Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day

This Memorial Day please remember the fallen heroes of our armed forces.

We each have our own way to commemorate these men and women.

The Boston Globe's online feature, "The Big Picture," brings a glimpse of some of these commemorations.

Please follow the link, and remember the meaning of the day.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/memorial_day_2009.html

Monday, May 18, 2009

Bring to the Polls


You can download and print this flyer to bring it with you to the polls on Tuesday.


Sunday, May 17, 2009

Join Us at the Polls

Can you spare some time on Tuesday to volunteer at the polls?

Take a moment to fill out this volunteer form and RSVP to the Facebook invitation.

Volunteers will greet voters and hand out a Future of Pike County voter information card.

Even if you can't volunteer, make sure to vote!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Friday, May 15, 2009

Short Term Comfort, Long Term Problems

Fiscal discipline is unpopular!!

Stimulants make a human or corporate body feel good temporarily, although easy to swallow they blur reality. They also lead to massive hangovers.

The inclusion in the Plan A of the 2009/10 Delaware Valley School District Budget of federal stimulants at first made everyone on the DV school board giddy with "hope". Millions of dollars to spend without consequence or pain. Last night we witnessed board members in the depths of despair, an almost depression like response, to the news that less stimulant was coming. The hangover is next. Parents be prepared!!!. Everyone has locked unbreakable contracts except your children. Board member Wrobleski constantly reminded the audience that full day kindergarten is not state mandated. Taxpayer United candidates in the past have railed against athletic programs all of which are not state mandated. Many other programs like transportation to and from school is not totally state funded or mandated.

A true fiscal conservative, as I am, would never have allowed the stimulant into the budgetary system. Artificial stimulants like steroids look good in the short run but kill your vital components rapidly. A good looking corpse is still not alive.

The need for a long term multi-year approach to budgeting has never been more clear at the Delaware Valley School District. Removal of the stimulant and hard choices about what is necessary in the budget would have shown more clearly the financial situation at DV.

Instead the DV School Board drank the kool-aid and are asking all the taxpayers to do the same.

I say resist .

Best regards,

JACK FISHER - Candidate for Delaware Valley School Board

SHAM! SHAME!

Sham! Shame!

Following tonight’s Delaware Valley School Board meeting, I am compelled to compose this letter to the citizens of Pike County. I am ashamed that Board members who voted affirmatively for the 2009-2010 school budget believe the citizens of this county to be idiots!

When you wake up tomorrow, you may hear that the DV Board passed a school budget with a “0% tax increase.” BIG SHAM!

This so called “0% tax increase budget” was calculated with “stimulus fund money” that has NOT yet been provided to our district and possibly may never be provided as pointed out by the very same members who voted for the budget! This is one of the biggest deceptions that I have yet encountered. To tell Pike County citizens that this budget has a 0% tax increase when in actuality it may cost the taxpayers anywhere between a 2.5% to a 4.0% in increased taxes is unconscionable. I for one refuse to be associated with this ridiculous fabrication. Using stimulus money, which we do not have to “balance” a budget is highly unprofessional and indicative of an attitude of profound indifference to a fragile business community and suffering home owners.

DV Board incumbents and candidates (Silverstone, Goldsack, Marasa, Wright) recently sent a letter to Pike County residents promising they will provide a 0% increase to the taxpayers. Gee, after the election, do you think they will raise taxes to balance the “real” budget? I remember this happening when a former Board member ran for the office of Commissioner. A week after losing the election, the budget was re-opened and the taxes were increased. Interesting how history repeats itself.

Our country is in its worst shape since the Great Depression and our local educational leaders are the last to get it! Locally, The Pike County food pantry has an alarming demand. Jobs in Pike County are disappearing daily. Businesses are closing their doors. Apartments sit empty. The department of Public Welfare has never been so busy. There are no summer jobs for college students.

And it’s a time to raise taxes???

How dare this Board show such disrespect to this community! Citizens deserve the truth. The real facts of the budget must be revealed and citizens must demand transparency from all Board members. Budgets must be based upon real monies, not reckless gambling behavior.

NEVER have I been so embarrassed to be a member of the DV Board. Never have I been so insulted at the disrespect shown for the taxpayers in our county. Often, I hear administrators and Board members lament that parents need to learn how to say no to their children. I think the time has come when Board members need to say no to the requests of the administration and more importantly public citizens need to say no! no! no! to Board member's shameful actions.

