ANDREA RIZZO FOR SCHOOL BOARD

If elected to the school board, I want to ensure the health, mental health, and wellbeing of our students and teaching faculty is properly addressed in the coming years and remains a consideration in every decision we make as a community for the GVSD. The last two school years have seen unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the district to support students and families. However, the impacts of COVID-19 on our students – both academically and social emotionally – as well as our teaching faculty and school climate will be felt for years to come.

As residents of East Whiteland Township, our family’s intention is to continue to live and thrive in this community. As such, I know the value of education to a community – and how an educated community increases the value of that community. I want to contribute to the success of our community through long-term beneficial decision of the School Board.

As an educational researcher, I have deep knowledge and expertise regarding how educational decisions – from curriculum to teacher professional development to school climate – impact our students and their ability to thrive. I want to apply over 20 years of expertise to the School Directors’ conversations to pose thoughtful and challenging questions around important decisions. I also want to contribute to the Board’s collective expertise when weighing considerations such as which curriculum to fund or how to expand the KDM campus with a lens of effective school practices honed from years of scientific data collection for my profession.

As a tax payer in the GVSD, the importance of being fiscally responsible both to the community and to the district is an important issue for me. Community members deserve transparency and respect for how their funds are being spent. Likewise, district students, families, and faculty deserve access to the resources they need to thrive during their public education experience. I am committed to thoughtful conversations that respect staying within budget while thinking creatively in how to ensure students, families, and faculty have what they need to continue to excel.

As a parent of GVSD students, I see the impacts of school district decisions on a personal level. I have the expertise and the heart to think beyond what my own family needs and experiences to consider what others in the district may need and how their situation may be quite different from my own. I want to ensure every family’s voice is heard in decisions and believe I can help liaise some of these conversations for fuller inclusion of all GVSD community members in decision making.

As a caregiver, I understand the desire to protect and nurture our children so they can thrive. The last year has asked more of caregivers than ever before and we all did the best we could to ensure the health, safety and growth of our children. I want to celebrate the successes of every caregiver – especially during this past academic year, in how they have nurtured and educated their children and how we can draw on those experiences to enrich the education of all students.

Read more on her website at: Andrea Rizzo for School Board