understand our humanity. Reading opens a great world to all of us and it is important that that world remain open to SCASD students.

Delta Middle School and High School

My daughter, Hilary, is a proud Delta graduate. To my great pride as a father, she thrived there.

In the last year, for data collection reasons, Delta became an official Middle School and High School.

This change happened with the understanding that it would have little to no effect of how education is done at Delta. Delta has been a wonderful experience for many students who have gone through that program and I favor no significant changes at Delta.

Delta works, don’t fix it!!