I do NOT support a tax increase. But as a matter of integrity I would rather present an HONEST budget revealing the hidden tax increase than to present a LIE to our citizens - the very citizens who trust us to serve them and to keep them informed.

Citizens, according to Pennsylvania statute, you have the right to view the budget during the next 30 days. Please visit the district office and request to view the budget. Ask about the funds and “absence of funds” so you may see for yourself what is happening here. You have a voice about this budget. Get involved and demand better representation. Together we can make a difference.

Fellow Board members, you call this budget an example of fiscal management? What a joke!
Of the members present, Pam Lutfy and Sue Schor were the only two members who voted NO for this charade called a budget.

MOST SINCERELY,
Pam Lutfy
Delaware valley School Board member

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Your vote is ten times as important as you think!

Your vote counts! It actually counts ten times more than you may think! (I am not exaggerating.

School Board primaries are important. If you do not vote next Tuesday, May 19, 2009, you may have to live with the result for the next four years.

Four years ago, in the school board primary, the top four vote-getters in the Democratic primary and the top four vote-getters in the Republican primary were the same. Those four candidates went on to the November election unopposed. The elections were all over in May.

The highest number of votes for any one candidate four years ago was 1609. That is truly sad.

Here are some facts:

  • Pike County has approximately 46,000 registered voters
  • There are approximately 36,000 active voters in the county
  • Pike County has the lowest percentage of active voters in the State of Pennsylvania.
  • Because some voters are not registered as Democrats or Republicans only about 30,000 voters are able to effectively participate in the primary elections. This is due to Pennsylvania’s closed primary system.
  • DVSD has approximately 5,400 students.
  • We had a participation rate of less than 1 voter for every two students four years ago.
  • It is likely that less than 10% of active voters in the district participated in the DVSD school board primary 4 years ago. That is less than 1 vote cast for every 10 active voters.

You deserve the best schools for your children. You deserve a school board that will responsibly manage the budget. You deserve a school board that will ask the tough questions and ensure that only those programs that are of proven value are implemented. You deserve a school board that will demand high performance from our administrators and our schools. You deserve a board that will get the highest performance from each tax dollar.


But you only deserve this if you vote. Vote for the candidates that will deliver quality education and responsible budgets.


Or sit at home and get whatever somebody else gives you.


Don’t let someone else decide this election. It is too important. Every vote counts. If the election four years ago is any indication, your vote represents 9 other citizens. One vote represents more than 2 students. Think about that and get to the polls next Tuesday. Vote for yourself, and your neighbors. Vote for your kids and grandchildren.


Vote for everyone on your street. Better yet, get them to vote too!


Your vote is ten times more important than you think!


For the four-year term, VOTE for:

Jack Fisher

Bill Greenlaw

Pam Lutfy

Sue Schor


For the two-year term, VOTE for:

Chuck Pike


VOTE! Tuesday May 19, 2009. VOTE!

Recap: Online Town Hall Meeting




Thanks to all those who joined us for this groundbreaking event tonight. We had over three dozen participants and many great questions. Below you will find the archived live blog and video from the event. (The video accidentally cuts out the introduction from Jack Fisher.)






Monday, May 11, 2009

Phone Banking for Our Future



Students from the Future of Pike County PAC make hundreds of phone calls Monday evening to voters in DV School District. 

Ad Running in This Week's Dispatch

Sunday, May 10, 2009

All That Glitters Is Not Goldsack


I am supporting Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor in the May 19th primary election for Directors of the Delaware Valley School District.  These candidates, while varied in their experiences and priorities, will bring vision and transparency to a Board I’m embarrassed to sit on in this my 14th year of volunteer service.

 

          Bob Goldsack says he and I have a “Love-Hate relationship”.  I told Bob that I don’t hate anyone, but I dislike many things that he does.

 

          I dislike that Bob removed me from the Negotiations Committee on the teacher’s contract and then inadvertently increased starting teacher’s pay by $15,000, matching what a teacher with 5 years of experience would earn.  The Board as a whole didn’t learn of this until after the teacher’s union voted to approve the proposed contract.

 

          I dislike that Bob asked the Board to hire 4 school security officers at a cost of $250,000 per year, expecting that there would be Safe Schools money to offset the cost.  We hired the staff – didn’t get the money.

 

          I dislike that Bob ran for and won an election and held a position on the Pike County Republican Committee while holding the elected office of School Director, which violates the Pennsylvania School Code.

