Debbie Bookstaber: T/E School Board

Day of Service Project

2009-01-16T00:57:00.003-05:00

I blogged about the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service project over at www.mamanista.com.

Click here to read my post on the Day of Service.

Hope you can get involved!

Debbie Bookstaber: December 2008 School Board Update

2009-01-09T15:42:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year!

At our December Meeting, the School Board elected Betsy Fadem as President and Jim Bruce as Vice-President. The December Meeting was a short one since December is traditionally the reorganization meeting. You can read the December School Board Action Line at: http://www.tesd.net/schoolbd/meeti ngs.html

The Finance, Facilities and Education Committees did not meet in December due to the holidays. You can read the December School Board Committee Minutes for Public Information and Policy online at: http://www.tesd.net/schoolbd/submeetings.html.

The Board had its annual Legislative Breakfast. Representatives Duane Milne and Paul Drucker attended as did Senators Andy Dinniman and Ted Erickson. This informal social event gave board members and administrators the chance to meet our local legislators. The School District's Strategic Plan has a section on legislative advocacy. The aim of the plan is to ensure that the impact of unfunded mandates on district curriculum and resources is minimized.

If you can, please take the time to watch the current Board Talk about the District's Green Initiatives to learn how the District is both saving money and helping the environment.

I attended an all-day district technology committee meeting to review uses of Web 2.0 technology in the classroom. (There will be an upcoming Board Talk about technology if you're interested in learning more.) As someone who has spent her career working in technology, I was impressed by the creative ways technology had been integrated into the classroom to enhance the learning experience.

For example, one teacher designed an impressive Google Earth presentation to help students understand the geography of The Great Gatsby. (In case you aren't familiar with it, Google Earth is a free tool.) I'd read and loved The Great Gatsby in high school, but this was the first time I really understood the importance of East Egg, West Egg, Long Island Sound and all the places mentioned.

The Diversity Committee reviewed the recruitment and hiring report and discussed district efforts to attract and retain teachers. We also discussed the district's 6th and 7th grade English and Social Studies curriculum. There is a cross-curricular unit themed around tolerance and courage.

One interesting thing: Several community members have approached me to ask me how many hours are involved in serving on the board since they were considering running for school board.

You can see minutes and agendas for the monthly standing committee meetings and the regular full board meeting, but the public often isn't aware of how many hours are spent in executive session (discussing personnel matters and land acquisition), reading board updates (big packets of information), and attending other District meetings such as Diversity, the CCIU, Legislative, Middle School Advisory, Technology, ISC, Safety, Sidewalks, and more. Despite all the work, I would encourage people who care about the schools and who have time to volunteer to run.

Photo Update: Can't resist sharing my holiday pics

Debbie Bookstaber: School Board Update August-November 2008

2008-11-26T14:39:00.006-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

The fall has been an incredibly busy time for the School Board. I've included some highlights from my perspective below. If you're looking for a comprehensive report, read the minutes and Action Line updates online at http://www.tesd.net/.

August Update:

The rising cost of gas impacted the district- especially the transportation budget. At the Finance meeting, the board discussed district efforts to conserve fuel.

In response to the unprecedented increase in food costs, the board approved an increase to school lunch prices. Breakfast at the Elementary Schools increased from $1.25 to $1.35. Lunch at the Elementary Schools increased from $2.10 to $2.35. Breakfast at the Middle Schools increased from $1.25 to $1.35. Lunch at the Middle Schools increased from $2.20 to $2.50. Breakfast at the High School increased from $1.50 to $1.75. Lunch at the High School increased from $2.35 to $2.75.

With T&E Care, I worked to launch a program to assist students that miss the cutoff for Free and Reduced Lunch with lunch costs. The program started in October. If you are interested in applying for the program, visit http://tecare.org/schoolmealassistance.html

If you can, please support T&E Care with your donations. http://www.tecare.org/. In addition to its work in the community, T&E Care supports our districts students in many ways. I've worked with T&E Care to run the school supply drive and to provide refurbished computers to students. These supplies and computers help these students succeed in school.

September Update:

Green Schools: The School Board is working hard to "green" the schools. These efforts apply to transportation (the district applied for a bio-diesel fuel grant), facilities improvements, communications with parents and the public, and even how the board works. For example, the board now receives electronic weekly updates. Previously, the board updates were delivered by hand, and each board member received a packet that contained hundreds of pages weekly. The e-updates are a great improvement- both in terms of cost savings and the environment. Another green effort that is both environmentally friendly and a way of saving money is the electronic bulletin board. In response to input from parents, the Public Information Committee and Administration worked to set up an electronic bulletin board for non-school related fliers. This reduced the size of the weekly PTO newsletters- saving time and paper. Additionally, many parents have opted to receive their newsletters electronically.

