Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you very much for your warm welcome, and thanks for coming out today to support my candidacy. I am very proud to be here today, and let me begin by making it official “I will be a candidate for Pottsville Area School Board in 2009”!

As most of you know, I am a 2008 graduate of Pottsville Area High School. My education at Pottsville Area was a good one, and I learned a lot. I have used the foundation of my education to further my knowledge by enrolling at Lehigh Carbon Community College where I am pursuing and assoicate degree, and plan to transfer to Bloomsburg to obtain my bachelor’s degree.

As I grew up in this fine city, I have been inspired by many people and events. My parents – Georgia and Bob Thomas – taught me the value of hard work and the joy of helping others. My parents are great people, and I am grateful for the love and support that have always given me. My teachers also served as role models for me. Many of our teachers give their time and energy to mold young minds, and provide a structure and environment for learning. Fortunately for me, most of my teachers taught me not only the lesson of the day, but also the value of always learning throughout your lifetime. I have used those lessons to make myself a good person, committed to public service. My pastor and others in my faith community, have also been role models for me, and they taught me that it is okay to not know everything, but to also place your trust in God and to seek his guidance and direction in life.

With these inspirations, and my work ethic, I am committed to improving the Pottsville Area School District, and to help make the education our young people receive world class in quality. With a difficult economic environment, and an increasing difficult and competitive world, it is imperative that we do all we can to prepare our graduates for success in the real world. A quality education is the springboard for that success, and I know we can do it!

When I am elected as a member of the Pottsville Area School Board, I will be glad to give back to an institution I have loved and admired my whole life. I will be a very visible, involved and accessible member of the School board, and I will ensure that decisions made by the board are made in the best interests of our students and taxpayers. I will always be available to listen to any concerns or suggestions that people may have, and I will be honest and open in my deliberations. I will be a strong advocate for those things that I feel will improve our educational institution, and I will provide leadership on key issues. Among the priorities I would like to focus are:

1. More public participation in school programs and activities – I think it is important that parents take an active and involved role in the education of their children. I would like to see increased focus on parent-teacher communication, and using the latest technologies to make information available to parents. The more involved a parent is in a students studies, the better education they will receive.
2. More dialogue between our parents, students and the Board of Education – as a recent graduate of the school, I am in a unique position that allows me to be viewed as a peer by the students, and as a colleague by board members. I will be able to articulate the ideas and concerns of students in a constructive way that will improve the educational product our schools produce. I will meet at least quarterly with the leaders of the Student Council, National Honor Society or other student organizations to learn what is on their minds, and what they believe will enhance the participation and success of our school programs.
3. The need for Efficient School Operations – in a difficult economic environment, finding the most cost efficient cost effective ways to run a school is essential. The taxpayers deserve and demand an advocate on the board that will make sure that every dollar spent on education is a dollar earned. Costs of eduction have continually risen, and it may be time to consider replacing programs that don’t work, or creating new programs that meet the demands of todays world. Twenty years ago, our schools had very limited classes on computers, now we have many. The world is full of change, and we must be prepared to proactively and creatively adjust to the changing needs of our colleges, universities and employers so that our graduates are successful when they get that diploma from Pottsville High School.
4. The need to monitor our drop out rates and determine why that occurs – data suggests that Schuylkill County has a higher than average school drop out rate. High School drop outs end up costing taxpayers more money and often times become dependent on welfare and medical assistance programs. A cycle of dependency is often created, and it is not good for anyone. It hurts the drop out – they have less chances for good paying jobs and a good quality of life. It hurts the school – there are penalties for not meeting federal and state standards of performance. And, it hurts our society as a whole and our area in particular when we have low education levels and increased levels of poverty, which can lead to increased crime and despair. We need our educational system to serve as a safety net for many of these types of situations. We need counselors and teachers that can have input and direction in the lives of the students. We need educators that will provide guidance and direction to these students, and serve as an inspiration to them the same way my teachers inspired me to be all I can be. I will look for ways to increase our success with these students, and provide the opportunity for an American dream for each and every child that proudly wears the Crimson Tide.

Finally, I want to talk about the process of getting elected to the School Board. The School Board is meant to be a non-partisan body who provide policy and direction to the school district leadership. When you serve on the School Board, you are not a Republican or a Democrat – you are an Advocate. An Advocate for those young people that are enrolled in our schools. Children are counting on you to do the right thing – to fight for them and for their future. The responsibilities of the School Board are huge, and are not taken lightly. I understand these challenges, and I want to help my school and the students and taxpayers of my community to make our school the best that it can be. With that in mind, I will be seeking both the Republican and Democratic nominations for the School Board. I plan to cross-file petitions for both politicial parties, and I will welcome bi-partisan support to my campaign. I also feel this is the appropriate time to recognize and remember a great servant on the School Board that recently passed away. Bill Zimmerman was a friend of mine. His daughter Kate is one of my closest personal friends. Bill served for many years on the school board, and has been the President of the Board for the past several years. Bill was the type of School Board member that I would like to emulate. He loved the students, and he was dedicated to improving our school district. He was open to new ideas and he was knowledgeable enough to learn from experience. Please keep Bill’s family and friends in your prayers during this difficult time.

That concludes my prepared remarks, and I will now take any questions.