When the school board convened months later in the summer of 2021, by now in person, to tackle how the district would handle the next school year, this much was clear: Parents had been plugged into the school-board drama for months, assembling personal stockpiles of grievances. Open House: 3-Bedroom Brick Home in Fox Chase | Alderfer Auction, Open House: 3-Bedroom Brick Ranch Home in Worcester Township | Alderfer Auction, Larry P. 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In this installment, we hear from Glenn Schloeffel, who is running for Region 3 of the school board. 24 min ago Aarati Martino, who is running for Central Bucks School Board, speaks to a volunteer at a polling location during the Primary Election Day in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 16,. The primary election takes place on May 16. He maintained Smith's use of the slur is no different than calling him it. Someone had already been posting on a Facebook page about whether her son was wearing a mask in class. On ReOpen Bucks, a website that has advocated against coronavirus restrictions since the start of the pandemic, theres a blog post comparing the exceedingly rare side effects of COVID vaccines to child sacrifices to the pagan god moloch, yet another prominent QAnon trope. Robert A.Woodruff (D) Karen Smith (R) REGION 2, four-year term Sarah Arva Grosik (D) Dana E. Hunter (R) REGION 3, four-year term Malcolm Burgess (D) Leigh Vlasblom (R) REGION 4, two-year term. Here's what we know about Paul Martino's involvement in this year's The school board in Central Bucks took neither the states nor the countys revised advice, voting 5-4 along partisan lines to make masks optional. You know, Tabithas son has been in class with my son, he says. Ive been going to school board meetings since 2002 or 2003, she added, further noting that buzz words such as indoctrination, made popular by groups such as Moms for Liberty, are insulting. In the email to Lucabaugh that Smith provided, she wrote: "You do not 'support fundamental human rights' when you are supporting the same actions as the Nazis. Here is who is on the ballot for Central Bucks School Director: League of Women Voters questionnaires here. Although I think she and I have diametrically opposed views on certain issues, shes a nice person, Ring tells me later, a hint of surprise in his voice. Many of the attendees believed, though, that there had been signs of progress. After all, the local governments of Philadelphias four collar counties are now controlled by Democrats, breaking decades of Republican power. Five of the eleven candidates agreed to be interviewed. The stage appears to be set for the Democrats - Karen Smith (Region 1), Heather Reynolds (Region 2), Dana Foley (Region 3), Rick Haring (Region 5) and Susan Gibson (Region 8) - to face Republicans Stephen Mass (Region 1), Dana Hunter (Region 2), Glenn Schloeffel (Region 3), Aarati Martino (Region 5) and Tony Arjona (Region 8) in November's General Election. Sitting in the grass is a 13-year-old boy in a beanie. DOYLESTOWN, PAThis is the fifth in a series of profiles of candidates for the Central Bucks School District's school board elections. Aarati Martino, a Google software engineer for nearly two decades and the mother of two is running for the Central Bucks School Board District Six. Which rookie are you most excited to play for the Nuggets. What she found troubled her. On 2/16, the Central varsity basketball team lost their home playoff game against Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, AZ) by a score of 79-53. 79-53 (L) Central vs. Sunrise Mountain. A guide to the 2021 court elections in the Philly suburbs - WHYY School Board / School Board Members Assessment and PA Graduation Requirements, CB Building & Floating Substitute Teacher, Elementary New Teacher Professional Reading Library, Instructional Aides-Grit in the Elementary Classroom, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). I cant say Im heartbroken, Leygerman says of losing her school-board race. Lately, Martino has turned his attention to school boards. Im hoping they know thats not true, she says. If this election was a referendum on the future of Bucks County, it didnt provide much in the way of peace of mind. Votes. Central High School (Phoenix, AZ) Varsity Basketball Chandler Unified School District, Arizona, elections (2022) These are all things that are discussed in critical race theory. In August, the board voted to disband the committee. school board w/(current board president) Dana Hunter & Aarati Martino on Right-Wing Central Bucks Forward slate, has said that teaching kids about climate change makes them depressed. At an August 2021 meeting, held right after Governor Tom Wolf's administration issued a masking order that preempted the board's earlier mask-optional decision, 80 people signed up for public. Tiffany Thomas-Smith, a Democrat running in both primaries, began her career as a Philadelphia public defender. "I ask that you cease associating my desire to keep gratuitous sexualized content from students and my expectation for pedagogical practices and standards to maintain objectivity and fidelity with the tenets of Naziism (sic)," Lucabaugh wrote. While you could find fraught testimony about masks and CRT in virtually any Bucks school district, none experienced a more protracted battle over curriculum