 

          I dislike that Bob filed a petition to remove Pam Lutfy and Sue Schor from the 2009 primary ballot and then had his lawyer withdraw the petition.  Noticeably Bob’s petitions had the same uncrossed T’s and un-dotted I’s as his opponent’s petitions.

 

          I dislike that Bob said in a public meeting that, “It would be the happiest day of my life”, if I would resign from the Board.  Imagine that, happier than the day he was married or the birth of his children.

 

          I dislike that Bob repeatedly held meetings in violation of the Sunshine Law by either not announcing committee meetings or allowing Board business to be discussed with 5 or more Board members present.

 

          I dislike that Bob told parents of students at DVES that he would not support moving the new elementary school off the campus, but would continue work on building a new school on the existing site.  Then, Bob announced that Long Range Planning would not work on a plan to rebuild the school at all, due to the economy.  To further offend these parents, Bob allowed the money borrowed to build the school to be spent on capital construction projects and the new water delivery system at the Dingman-Delaware campus.

 

          I dislike that Bob boasts of the new $900,000 water delivery system as providing cleaner water at Dingmans.  The water is no cleaner after the system went on-line than before.  In fact, the pristine water that was delivered to the primary school now has chemicals added to it.  How do the parents at the primary school like that change?

 

          I dislike that Bob likes to take credit for bringing the NO-Bullying program to the District when the way he treats people, in my opinion, makes him the biggest bully in the county, to which Bob replied publicly, “If I have to be a bully to get what I think is right, then I guess I’ll be the bully.”

 

          I dislike that Bob defended an outside contractor over the concerns of district employees and when the facts came into light, failed to tell the public himself the outcome.

 

          Bob and I don’t always have to agree.  It’s fine to agree to disagree. I have a right to hear what other Board members are hearing and I have a right to be heard.

 

          I agree with Diane French’s letter to the editor, “It’s All About Character”.  Bob Goldsack is a character alright.  Not a character that should be re-elected.

 

          I’d appreciate your support on May 19th for Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor.

 

 

Thank you,

 

Sue Casey

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Et TU Brute?

As far back as 52 B.C. the great Roman leader, Julius Caesar reminded the world that “Experience is the teacher of all things” (De Bello Civili).

A letter to the Dispatch submitted by Diane French on April 30, 2009 reminds me that Diane has yet to experience and much to learn about character education, which I note was not touted in her list of trainings as she recently entered her first year of teaching. Taking my comments out of context and twisting my words to fool the public into believing that I have accomplished nothing during my twelve years of serving on the Board is as William Shakespeare so aptly wrote, “the most unkindest cut of all” (Julius Caesar, 1601.

I, Pam Lutfy “did have the audacity to publicly ask” why Diane French and Dr. Finan proposed to replace the present elementary reading curriculum with a new $350,000 + reading curriculum, especially in light of the fact that our elementary students demonstrated outstanding reading performance on the 2007-2008 PSSA according to an administrative report. Diane retorted that her employer uses the proposed $350,000+ reading program and all the teachers at her school like it. Interestingly, I learned that our own DV teachers were not consulted regarding the reading curriculum proposal and by the way neither were any other Board members!

Yes, I, Pam Lutfy do have the audacity to continually question why Bob Goldsack, president of the Board, and Diane French, education committee chairperson, fixate on elementary reading discussions and smugly ignore the fact that the DV High School failed to reach Average Yearly Progress as a result of poor performance on the state assessment. Twenty percent of last year’s eleventh grade class failed to reach proficiency in reading and 35% failed in math! Those students are graduating this year with hopes of fulfilling their dreams and aspiration? What are their chances? Do Diane, Bob and others not grasp the significance of a school failing to reach Average Yearly Progress? If this trend continues parents will be permitted to transfer their child to another school district at the taxpayer’s expense!

For years, I have had the audacity to implore the district to adopt the highly stimulating and researched based “Read 180” Stage B (Middle School) and Stage C (High School) reading series supported by Dr. Willard Daggett whose “Quadrant D” learning initiative was recently integrated into the core subjects of the Delaware Valley School District. It confounds me that our secondary school staff is expected to succeed with “Quadrant D” high order thinking skills and abstract learning when the students who are dropped on their door steps cannot read proficiently.

