Candidate for
School Director; North Allegheny School District; Democratic, Republican Party

I believe the fundamental role of the School Board is, unlike any other elected position, a balancing of three constituencies; the students, the taxpayers and the educators of the district. My background is, I believe, well suited for the task of school board director. When I was practicing law, I worked with the Family Division of Greene County, thus I have experience in the settlement of disputes and dealing with disagreements in a way to find a workable compromise between parties. Further, while in law school, I clerked with a Pittsburgh firm that concentrated in labor issues for locals of the Steelworkers' union. The next school board will be addressing the issue of the coming Teachers' Contract. I believe my experience in law will be of great service to the constituencies of the district in this matter. Moreover, I left the practice of law to become a stay-at-home father, which I have been for the past 15 years.

Budgetary constraints have placed NA in a difficult position as far as technological advancement. Dr. Gualtieri made clear at the last board meeting the need for wireless accessibility as well as furthering the development of technological curricula. Unfortunately, this, as well as any other developments, will require financing as the current budget is in deficit. With 74% of the budget being dedicated to salaries and pensions, the board simply must find new avenues of revenue as well as ways to work with the high tech community to make certain NA keeps pace with the ever changing course of high technology.
Further, we must work with Harrisburg to control the current pser rate. School districts are mandated to the current rate by the state but are not sufficiently aided in meeting it. Fortunately, the recent Turzai sponsored bill passed in the House and currently being taken up in the Senate for the sale of the state's wine and spirit stores will help with this budgetary issue as monies from those sales are dedicated to education. The directors on the NA board must join with school boards across the state to make certain those funds are not diverted to other matters.