The board adopted a Fund Balance Policy, which was discussed in Spring 2008.

Transportation: TE has a new bus contractor this year, so the transportation coordinator Toni Pulcini spoke at the Finance Meeting in order to answer board questions and parent concerns about transportation. Here's her report:
Transportation Report to the Finance Committee – September 2008

Currently the District utilizes 113 vehicles to transport approximately 7,700 children each day to 106 different schools. The vehicles travel approximately 9,936 miles daily over 512 different bus runs and stops almost 2600 times each day traveling over 28 square miles within the District roads and well beyond.

This summer we continued our three year plan to evaluate our bus runs with the goal of enhancing efficiency while maintaining safety. Last year, we re-designed several HS runs and this year we evaluated and re-designed several Middle School bus runs. Our goal next year will be to evaluate the ES runs in the same manner.

Also this past spring we mailed postcards to all households listing their current stop information with an opportunity for correction. This summer, in the interest of student safety, we mailed individual letters to all households instead of publishing the bus stop location and times in the newspaper. This also allowed us to get the information to the parents earlier and including it in the school mailings saved us postage costs. We also redesigned and updated the information on our web site.

As part of the ongoing plan the revised runs, along with several other factors, have resulted in changes to existing patterns throughout the District. One of those factors was several additional roads were deemed “hazardous” by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Districts are required to transport any student who would walk along a hazardous route. This increased the number of students the District is required to transport by approximately 150 students. To accommodate the students, runs were re-established, thus changing the former runs. Another factor was in an attempt to improve efficiency and safely transport all students, efforts have been made to relocate bus stops from individual addresses to intersections of roads where students have a place to wait safely. Relocating stops to safe intersections allows space for buses to maneuver and for groups of students to wait. In future years, the relocation of stops should be reduced as intersections can serve all students in a neighborhood. Changes due to these factors may have contributed to different run times.

NOTE: Since working with our new contractor, we have taken advantage of their safety officer’s review of stop locations. He is a former accident reconstruction officer with the PA State police.

Since 1993, TE has been using a “multiple-run” transportation system. Many of our bus drivers begin their morning and afternoon by completing a run to/from Conestoga High School. These buses then complete additional runs for middle school and elementary school students. The length of the High School run determines that arrival time at the Middle School. The first flight of buses is scheduled to leave the MS prior to the second flight arriving approximately 15 minutes later. Its possible that students, who in prior years, were on a first flight bus are now experiencing a change due to a switch to a second flight run, resulting in a later drop off time.

Please be assured that we are continuing to look at all of the run times to try to make them more efficient.

October Update:

TENIG Contract: The board approved a collective bargaining agreement between the District and the Tredyffrin Easttown Non-instructional Group for the period July 1, 2009-June 30, 2014.

The Board reviewed and approved the 2008-2009 District Goals. You can check them out at http://tesd.net/goals/0809goals.pdf.

Recess: I spoke to many parents about their concerns regarding a reduction of recess at the elementary schools. (The second outdoor recess had been turned into an indoor snack break.) Parents came to the September and October Board Meetings to voice their concerns. At the October Education Meeting, the Board heard parent concerns and then received a report on the elementary program with information from the Resource Utilization Task Force and the Elementary Blueprint for Instruction Committee. Included in this information were reports on Use of Instructional Time, Research on Literacy Instruction, Research on Math/Science Instruction and the Six-Day Schedule. The District was able to restore the second outdoor recess in response to parent concerns.

November Update:

2009-2010 Budget: The Board approved the Finance Committee recommendation to certify that the District would stay within the Act 1 cap (4.1%) rather than applying for eligible exceptions which would increase taxes further. The Finance Committee is still working on the budget, and our goal is to have the lowest possible tax increase.

Calendar: The Board approved the proposed calendar for the 2009-2010 school year after reviewing many drafts and hearing parent feedback. The approved calendar was draft G. The board discussed drafts A-F at the September, October and November education committee meetings.

The District conducted a test of the TE All Call System. Click here for more info on the TE All Call System.

Photos:

Here are some recent pictures. I couldn't resist uploading them!

Vote for Mom

2008-09-04T16:35:00.003-05:00

Principles are more important than politics. Here's one that I hold dear: "All men are created equal."