than Pennridge, a district of 7,000 students bordering Central Bucks to the northwest. Having devoted a good portion of her career to public education, Smith is running for a third term to ensure that every student receives a quality education. An avid collector of all things vintage, she resides in the Philadelphia area. Registered voters may apply for a Vote-By-Mail ballot until 5:00 p.m. on May 9. Im here for all students, said Smith. In response, a pro-mask guy tried to cover her sign with his, and the duo proceeded to chase after each other in the background of the speech, partners in a kind of demented tango. As the parents gathered in the parking lot at 10:30 p.m. to recap the meeting, I mentioned to James Bender, a teacher dressed in a pink checkered shirt who also happened to be one of the Republican candidates for school board, my surprise at seeing a uniformed police officer watching over the proceedings. After her speech, Leygerman gives a private accounting of the results. Sorry, she says. (As for the rest of the board, it would be shifting rightward with a new 6-3 Republican majority that included Debra Cannon, the parent who made the demonic adults brainwashing kids comment. The email was her response to a community message the superintendent had released on March 28 about the ongoing culture wars and divisions within the district over the last year over school board policies. Back at the party, theres still reason to believe something might change. DOYLESTOWN, PAThis is the sixth in a series of profiles of candidates for the Central Bucks School District's school board elections. Central Bucks School District. I actually think thats good for democracy., This campaign ultimately prompted a few changes. We need your financial support in order to not only sustain, but grow this progressive media project for the long haul. Republicans are heading into the 2022 midterm elections aiming to capitalize on the frustrations of suburban parents still reeling from the devastating fallout of pandemic-era schooling. The purpose of the interviews is to educate voters about the candidates running for this important office. Im all for that, he says. Central Bucks School Board member should apologize or resign | Opinion Before the May primary, a political action committee called Bucks Families for Leadership unearthed Leygermans old tweets the selection included one likening all Trump voters to Nazis and another opining that the Soviet immigrant community (of which Leygerman is a part) is filled with vile racists and created a sleek website (also now deleted) to showcase them. By late evening, it was clear that, as in so many other races across the county and the country, the results were going to be a disappointment for liberals. When the county commissioners closed outdoor playgrounds in the name of social distancing in March of 2020, she and a few others decided to flout the rules (on this, theyd eventually be vindicated) and show up anyway. ABOUT | Rick Haring The masking issue may wither away now that all school-age children are eligible to be vaccinated, but CRT, and untold culture-war issues yet to spawn, awaits. The debate had moved on to more fertile fields of angst. Everyone laughs. Grosik, a Plumstead Township resident, is an associate director of curriculum and instruction at University of Pennsylvania. In a questionnaire by the League of Women Voters of Bucks County, Smith cited student well-being and mental health as one of her main concerns as a school director. He created a PAC called Back to School Pa. in June of 2021, seed-funding it to the tune of $500,000 and getting another $220,000 in donations, most of it from a PAC with ties to Philly-area billionaire and school-choice advocate Jeff Yass. 24 Jun 2023 20:44:58 Smith has been endorsed by PSEA PACE, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance and CBSD Neighbors United. / Photograph by Drew Dennis. Central Bucks School District opened all its schools in September of 2020. Parents aligned with Leygerman ideally wanted kids in school, but they say the health department wasnt following the CDC (on this point, theres no dispute) and was headed by a rogue scientist who couldnt be trusted. Published June 14, 2022 Bucks County FOX 29 Philadelphia Pennsylvania school board approves controversial book policy The Central Bucks School Board voted to change school policy. Buckingham Township Upper 1, New Britain Borough, New Britain Township-East, Plumstead Township 2, 4, Buckingham Township Upper 3 and Upper 4, Plumstead Township 1, 3, 5, Buckingham Township Upper 2, Middle 1 & Middle 2, Lower 1 & Lower 2, Warrington Township 1, 3, 4 & 5, Warwick Township 1, Chalfont Borough, New Britain Township South 1 & 2, West 1 & 2, Doylestown Borough, Doylestown Township 3 & 6. But Walker would soon become a ubiquitous presence in real life, at school-board meetings, and online, on Facebook. This work was going on for almost a whole year and nobody batted an eye, says Adrienne King, a parent in the district and one of the members of the committee. They were warned if they moved forward with those actions it would result in a lawsuit. Moms for Liberty #BucksCounty Leaders Think Public Schools Are Trying to Bring Pedophilia Into the Classrooms | The two chapter heads gave an interview last week about the battle of good and evil they are fighting, reports