Through experience, Diane will learn that educational efforts will not succeed without the input of staff, parents and community. She will learn that I and others will not simply rubber stamp her recommendations even if she and her cohorts do control the majority vote on the Board. If our state legislators have their way, 12th grade Graduate Competency Exams will soon become a reality. When students are not permitted to graduate because of reading deficiencies, will Diane French along with other Tax United affiliated Board members realize that reading matters at every level of education?

I have never “questioned anyone for hard work and new ideas”, but I do question acquisitions that are “popular” and inappropriate to the needs of all students in the district. I disagree with Diane French’s publicly stated approval of scripted curriculums and scripted packets. I believe our teachers are highly capable of teaching and important enough to be included in decisions regarding all aspects of education.

Two years ago, Bob Goldsack appointed a new board member with nil knowledge of special education to replace me as the district’s special education liaison. A void developed as discussions and meetings rapidly slipped through the cracks -- no fault of mine! Five months ago, Bob Goldsack assigned me to act as special education committee chairperson. Parent surveys were initiated, co-curricular activities for students with special needs were organized and Round Table discussions were held. I did not notice Diane French at any of those meetings, which perhaps accounts for her failure to notice the resurgence of special education committee activity.

Through networking with parents, staff, community, legislators and Board members I am proud to report that MUCH has been accomplished in our district to keep the promise of equity for all students. Eclectic efforts have resulted in hiring high quality special education teachers, a principal of special education, Round Table discussions, a tracking system for student accommodations, improved professional development, researched based instructional methods, realistic assessment standards, consultants addressing low incidence disorders, the hosting of the Pennsylvania Special Olympics and much more! I will continue to seek improvements whether I a member of the Board or a private citizen through professional interaction as opposed to juvenile behavior, law suits and misleading statements.

There are 3 additional curricula recommended in addition to the reading curriculum at a total cost of almost one million dollars. Does anyone else have the audacity to ask questions especially during these difficult economic times?

Sincerely,
Pam Lutfy

Video from PCYC/PTA Meet the Candidates Night

Below is a playlist of videos from the Meet the Candidates Night at Shohola Elementary School. It was sponsored by the Pike County Youth Coalition and the Parent Teacher Association, both organizations are non-partisan and do not support candidates in elections. 

Candidates who attended: Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Sue Schor and Jack Fisher. Chuck Pike sent a statement that was read in the first video. The Taxpayers United candidates did not show up.

Maintaining Fiscal Discipline

To the Editor:

Fiscal discipline is hard medicine!

The need for a long term multi-year approach to budgeting has never been more clear.

After listening intently to last nights DVSD budget presentation of Plan A and Plan B, I make this simple statement: "Turn down the stimulus money."

As a way of background to my coming to this conclusion, let me say how impressed I was with the honest and open acknowledgment and clear presentation by School Supt. Dr. Candis Finan of the significant problems that our school district has with 5th grade. It matches the problem presented last fall with 11th grade and the inability to meet AYP. The need to spend significant sums of money on a new curriculum was shown to be evident. No objections were made by anyone in attendance that combating deficiencies in the educational continuum must be waged. I caution that If Dr. Finan were presenting these budgetary needs simply as a way to get more federal funding she would lose all integrity, perhaps her job. I know she values her integrity and good name so I do not fear this the case.

Hence , I applauded the Supt., the Board and Chair of Budget Finance and Audit Ed Silverstone on his work on the expenditure side of the $70M budget, a $3M increase from last year. He even restored a small portion of funds to the CAPEX Reserve as I had urged. That was a small but good step to make.

However, on the revenue side of the budget there remains great uncertainty as to the amount of federal stimulus money the DVSD will ultimately receive. Plan A calls for the revenue side of the to receive $3.3 million in federal stimulus funds. Plan B calls for the revenue side to receive $2 million less in federal stimulus funds. The PA State Senate has already voted overwhelmingly AGAINST DV getting the $3.3. The fight now goes to the PA House. Then on to Governor Rendell.

If you were preparing an honest budget would you use the $3.3M number to balance your budget.? I would not. Revenue must always be projected conservatively.

In the real business world such dramatic and traumatic uncertainty would never be relied upon to produce a balanced budget revenue projection. However, in the world of high stakes power politics being played from Washington to Harrisburg to Pike County, the DV School Board will vote next week to recommend Plan A. to the public and authorize the administration to begin the implementation of plans to address the problems in fifth and elenventh grade. Why? Simple. Plan A has been calculated to produce a local tax increase of 0%. Yes, another major increase in spending by a government entity without any taxpayer pain.