I believe people should be judged based on the issues and their experience-- not based on their race or sex.

So, as a mother, I was disturbed to read this article on Gov. Sarah Palin:

"With five children, including an infant with Down syndrome and, as the country learned Monday, a pregnant 17-year-old, Ms. Palin has set off a fierce argument among women about whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try."

Some of the comments are particularly discouraging:

"Upon reading that Ms. Palin’s special-needs child was three days old when she went back to work, Ms. Moore began questioning the governor’s judgment. Partly as a result, she plans to vote for Senator Barack Obama."

My son Joseph is about the same age as Gov. Palin's youngest son since both babies were born in April. Since Gov. Palin's nomination, I've spent a lot of time talking to my friends from Yale. Most of us are mommies now. The majority are Democrats, but we're pretty evenly divided between working moms and stay-at-home moms. Regardless of our politics, we found Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton inspirational.

One of my good friends from Yale is a dedicated Democratic activist. She is ardently for Obama, and she disagrees with many of Gov. Palin's positions. We became friends at Yale because we were both leaders in community service organizations that helped women. We both call ourselves feminists. We might have a different interpretation of what that means, but we agree wholeheartedly that it is wrong to attack Gov. Palin as a bad mother for political gain.

My husband went back to work almost immediately after our son was born. Most men do. And nobody would question their judgment as a result.

On a personal note, I ran for School Board while pregnant. I fought off morning sickness to knock on more than 2500 doors, and I stood for 12+ hours at the polls on election day. At the same time, I held down a fulltime job and continued to volunteer in the community. I even worked until a week past my due date and finished a blog post while in the early stages of labor.

I missed a committee meeting since I was in the hospital recovering from my c-section, but I was back at School Board meetings within two weeks after giving birth. Since I have a supportive husband and extended family, I have been able to combine motherhood, volunteering and work.

In the photo above, you can see me and Baby Joseph refurbishing computers for T&E Care at the E.S.C. Building. As he napped in his stroller or snuggled on my lap, I was able to spend hours refurbishing computers for needy students with only a bit of occasional drool on a keyboard or spitup on my shoulder.

So I find it a bit puzzling when people infer that mothers aren't capable of serving their community or their country AND taking care of their children. There is nothing in the world more important to me than my son, but I am still capable- with the support of my husband and my family- of contributing to the workforce and to my community too.

Attacking Gov. Palin's qualifications as a mother is likely to score political points, but it is wrong. And I suspect such sexist attacks will turn off young mothers. Regardless of their politics, my mom-friends agree. Love her or hate her: Gov. Palin deserves to be judged based on her merits.

Debbie Bookstaber's July 2008 School Board Update

2008-07-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

School Board Updates

The only Tredyffrin Easttown School Board Meeting in July was the Policy Committee, so my School Board Updates are limited this month.

The Professional Staff Contract was ratified. Here's the link for more details: http://tesd.net/2008contract.htm

The Administration moved from the old ESC to new offices at the West Valley Business Center. Here's the link for directions: http://tesd.net/directionsTEAO.htm

Please Help Our Local Students

It's almost August, which means parents are getting their kids ready to go back to school. If you can, please contribute to the Tredyffrin & Easttown Care 2008 School Supply Drive. http://tecare.org/schoolsupplydrive2008.html We're collecting school supplies, gift certificates (for food, clothing and school supplies), and used computers. If you'd like to make a donation, you can email me at schoolsupply@tecare.org

We have dozens of needy students on a waiting list for computers. If you can donate yours, we can wipe it clean of your personal information, install the necessary programs and put it in the hands of a student who needs it for school. T&E Care is an authorized Microsoft Non-Profit Refurbisher. The computer needs to work (please no broken computers!) and should be able to run Windows XP or better.

Baby Joseph Pics

Since I hear from so many of you that you like the baby pictures, I can't resist posting more baby photos from the month of July. Actually...I'd probably post them even if I didn't hear from you. I can't help it...I just love my baby!

"Happy 4th of July!"

"Go Phillies Go! Wait...I think I'm afraid of this scary monster."

"I was baptized at St. Norbert's Church in Paoli on July 19th."

Debbie Bookstaber: May and June 2008 School Board Update

2008-06-13T13:32:00.005-05:00

May and June were big months for the school board which announced a tentative agreement with TEEA, worked to finalize the budget and attended Conestoga's graduation ceremony.