editor @cmychalejko. Election 2023 Results: The Race For The Central Bucks School Board | Doylestown, PA Patch Politics & Government Election 2023 Results: The Race For The Central Bucks School Board In. DOYLESTOWN, PA Six seats on the nine-member Central Bucks Board of School Directors are up for election on Nov. 5. Two filed 61 Central Bucks library book challenges. This is a county thats home to something called The Trump Store in Bensalem that sells nothing but Trump-themed memorabilia, including Q Rabbit Hole and Not My President tees for $22 apiece. A First Look at the 2023 Bucks County School Board Primary Central Bucks School Board Election Overview: A Look at the Candidates To the naked eye of most citizens of the Ton, School Board Candidate Jim Pepper might seem terribly bland. Each school board voting region elects one school director, but once elected, members represent the . The League will follow a strict set of rules in these interviews and the rules will be the same for all. The Central Bucks Board of School Directors will hold its regular public School Board Meetings for calendar year 2023 at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month (exceptions noted below) at the Central Bucks School District's Educational Services Center: 16 Welden Drive, Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Amuso cut the testimony short and bellowed at three consecutive parents: Youre done!. Voters have an opportunity to choose school directors in five open seats on the Central Bucks School Board May 16. At a different meeting, Cannon testified that in the school district, demonic adults are recruiting, brainwashing, and participating in unconscionable behaviors with our children, and every one of you know it. (Cannon didnt reply to requests for comment for this story.). 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Michael Robinson Jr. as next superintendent, Milwaukee Bucks entertainment teams auditions open in July, Utica school board appoints third acting superintendent in nine months, Texas pick to lead Houstons schools used aggressive, polarizing methods in Dallas, Texas mall shooting police body cam video released. It turns out that was a sign of progress, too. Its a lie, and it harms everyone.. I voted for masks to be optional, and then people will take that to extend to I dont care about children, which is crazy, he says. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Bucks School Board VP: Teaching Climate Change Makes Kids Depressed . DellAngelo ran into a friend at the polls who wore a huge school-board button bearing the name of her opponent. Two optional books by Black authors were replaced with five new options, four of them by white authors. And so on. It turns out DellAngelo the human was different from DellAngelo the CRT-loving, mask-mandating caricature shed been portrayed as online. Martino insists his PAC is nonpartisan and concerned only with opening schools If I wanted to start an anti-CRT group or anti-masking group, I would have spent my money on that but it hasnt always played out that way. Running For School Board in Bucks County: Smears, Fears, and Dirty %. 2023 www.phillyburbs.com. CB is the third largest school district in PA. Just under 20,000 students are educated in our 15 elementary, five Walker learned how to make public-records requests and began shooting them off to the school district; she posted images online that read, A masked child is an abused child. Liberal parents clustered into Facebook groups of their own their response to the ReOpen Bucks group. Are we going to shake hands and move on? When Leygerman tried to hand out campaign literature to voters, they often asked, Democrat or Republican? When she gave her answer, her fliers wound up back in her hands. (Walker eventually sued the district in 2021, with Shannon Harris and two other parents, over its masking policy. This storyoriginally misstated the substance of testimony at a school-board meeting in Pennsbury. The League urges all voters in the Central Bucks School District to learn about the candidates views on the issues and how they would approach their role as a School Board member. As Harris returned to her seat in the conference room past a wall emblazoned with the school districts teaching goals (We expect our students to be complex thinkers, self-directed learners and effective communicators), half the audience, unmasked, began to cheer. We are truly a microcosm of the country, says Danny Ceisler, a Bucks County resident who ran for county district attorney in 2020 before ending his campaign when he was called up from the Army Reserve after the January 6th insurrection. Hunter, a stay-at-home mother from Buckingham Township, said the biggest issue is "ensuring a secure and healthy learning environment" in the schools. . "It is very unfortunate however, that our meetings are an embarrassment to the district," Smith said. The primary election takes place on May 16. The response came Friday after this story was published online after an email sent Thursday. As a non-partisan organization dedicated to fair elections and an informed electorate, the League works to create opportunities for candidates to address issues and educate the public on their positions. Rick Haring is running for Central Bucks School Board Director in Region 6. | Jimmy Sengenberger, 'Every little step makes an