Letter to the Editor (Credit: Daria Glakteeva/Unsplash Free Use)
"Education isn’t just about test scores or property taxes. It’s about investing wisely—in teachers, in resources, and in every student’s potential."
I was sitting across from a SASD board member when I realized something unsettling: this person, entrusted with decisions affecting our community’s children, either didn’t understand or didn’t agree with our district’s mission. That moment compelled me to run for school board.
This realization came during the development of the district’s 2025–2028 Comprehensive Plan, a process mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. I participated as a parent, alongside students, staff, community members, and four current board directors.
The plan opens with a clear statement: “SASD is proud to exemplify its tagline, ‘A community where character counts,’ by educating all students with a priority on nurturing and developing the whole child.” Yet during a discussion on mental health, a board member questioned whether schools should provide such support. That question revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to educate the whole child.
I find it telling that shortly after I publicly questioned whether this board member understands our district’s mission, campaign materials supporting that member—alongside two incumbents and a newcomer—began prominently featuring the slogan “Educating the WHOLE Child.” Meanwhile, their “Keep Soudy Strong” Facebook page makes their priorities clear: their mission is to “keep our school board Republican strong.” On their website, an explanation of “educating the whole child” includes the statement: “We will always work together to have and show compassion to those that are different from us, without sacrificing our own beliefs and needs for safety.” This language attempts to soften a hard truth: their platform suggests that students who are “different”—whether LGBTQ+, disabled, of different faiths, or in need of mental health support—are threats to ideological conformity and, alarmingly, to community safety.
My fellow candidates on the Souderton Area for Responsible Leadership ticket and I believe our schools must do better. Every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and safe—without exception.
Educating the whole child means recognizing that academic success is deeply connected to emotional, social, and physical well-being. Mental health challenges don’t disappear at the school door. A child grieving a loss, struggling with anxiety, or navigating a difficult home life may not be ready to learn—no matter how strong the curriculum.
Education isn’t just about test scores or property taxes. It’s about investing wisely—in teachers, in resources, and in every student’s potential. Our kids spend nearly a quarter of their week in school. They deserve more than board members who dismiss their needs or treat diversity as discomfort.
They deserve leaders who embrace every student, not just those who fit a narrow mold. Our kids deserve better. Souderton deserves better. Change begins now
Corinne DeGeiso
Telford, PA
(Disclaimer: Corinne DeGiso is a candidate for school board. 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.)