You can read the May and June meeting minutes at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/submeetings.html, http://tesd.net/schoolbd/updates/may08.pdf, and http://tesd.net/schoolbd/meetings.html, but here the biggest highlights from my own perspective.

Legislative:
The Public Comment period for the GCAs ends on Monday June 16th. You still have time to voice your opinion on this proposal. Visit http://tesd.net/gcacomments.htm to find a sample email and the addresses of the appropriate contacts in our state government.

Finance Committee:

The finance committee finalized the plan to provide after-school activity coverage for the middle schools. This plan will give parents options and enable all students to participate in after-school activities. Additionally, it will not cost the taxpayers any money. I want to thank the many community members who came to board meetings to express the needs of working parents and provide feedback as well as the administrators who worked with the board to evaluate the options.
The finance committee voted to accept gaming revenue from the state. The gaming revenue will provide a tax rebate to people who have a homestead exemption. The average rebate will be $181. If you have not applied for your homestead exemption, please contact the county for an application.
The finance committee worked on a fund balance policy to outline how any future surplus (revenue - expenditures = surplus) would be handled. This policy is still under review and will move to the policy committee next.
The finance committee also discussed T/E's grant application regarding bio-diesel fuel for school buses. If our grant application is accepted, we'll be able to switch to a more environmentally-friendly fuel at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

Budget:

You can find documents relating to the budget at http://tesd.net/budget.htm. The board will adopt a final budget on June 16, 2008. The proposed final budget is available for public inspection.
The budget was approved in the amount of $98,406,374 revenue, $4,052,244 fund balance transfers, of which $1,430,000 is the contingency, and $102,458618 is for appropriations on a tentative basis.
This will result in a tax increase of approximately 4.37% (which is an average cost of $178 to a T/E homeowner. Thankfully, the gaming revenue will provide an average of $181 in tax relief for a T/E homeowner.)
The Act 1 index was 4.4%, and the Board stayed under that index. Many neighboring school districts were not able to stay under the Act 1 index.
The Board worked hard to cut unnecessary expenses in the budget while preserving the quality of the educational program. Due to rising fuel costs, the decline in investment income, rising costs of benefits & salaries, the increase in prescription medicine rates, new state mandates, rising costs of special education, and reduced real estate sales, revenue has declined and expenses have increased. Due to these factors, nearby school districts like Radnor and Lower Merion had even larger tax increases than T/E.
Other districts throughout the state have had to cut educational programs such as FLES or increase class sizes in order to stay within the Act 1 cap. T/E was able to stay under the cap without cutting FLES or increasing class sizes, so the education of our students will not be impacted negatively.

Diversity:

The Diversity Committee met to review the socio-economic makeup of our district and to discuss reading and math scores as well as extra support offering to students performing below grade level.
We also met to celebrate the retirement of Nancy Letts, who will be greatly missed. Nancy has been a tremendous advocate for children in our community and has contributed a great deal to the diversity committee.

Public Information Committee:

We met to discuss changes to the tax bill, topics for Board Talk and to evaluate the district policy on fliers/newsletters. Our goal is to reduce the number of unnecessary fliers sent home by making them available online. This is both environmentally friendly and a cost-cutting measure. We are still evaluating the plan and will be meeting with PTO newsletter representatives in the fall to get their feedback before we implement it.

Education Committee:

We met in May to review the District Strategic Plan, Literacy Intervention, the Classrooms for the Future Grant Application and much more. The Strategic Plan is available for public inspection, and I encourage you to read it. http://tesd.net/te2008/strat-pl.html has summary information.
The Plan is the result of many hours of work by teachers, administrators, students, parents, board members, and community volunteers.

Fun Events:

In June, we got to attend Conestoga's Graduation. I'm consistently impressed by how accomplished the students in this district are. I saw a copy of the Spoke, which listed the colleges students will be attending next year. Wow!
In June, we also attended a ceremony honoring the district retirees. It was so nice to meet them and to hear about their impressive dedication to students in this district.

Since so many of you have asked for photo updates, here are some pictures of my baby from May and June. Enjoy!

Debbie Bookstaber's School Board Update: April 2008

2008-05-04T13:04:00.003-05:00

April has been a busy month! My son- Joseph Thomas Bookstaber- was born on April 6, 2008. In between feeding and diapering him 12+ times a day, I found time to attend school board meetings. Ah…the joys of adult conversation!

You can read the April meeting minutes at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/submeetings.html and http://tesd.net/schoolbd/meetings.html, but here the biggest highlights from my own perspective.