No pain at the federal level, no pain at the state level, no pain at the local level. All the pain is deferred to the future level. Our children and grandchildren will be forced to either pay for this new debt or be forced to pay, for all their lives, the interest on the debt this "painless stimulus" has produced. Money and power is an addictive narcotic. The Federal government, like a drug dealer on the streets, is saying "here just try it once. You will like it" or "here it’s free money, who does not like free money?".

I urge Mr. Silverstone to prepare a three to five year budget that details for the taxpayers what happens when the "stimulus money" under Plan A is gone. I urge him to do what he would do if he were the CFO of a real business enterprise faced with such uncertainty. Would he truly rely on such uncertain revenue streams to meet the demands of the expenditure stream increases that he will approve next week.?

Leaders make the hard calls. I say reject the injection of the federal stimulus. Mr. Silverstone, "Don’t get hooked." Then reexamine cold -turkey your revenues and expenditure projections over the next 36 to 48 months. Because you are an honest man, you’ll find the right answer.

Best regards,

Jack Fisher

Candidate for Delaware Valley School Board.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Spread the Word

Please take a minute and fill out our volunteer form with eight ways to get involved in the May 19 school board election here:


http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cmRmQWZnMFRCdERkMDdMOXc1el9xR0E6MA..


Based on your response, we’ll follow up with more information.

If you’re interested in volunteering at the polls on Election Day (May 19), we have a separate form here:


http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=clJyN1RJVnVFTTVBRnRUbnRUdDMxS1E6MA..


*************


And we have two upcoming events!


Monday, May 11; 6-9pm – Phone banking: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=74675253084


Tuesday, May 12; 7-8pm – Online town hall meeting:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=78278552366

OR http://dvonlinetownhall.eventbrite.com/


You can participate in both anywhere you are with an Internet connection.


 

Thanks for your continued help and support!

Future of Pike County PAC

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Applaud Effort of Youth

The 0% Illusion

Bob Goldsack and TU want to take sole credit for this year’s 0% tax increase.

What are the facts?

Cost per student has never been higher in DV history, now at over $12,000/yr for each student. Cost per student went up 2% last year.

So how did Bob keep taxes flat? Lucky for Bob, revenue from the State went up a whopping 14% from last year. What did Bob have to do with this? That’s where the real 0% comes in.

Bob was against Act I (State gambling money). He did not want to accept it. He did not ask or plan for that money. As reported on May 8, 2008 by the Courier, he accepted the gambling money he had vowed to turn away. We should thank him for that.

All other things equal, if State contributions had been flat, we would have had a 5% decrease in total revenue, which would have translated to a need to increase local revenues by 8%.

In other words, had it not been for the generosity of the State in the form of Act I money and some other minor increases, Bob’s plan would have resulted in an 8% increase in your taxes.

Property taxes were flat, but local revenues dropped by 9%. Anyone want to bet that they will be bigger this year? Bob?

We have seriously depleted our budgetary reserves. As reported in the April 24, 2008 Pike County Courier, Bob said:

"In past they’ve had too much in reserve and they’ve never used it to reduce taxes. We still have one, but not as much,”

Let’s see what happens this year under a shrinking tax base. Our reserves are lower than any time in recent history and we have spent half of the money we borrowed to build a new school without anything to show towards that school. We will need more of Bob’s lucky money this year.

There is potential for Federal stimulus money, but the State, which currently has a $3 billion shortfall, may drop their contribution accordingly. Can we count on another $3 million dollar last-minute gift again this year? I would not.

Like Bob, I would be happy to accept gambling money from the State.

Unlike Bob, I would not gamble with our own with unsound and irresponsible budgeting practices.

We need to determine our budget with funding that is certain. Our plan should not include getting an unexpected wheelbarrow of cash to bail us out each year.

As school board director, I will work to keep taxes low through indexing based on the cost per student. I will advocate for a more deliberative line-by-line budget process, including holding variance meetings throughout the year to make sure we are on track to meet our goals. I will also advocate for long-term 5-year budgeting so we are more prepared for challenges we will face in the future. I will advocate getting budget proposals well ahead of meetings so that directors can ask good questions of the administration and determine where money can be saved. I will get the details of the budget and the history of expenditures and revenue on the district web site for all to examine.

We simply can’t afford the Taxpayer United process anymore. That does not mean we have to raise taxes, but it does mean we need to restore sustainable fiscal discipline, lowering costs, not relying on State revenue and borrowing.