impact': Old Colorado City bulk refill shop works to reduce plastic waste, Enjoying what's between the bun at this Denver burger, chicken sandwich eatery | Dining review, 25 top summer concerts by music genre around Colorado, PHOTOS: Air Force Academy Class of 2027 arrives for I-Day, Colorado Springs 4th of July celebrations: Music, fireworks, and free sweet treats, 2023 Colorado Summer Fun Guide | Colorado Rocks, Sign up for our newsletters and get news that matters sent to your inbox, $10 million bond, new trial date set for man accused of killing 17-year-old Walgreens coworker, How Christian groups helped parents pull books from some Pennsylvania school libraries. Im a little relieved, to be honest. She pauses, then starts to laugh. . For Walker, the news was devastating. From satanic rituals to mudslinging school-board campaigns to an anonymous gossip column straight out of Bridgerton, what the heated politics in Philly's most purple collar county say about the state of, well, everything. I have buttons with my name on them, said Tabitha DellAngelo, a College of New Jersey professor with two children in the district. Martino chalks this up to his PACs decentralized structure. Central Bucks School Board member should apologize or resign Paul Martino at his Doylestown home. Start here Karen," Pepper wrote, followed by a link to the book, "The Holocaust A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War.". The school board voted 6-3 on Nov. 15 moving forward with a redistricting plan shifting 12 voting precincts in six of Central Bucks' nine regions five of those regions include school board seats up for election in 2023. But the expectation for us is very high., Tabitha DellAngelo (left) and Mariam Mahmud at the board building in Doylestown. Ive been here and I want to continue to be here for all students and thats why Im running again. For Leygerman and her fellow Democratic candidates, the campaign turned into an all-encompassing affair: weekly meetings as a candidate slate, strategic door-knocking on weekends with addresses provided by the local Democratic Party, audiences with elected officials, forums with endorsers. Youve got a lot of concepts here that were covered microaggressions, implicit bias, white privilege, equity of outcomes, social justice, social architecting, the myth of meritocracy, said board vice president Joan Cullen not without controversy herself, having been photographed in Washington, D.C., on January 6th and having posted on social media her belief that systemic racism doesnt exist at a curriculum committee meeting this summer. As Leygerman tuned into the board meetings, a few things became clear: The school board had final say on all health protocols; only a couple of people on the nine-member body seemed to have much background in medicine or education; and there was a large contingent testifying at each meeting who, she says, didnt really believe in COVID and were very loud. Leygerman felt the scales needed balancing. Pennsylvania school board approves controversial book policy She soon fell in with a group of like-minded parents. You can review all candidates and their League of Women Voters questionnaires here. Demographically, its well suited to act as a holdout: There arent many new millennial arrivals in the county, and the proportion of older residents, who tend to skew conservative, has grown in the past decade. She told the League of Women Voters that the biggest issue facing the district is "the need to address students mental health needs, including depression and bullying.". And many of the smaller PACs that received checks have gone on to produce attack ads that make no mention of keeping schools open and instead focus on the hot-button issues Martino says he isnt preoccupied with: masking and CRT. If you subscribe to the theory that the suburbs are now Democratic strongholds, this level of acrimony at school boards can be more than a little disorienting. The primary election takes place on May 16. Candidate. After one school-board meeting, Tabitha DellAngelo spent a few minutes outside talking to T.J. Kosin, a member of the anti-mask-mandate squad who has been caught up in a controversy over his past ties to the Three Percenters militia group. The fights ramped up in early summer, and they werent limited to Central Bucks. Rick plans to restore the Central Bucks School Board's commitment to public education and ensure welcoming, friendly, safe schools for every single student, K-12. Through a bit of procedural chicanery, shed enlisted other people to sign up for speaking slots and then had them yield their time, leaving her with more than 10 minutes an eternity in public-comment time. While just six Bucks residents were charged in the aftermath of January 6th their alleged crimes ranging from violent entry and disorderly conduct to assaulting or impeding a federal agent its possible to see a certain continuity between then and now. Either way, the fact that keeping schools open wasnt mentioned makes sense when you think about it: Why would you talk about something that hadnt been in doubt for the better part of a year in Central Bucks? It was all part of a plot to do something. It does so through providing eachcandidate with an opportunity to tell voters in their own words about themselves, their background,experience and views on education in the Central Bucks School District. