Letter to the Editor (Credit: Daria Glakteeva/Unsplash Free Use)
This letter is a printed submission expressing the views and thoughts of the named writer
As the calendar shifts and my family begins their back-to-school preparations, I find myself looking ahead to the coming Pennridge school year with excitement.
I am proud to be a member of the school board majority, led by the Pennridge Community Alliance (PCA). Along with district administration, we have worked hard to rebuild trust with our staff, which was at an all time low when I took my seat on the board in 2023. The former board had signed a financially wasteful contract hiring an outside political consultant who disrespected teachers by cutting them out of the curriculum writing process.
PCA made and kept a promise to put our teachers and administrators back in charge of curriculum. This has resulted in an explosion of curricular innovation that will benefit Pennridge students for years to come.
Last year, we expanded the reading program “Fundations” to all students K-2 and implemented a new elementary social studies curriculum led by our own teachers and administration.
This fall, Pennridge will begin the shift to full day kindergarten, reducing financial burden on many families across the district and making steps to improve students’ educational success and opportunity.
Middle schools rolled out new science standards last year and teachers have planned a new 6th grade math course for this year.
The high school is entering its second year of block scheduling. Student feedback from the first year was encouraging–many reported better ability to manage their time and focus.
Course offerings at the high school have expanded, creating more choices for students on a variety of pathways. For those on the Advanced Placement track, AP Human Geography was added last year, with AP Latin and AP Pre-Calculus ready to start this year.
The tech school also continues to expand offerings for our students. This fall we will offer a new co-op program with our very own transportation and maintenance departments.
New Unified courses are also planned for this year in art and music, to build on the success of our Unified Physical Education class, which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities to improve outcomes for both and build lifelong friendships.
As a school board member, I am proud to have helped fix the district’s damaged reputation, and I’m excited about the ways we have moved Pennridge forward and strengthened our schools.
Two years ago, teachers and administrators were fleeing the district because of the reckless actions of the board at the time. Now, Pennridge is a desirable place to work. We are seeing ever increasing numbers of applicants for district positions, allowing Pennridge to select from the best and brightest. We are again becoming a place where people want to raise their families.
Strong and stable schools are critical, and this fall I implore the community to allow us to continue this work by electing the new slate of PCA candidates in November.
Bradley Merkl-Gump
Pennridge School Board Member
(This letter is a printed submission expressing the views and thoughts of the named writer. A Letter to the Editor is not the viewpoint nor stance of Access Network nor its affiliate websites. The letter is an opinion-based submission which contains statements intended only to share the thoughts of its author and is not a fact-checked news article.)