Bob, I wish you luck, I just wish we were not counting on luck. I propose we do the hard work necessary to maintain fiscal discipline.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

You're Invited to Phone Bank for our Future

Join fellow students, citizens and Future of Pike County PAC on Monday, May 11 at the Sunshine Station from 6-9pm for a fun evening of phone banking. 

We're going to be calling registered voters in the DV School District and urging their support for Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor.  We will primarily be using Skype to place calls. So please bring your lap top if possible, we will have headsets and wireless Internet available. If you have an unlimited cell phone plan or don't mind using your minutes - feel free to use your cell. We'll provide pizza and drinks, as well as some training. So please come by and bring your friends! You need not stay the entire time. 

UPDATE: For those who wish to participate remotely, please send us your name and email by Sunday, May 10. We will share a Google spreadsheet of contacts with those who are interested.

RSVP on Facebook or send us an email (info@futureofpikecounty.org).

Monday, May 4, 2009

The Case for Fiscal Discipline

To the Editor:

Fiscal discipline is hard medicine. Fiscal discipline is unpopular. Fiscal discipline has no short cuts.

However, once fiscal discipline is exercised over a period of time it leads to financial good health, stability and lean financial muscle.

Politicians seeking office and the power it brings to them have long loathed fiscal discipline. These power seekers have overspent( creating huge deficits), under invested ( leading to failing infrastructure and wiping out long-term reserves) and made promises of future monies without proper funding sources in place.( Unfunded liabilities left to our children and grandchildren.)

This lust for power is evidenced at the federal and state level. Massive new debt, trillions in new deficits. Lack of transparency and accountability.

Now the lust for power has come to the Delaware Valley School District.

DV School Board President Bob Goldsack has reduced reserve funding nearly 80% over his four year term. Reserves are the lean body mass needed for financial well being. Such unbalanced long term planning is seriously shortsighted. Bob Goldsack refuses to address the pension problem he helped cause when he voted to massively increase salaries. Ed Silverstone, Chairman of the Budget , finance and Audit committee, recently commented on the "over 41% starting salary increase" at the Matamoras Meet the Candidates night held by my fellow Republicans. Pensions are a mathematical function of salaries. They too are a reserve. Increasing salaries increases the need for pension reserve funding increases. The pension funding issue is awaiting the next school board due to the Goldsack miscalculations and lack of understanding of the role of reserves.

The good folks who support Mr. Goldsack need to ask themselves:. Why is spending overall increasing at the same time Mr. Goldsack is touting a single year level tax rate of 100.87 mils. How did the rate of the millage remain the same from the prior year, which by the way Goldsack voted against, when spending went up and student population went down.? The answer is that years of fiscal discipline went into setting the rate at 100.87 mils. It did not happen by luck. Why would Mr. Goldsack vote against it in year one and then vote for it in year two.?

Answer: He is an old school politician.

I ask the citizens of the DV School District to vote for "Directors" on May 19th. Directors are Leaders. We do not need more politicians.

Vote for Leaders.

Vote for FISHER, GREENLAW, LUTFY, PIKE and SCHOR.

Best regards,

JACK FISHER 

Candidate for Delaware Valley School Board.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

PAC Announces Online Town Hall Meeting

The Future of Pike County, an all-partisan student-led political action committee, will host an online town hall meeting with its five endorsed candidates for Delaware Valley School Board next week. Citizens may attend the meeting, ask questions and interact with each other by visiting www.futureofpikecounty.org on Tuesday, May 12 at 7pm.  The PAC will live web cast the event and make the recorded video available online afterwards.  

 Those who do not have a broadband Internet connection or would prefer to attend in person can go to the Sunshine Station on Route 6 & 209 in Milford, where seating and refreshments will be available. Candidates Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor will discuss many issues facing our school district and be available to take your questions. For more information about this and other events, please sign up for the committee’s mailing list by visiting www.futureofpikecounty.org. 

RSVP on Facebook

DV Eligible for $3.3 million in Recovery Funds

According to Pennsylvania's Web site that tracks funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Delaware Valley School District is eligible for an estimated $3,369,046 broken down as follows:

Estimated Total Funding Amount
$3,369,046
Funding Targeted to Low-Income Students
$313,700
Special Education Funding
$1,026,300
Educational Technology Funding
$11,900
2009-10 State Basic Education Funding Formula Increase
$1,700,246
Fiscal Stabilization Grants
$316,900

How do you think this money can be spent in our district? In the coming days, we'll get some thoughts from our candidates. 