Budget:

The board has been working hard on the budget. In particular, we’ve been examining the revenue and expense assumptions and searching for things to cut in the budget without damaging the quality of the educational program. With rising fuel costs affecting our transportation budget, falling interest rates harming our revenue, and the continued rise in benefits costs, this has been a tough task.

You can find documents relating to the budget at http://tesd.net/budget.htm. The board will approve a preliminary budget for 2008-09 on May 12, 2008 and adopt a final budget on June 16, 2008. The proposed final budget will be printed and made available for public inspection by May 22.

Legislative:

On April 25th, Betsy Fadem, Pat Wood, Karen Cruickshank, Rich Gusick, and I met with PA’s Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak to discuss the proposed Graduation Competency Assessments (GCAs). We were joined by representatives of other nearby school districts.

Secretary Zahorchak expressed his point of view that the GCAs will set high expectations for PA’s students and ensure that a high school diploma has meaning in every school district.

I am sympathetic to many of his arguments. I agree that it is critical to hold our students to high standards and to provide remedial help to students who cannot meet state standards for reading and mathematics.

The goal of the GCAs according to Secretary Zahorchak is to eliminate “meaningless diplomas.” However, I do not believe that T/E issues “meaningless diplomas” or that the GCAs are the right solution for a district like T/E.

Approximately 15% of T/E students do not pass the PSSAs, but these students are able to prove their proficiency through alternative assessments and continue on to attend excellent colleges. The GCAs would harm these students by preventing the district from issuing them a diploma unless they passed the PSSAs or the GCAs. Yet these students have proven their proficiency through their success at Conestoga and their acceptance at respected 4-year colleges.

Furthermore, adding the GCAs will further reduce the instructional time available to students in T/E. While the State intends for the GCAs to replace the traditional end of course exams used by school districts, T/E’s standards are significantly higher than the state standards. As a result, if we were to replace our end of course exams with the GCAs, it would dumb down our curriculum. The effect would be even more significant in our accelerated, honors and AP classes.

Finally, the GCAs would be another unfunded mandate for our district since we would not receive adequate funding to cover the additional remediation and other services associated with the GCAs.

Introducing Baby Joseph Thomas Bookstaber

2008-04-27T13:02:00.013-05:00

Joseph Thomas Bookstaber was born on Sunday April 6, 2008- weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces.

Joseph on his birthday:

Another birthday picture:

Here's Joseph getting ready to go home from the hospital:

Joseph's first day at home:

Debbie Bookstaber's School Board Update: March 2008

2008-04-05T18:16:00.003-05:00

You can read the March committee summaries at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/updates/mar08.pdf and the March meeting minutes at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/submeetings.html and http://tesd.net/schoolbd/meetings.html, but here are a few highlights from my own perspective.

Budget:

The School Board has been busy reviewing the preliminary budget during the month of March. In addition to committee meetings and the regular monthly board meeting, the School Board held two public budget workshops.

You can find the budget workshop agenda and documents relating to the budget at http://tesd.net/budget.htm.

The budget is a work-in-progress, and the board will be hard at work examining the revenue and expense assumptions in the budget over the next few months. The board will approve a preliminary budget for 2008-09 on May 19, 2008 and adopt a final budget on June 9, 2008.

Dan Kristie from The Daily Local covered the 3/31/08 Budget Workshop. He writes:

"Tredyffrin/Easttown School District administrators will spend the next few weeks trying to figure out how to eliminate a projected $6.2 million deficit from the district’s 2008-09 proposed budget.

School board members have told them, however, that cutting educational programs should be a last resort.

`One thing I’d like to see in this budget is cuts to things that aren’t educational,’ said School Director Debbie Bookstaber. ‘I’m reluctant to change programs that parents love.’

The school directors said they would rather see the budget balanced on cuts to non-educational items or on an increase in the collection rate of the real estate transfer tax or of other taxes.”

You can read the full story here.

After West Chester School District cut the FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools) program from its budget, I heard from many concerned parents worried that T/E would be impacted. While I cannot comment on the factors that influenced West Chester School District’s decision, I will say that I believe T/E can find a way to balance its budget without cutting educational programs or reducing the quality of the school district.

In fact, the proposed budget for 2008-09 shows the district’s commitment to educational excellence. It restored a music position that had been cut the previous year in response to concerns from numerous parents that the cut had affected the quality of the music program. Additionally, the proposed budget maintains the district’s commitment to small class sizes.