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. And they know theyre not doing that. Even before the election, Leygerman had her doubts that the fissures caused by the campaign would disappear overnight. But theres at least one PAC for which thats unlikely: Bucks Families for Leadership, which has received $100,000 since its inception in August 2020, all from Martino. A high school in Virginia nabbed the top spot. https://t.co/DHGWculi3F. Posted to Education March 17, 2023 by Linda Stein She may be tiny, but she is a force to be reckoned with. Whats happening in Bucks County is happening across the country, as local politics have gotten increasingly fiery. There doesnt seem to be a good end to this, she says. Were way off track.. But by August, Central Bucks had announced that the start of in-person school would be delayed until October and grades seven through 12 could attend at most two days of in-person school per week. He was probably talking about a voicemail telling him, You should die, but he could have been referring to any number of things. Having watched hours of school-board meetings in the past few months, I think thats a highly debatable proposition. Secretary (non-voting): Stephanie Radcliffe, Board Secretary email: sradcliffe@cbsd.org, Pictured above: (L-R, front row) Board President Dana Hunter, Dr. Tabitha Dell'Angelo, Karen Smith, Dr. Mariam Mahmud, Debra Cannon; (L-R, standing) Superintendent Dr. Abram Lucabaugh, Board Vice President Leigh Vlasblom, Lisa Sciscio, Jim Pepper, Sharon Collopy, Karen Smith (2023)Region Ikasmith@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5777, Lisa Sciscio(2025)Region IVlsciscio@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5779, Debra T. Cannon(2025)Region VIIdcannon@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5772, Dana Hunter (2023)Region IIdhunter@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5778, Dr. Mariam Mahmud(2025)Region Vmmahmud@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5774, Dr. Tabitha Dell'Angelo(2023)Region VIIItdellangelo@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5773, Leigh Vlasblom(2023)Region IIIlvlasblom@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5776, Sharon Collopy (2023)Region VIscollopy@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5771, Jim Pepper(2025)Region IXjapepper@cbsd.org20 Welden DriveDoylestown, PA 18901267-893-5775. By the summer of 2020, districts were deciding whether they could safely reopen for the upcoming year. Acts of playground civil disobedience aside, it was really the decisions surrounding schools that galvanized Walker and other parents. Three seats for four-year terms are contested. Candidates for the Central Bucks School Board: Glenn - NewsBreak Pennsylvania is second only to Florida in total residents charged in the insurrection, and by now, you can probably guess which county leads the Commonwealth in alleged insurrectionists. Martino says he stepped away from day-to-day operations of Bucks Families for Leadership once he started the statewide PAC in June and that while he saw the newspaper mailer before it was sent, he had nothing to do with its content. And whatever side you were on, it was easy to find something to get mad about. READ: A Central Bucks School District Mom Writes About Systemic Discrimination Against Her LGBTQ Daughter. The documents were provided through Right to Know requests . Find who is on your ballot To learn who is on the ballot, you should check with your county election office (see a list here ). Those kinds of things make me nervous, because its like theyre paying attention to where our kids are, she says. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. When Pennridge shared a proposed curriculum revision three years in the making, the reaction was a wave of outrage, with parents focused on a perceived lack of balance., They highlighted supplemental curricular resources, such as links to the New York Timess 1619 Project the Pulitzer Prize-winning magazine issue that argued the true founding of the United States ought to be dated to the year the first slaves arrived on American soil and an e-book on what one parent called the Marxist Black Lives Matter movement. They critiqued an English course that assigned Black authors like James Baldwin and Zora Neale Hurston, claiming there was too much focus on oppression of racial minorities. One parent got up before the board to impugn a unit on global warming, explaining, Im concerned because this hasnt been proven. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Select Performance Dates! A Central Bucks school board member did not describe either the superintendent or a fellow board member as a "Nazi" in an email, contradicting allegations made against her earlier this year, according to emails obtained by this news organization. We both ended up bloody. Karen Smith is running for School Director, Central Bucks School District Region 1. Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! In addition to watching the recorded interviews, community members can learn about the candidates by visiting Vote411. Smith, a Democrat seeking re-election this year, is a vocal opponent of the Republican-majority board policies that some have alleged target and harm LGBTQ+ and other marginalized students.
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