Renewing a Community Commitment

To the Editor,

There is an old saying from Mark Twain that says, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see”.  

The DV Five specifically states to:

         1.  Be responsible

         2.  Be respectful

         3.  Follow directions

         4.  Keep hands and feet to self

         5.  Be on time and ready 

We hold our children to these mandates from the time they walk into kindergarten until they graduate.  Adults who are elected into such an important office as our school board set the bar even higher.  Setting a good example should be second nature to those in a public school setting.  A quick visit to a kindergarten classroom will remind a person that it always works for the best when we are nice to each other.

A school board director must always keep in mind that the public is watching.  They are the people who are casting the votes.   A school board director needs to be held accountable for his/her behavior.   

In the upcoming election for Delaware Valley School Board, there is a clear choice between the candidates to elect.  The best candidates for school board are Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor because at the end of the day, character does matter. These honest, intelligent, and facts-based candidates grasp that our school district plays an important role in our community’s future.   

Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor will renew a commitment to both taxpayers and quality of education.   They understand our core values - that our children deserve an opportunity for a better future and taxpayers need to be a top priority. Additionally, they understand and most voters would agree that school board directors need to be transparent with the public on school district policies, financial decisions, and during school board meetings. 

On Election Day, the voters of the Delaware Valley School District have a great opportunity to make a positive change on the school board by voting for Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor. In the end, character does matter and serving on the Board is not a position of convenience.  It requires honesty at all times while finding real solutions to our challenges. Vote for the candidates who care because everyone matters.


Linda Boyle

Delaware Valley Education Support Professionals Secretary 

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Young People and the Library

Candidate Pam Lutfy writes the below entry to Janeth DeGraw, who authored this letter in the Pike County Courier. 

Dear Janeth,

Your words, I suspect, convey sorrow and disappointment. Perhaps I feel this because I have seen the depth of your intelligence and the passion for learning that exudes from most of your endeavors. Those were some great Trivial Pursuit games during the Tom Quick Inn days! Admittedly, you always knocked our socks off! (Excuse the grammar.) At times, Gail would counter attack reminding us of her keen book knowledge. While waiting for the ponderings of opponents, I enjoyed your descriptive side talk related to books, events and characters. 

The Friends of the library along with local parents and area professionals spend an inordinate amount of time struggling to preserve the world of books. Competing with electronic games and gadgets is a daunting undertaking even for the mightiest!

I suggest we solicit our youth through a district-wide survey to assist in gaining insight regarding the utilization of our library and its services. Perhaps a book lounge with late hours and music -- youth today are great multi-taskers. Perhaps a book mobile parked smack in the middle of a populated community on a Sunday afternoon? Most importantly we need to hear from the youth themselves.
 

Oh, how, I would love to see a weekly game night where our community senior citizens and youth challenge one another during a night of fun board games and card games. I believe it would be entertaining and rewarding for all. Perhaps this, too, could occur at our libraries or even alongside the bookmobile! Perhaps the side talks could then lead to discussions of books, amazing events and characters.

 

Sincerely,

Pam Lutfy

Friday, May 1, 2009

Our Teachers At Delaware Valley School District Do A Great Job!

On April 23rd I questioned the superintendent Dr. Finan on introducing four new programs in K-5. I personally feel it will be ineffective for our students and staff. Yes, I do believe we need to update our Science and Social Studies textbooks ASAP because we have very outdated books. I have not found one teacher that has shown support for the scripted teaching! We have creative intelligent teachers! I feel scripted teaching is an insult to our teaching staff. When you look at the history of scripted teaching, you will see it was first implemented in areas were schools could not find the great teachers like we have at DV school district. What we need to do as a district is identify our flaws and weakness.

We need to give our teachers the materials and tools they need to fill these gaps. The scores from our PSSA's at the secondary level shows a need to enhance some of our programs. We need not to be afraid to ask ourselves, What did we do right? What did we do wrong? How can we make it better? Our administrators do a great job hiring good teachers. What we need to do as a board is find the weaknesses of our students and take steps to strengthen them. The board should be taking more advice from our principals and teachers that work with our students at Delaware Valley not from a board member (Diane French) Who has never had her own classroom. The boards job is policy, procedure, and budget. Board Directors should not be micromanaging our teaching staff, that is why we have a Superintendent. I respect Dr. Finan very much but there will be times we have different opinions on issues.

