(The following Letter to the Editor was provided by Vince Altieri, Republican candidate for North Penn School Board. The letter appears as submitted, and the views expressed within are his own.)
Political Agenda Based Thinking that has become part of the decision making process at a School Board level is damaging to the community and is contributing to the deterioration of Public Education.
The DOUBLE STANDARDS
that elected officials allow – they teach.
Here are some examples that I have witnessed over the past 2 years while taking a much more active role in my child’s education and the North Penn Community:
Public speaking– When the NPSD BODs spoke as Parents (before they were elected) to the BODs, they were allowed a reasonable amount of time to voice their concerns. Now these same BODs silence the Parents, and in too many cases, in a manner which does not foster RESPECT. Coming from someone that has spoken at many meetings … it is extremely nerve racking to be on a clock while speaking in front of a camera. If elected on November 7th, I promise to allow Parents a REASONABLE amount of time – regardless of perspective; and if the Parent is told "Your time is up” – both the Parent and I will be removed from the meeting. As a side note, the Public Speaking class that NPSD offers is just one example of the amazing programs that the district has to offer. This offering along with the music and athletic programs, ENGAGED and COMMITTED EDUCATORS, and the diversity that exists … just to name a few is the reason why my child will not be removed from one of our GREAT schools.
Partnering with Politicians as opposed to Parents – I was shocked to learn that local Politicians are donating to my opponents to the tune of THOUSANDS of dollars. In fact, when the Mayor of Lansdale (also a donator) spoke at a School Board meeting, I requested an opportunity to meet him via – "Coffee with the Mayor”. After a lengthy email exchange, I was told that the Mayor did not want to insert himself into School Board matters. My question to the Mayor was simple … then why speak at a School Board meeting? Candidly, now it makes sense … the Mayor has put his "Money, where his mouth is” – THIS is D.C Style Politics and has no place at a school board level!
HS Project / Referendum - First off, the schools that WE pay for need renovations, and since WE pay for the schools – the community needs to be told the truth about the costs, and not held hostage to one option over another. This BODs has had MANY years to "Make this happen”, but instead of forging ahead, they show pictures of deteriorating units that they allowed to happen - while prioritizing other projects that should have NEVER came before renovations. With this stated, this BODs has the nerve to tell the community that the January "special election” is going to save taxpayers 4 million dollars by not waiting for the May 2024 primary. Are they serious? How about telling the community how much WE would save by having the referendum on November 7th as opposed to January (at the tune of $350K). In terms of the referendum … I will get right to the point – if the 97 million dollar referendum is approved, the cost with debt services factored in will be roughly 800 million dollars. This number is contained in their presentation, but is NOT included in the language of the proposed referendum. And in terms of "held hostage” … it is unethical for the BODs to not plan for either grass or synthetic turf for our student athletes - in both options. Regardless of one’s opinion on either surface … this renovation is a massive spend and one that will last a lifetime. Effective Leadership would have considered what surface is better for the athletic community and not held a Parents’ vote hostage when considering which option. If elected, I will allow the subject matter experts decide which surface is best; and that is the surface that our community will compete on.
Academic Decline / School Safety / D.C. Style Politics – ALL statistics show that over the past 4 years … Academics and School Safety are going in the wrong direction. While I don’t hold my opponents personally responsible, I am unable to get my arms around how this Leadership Team spent way too much time justifying the results they produced in these areas during their unlimited amount of speaking time at the October 19th school board meeting. And to note that "Algorithms” in the Niche data is the reason for the decline – this is D.C. Style Politics 101. Another important item to note is that this BODs has had 4 descending votes in 4 years … as General Patton was once quoted – "If everyone is thinking the same, then nobody is thinking”.
At the October 19th school board meeting, I thanked the current BOD’s for allowing me to accomplish 2 things over the past 2 years:
Lastly, why the photo??? I lost my Dad at a very young age - up until this journey to become a school board director, I have been busy with life - and while busy is a blessing … I have not been an integral part of my community. And while I still think about my Dad every day … coming across this photo, while going through some memorabilia with my daughter, reminded me how INVOLVED my Dad was with the community that I grew up in – the melting pot of Jersey City.
Vince Altieri – Engaged parent and proud North Penn community member