The way Ms. French conducted herself at the last school board meeting was an embarrassment to our entire school board! The letter to the editor written by Diane French this past week in the Dispatch was full of lies which anyone who attended that meeting April 23rd is well aware of. Board members must set the right example for our students! We should follow the same policies we set forth for them. We should always be honest and have integrity and stop the bullying. The school board directors should be on the board to serve and support the students, administrators, teachers, staff and taxpayers. They should not be on the board to stroke their own egos. Our board president Bob Goldsack has poor leadership skills when he allows the shenanigans to continue.

Transparency in our district is extremely important. Our community has many individuals that truly care about the Delaware Valley School district. We should give every parent, taxpayer and student the opportunity to know what is going on at every board meeting, word for word. I strongly support the idea of having our school board meetings on web-cam. Everyone can have the opportunity to view the board meeting at their convenience. Having transparency, along with family and community involvement, will have a profound impact on our students achievement.

At this time I am happy to announce that I am now a proud owner of Biasi Distribution Inc. Hard work, dedication and continuous education has helped me achieve this accomplishment.

Sincerely,
Susan Schor
Delaware Valley School Board Director

Send a Letter to the Editor!


Here is a sample letter  

To the editor: 

As a(n) (alumnus/alumna/current student/citizen) of the Delaware Valley School District, I would like to voice my support for Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor in the upcoming school board election.  

Tell a bit about yourself and why you are supporting these candidates (you can read more about them here: http://www.futureofpikecounty.org/Endorsements.html). 

i.e. Supporting these candidates are important because future generations of Delaware Valley students are offered the best educational opportunities. These candidates make education their priority and deserve your vote. 

End with: On May 19 please vote Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor for DV school board. 

Respectfully,  
Your Name 
(Delaware Valley '##) 
(Your School '##) 
Hometown  

Include your phone number and local home address for verification purposes  

* Thanks to Ryan Balton at RBforDV for the outline.

DV Alum Sounds Off for Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor

To the editor: 
 
As an alumnus of the Delaware Valley School District, I would like to voice my support for Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor in the upcoming school board election. 
 
I am currently studying history at Boston College in Chestnut Hill Massachusetts. In addition to stressing the importance of academic excellence, my university promotes a well rounded student with a particular emphasis on involvement in the school’s clubs and community organizations. At school I am involved in a variety of these activities. I am a member of the rugby team and serve on the executive board as the secretary of communications. I am also a Big Brother to an elementary school student in Brighton. Between my classes, I work in the history department as a student work study secretary. After interning at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford last summer, I will be spending this summer in Boston working at the Boston National Historical Park as a Park Ranger. In the future, I hope to further my education at a graduate school before entering the work force. Today, I attribute my success to the overall experience I had at Delaware Valley High school. With the support of my teachers and coaches, I was able to excel in any situation, in the classroom, on the field, or in front of a national audience. I would not be prepared for life's journey if I had not been offered the educational opportunities that these candidates ensure our students. 
 
At DV I enjoyed many challenging classes but also countless opportunities to be involved after and during school. While I played soccer for all four years of high school it was the other clubs, such as Odyssey of the Mind and Model United Nations that taught me the skills I use everyday. Odyssey of the Mind fosters creativity and teamwork. With the schools support, I was fortunate enough to travel to the Worlds Competition on two occasions on the Vehicle Team. Model UN offers unique chances to practice critical reading, public speaking, and intensive writing. Every year we held in-house sessions at DV but also traveled to a competition sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. These clubs helped me become further involved with an American Legion sponsored event called Boys State. From Boys State, I was selected as one of the two senators, along with another DV alum, to participate in Boys Nation in Washington D.C. This résumé of involvement, not my SAT scores, is what gave me an advantage when I applied to colleges. Without the support and funding from the School Board, I would have had a completely different high school and conceivably college experience. The current students of the Delaware Valley School District deserve these same opportunities as I did. Without the right people on the board, clubs like Odyssey of the Mind and Model United Nations will suffer due to the lack of funds. Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor support these chances for students to grow and learn both inside and outside the classroom. 
 
We should make sure that the future generations of Delaware Valley are offered the best educational and extra-curricular opportunities. These candidates make education and the student’s well-being their priority and deserve your vote. On May 19 please vote Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor for DV school board. 
 
Respectfully, 
 
Eric Neumann 
Delaware Valley '07 
Boston College '11 
Milford PA