We will be looking to balance the budget by examining the expected collection rate for real estate taxes, the interest rate assumption for district earnings on investments (see pages 5-6 of the 3/31 presentation available at http://tesd.net/budget.htm), applying a vacancy factor to the personnel budget, considering previous recommendations from the Opportunity and Operations Review Committee, and more.

Finance Committee:

In addition to working on the budget, the Finance Committee reviewed the Transportation Services RFP responses and discussed the numerous written communications from taxpayers regarding the proposed Senior Tax Relief Program that had been discussed at previous Finance Committee meetings. The letters/emails received overwhelmingly opposed the proposed plan as rebates to low-income seniors would be funded through a tax increase for all taxpayers. Several emails objected to any redistribution of tax dollars for a non-educational purpose. Others noted a need for tax relief for everyone in the district. And some taxpayers pointed out that tax relief is needed for all low-income taxpayers regardless of age. A final resolution has not been reached yet, and this topic will be discussed in future Finance Committee meetings. The School Board reads every letter and email, so take the time to send in your opinion.

As reported by the Main Line Life (3/13/08) and other local papers, the Finance Committee also discussed the need for a fund balance policy to define how the district plans to handle tax surpluses. The article is not online, so I am posting the full text here:

“T/E Committee discusses ‘fund balance policy’

By Dan Kristie

The Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board’s finance committee announced on Monday that it will begin to craft a “fund balance policy,” which will set out how the district plans to handle tax surpluses.
School Director Debbie Bookstaber said the policy would reduce “taxpayer anxiety” about the district’s current $7.5 million surplus and would “assure people we’re good stewards of their money.”
The school directors, at Monday’s finance committee meeting, discussed the policy only in vague terms. Finance Committee Chairwoman Betsy Fadem said that discussion of the specifics of the policy would happen at the committee’s April 14 meeting, which is open to the public.
The school directors did hint at issues that could arise during next month’s discussion.
School Director Pat Wood spoke in favor of the school district “building a reserve” so that the district would have something to fall back on in tough economic times.
“When you have money, everybody thinks they need a piece of it,” Wood said, acknowledging the point of view of the people who have argued that the $7.5 million surplus should be returned to taxpayers.
According to the school directors, the fund balance policy discussion will likely include the suggestion that surpluses be used in the following ways:
-To cover future expenses
-To cover, on a one-time basis, a current expense; and,
-To give taxpayers a one-time tax credit.
School director Liane Davis said that, while these policy components won’t rule out the use of the surplus to cover operating expenses, that way of deploying the surpluses should not be “encouraged as an acceptable practice.”
Bookstaber said that the idea to create a fund balance policy came from comments district taxpayers had made during the “listening post” events the school district holds.
Many taxpayers, she said, were concerned that the district had a $7.5 million surplus.
The fund balance policy will cover use of surpluses in the following funds: The Capital Fund, the Food Service Fund, and the General Fund. Of those three, only the Food Service Fund is self-sustaining- the prices the district charges for cafeteria meals cover the cost of the food service program.”

Note: The $7.5 million surplus discussed at the 3/10/08 Meeting was based on estimated 2007-08 expenditures available at the time. The actual surplus amount (2007-08 Revenues – 2007-08 Expenses) will be significantly lower and cannot be fully calculated until the end of the fiscal year.

I strongly support the need for a fund balance policy. The district should make every effort to tax only as much as is needed—and not any more. But in the event that the district does run a surplus, we owe it to the taxpayers to have a clear policy on how the surplus money will be spent and/or returned to the taxpayers.

Public Information:

The Public Information committee prepared a resolution opposing the proposed Graduation Competency Assessments (GCAs). The resolution passed unanimously at the March 24 School Board meeting. You can find the resolution at http://teschools.wordpress.com

The March Board talk explains the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program and will be available on SchoolTube shortly. I encourage you to take the time to watch the program.

Diversity Committee:

On March 4, the Diversity Committee met to discuss socio-economically disadvantaged students in T/E. We were joined by Pat Furnell from PECO, Asher Kemp from Multitherapy Services Incorporated, and Sandi Gorman from FLITE and T&E Care who came to share information about programs that can assist families in the district.

At $69,904, Chester County has the highest median household income of all PA counties. Tredyffrin’s median household income is $90,134 and Easttown’s median household income is $103,486. Between the two townships, over 44% of households earn over $100,000. But even though T/E is one of the wealthiest school districts in the state, 2.2% families in Tredyffrin and .7% of families in Easttown are below the poverty line. Approximately 3% of our district’s students receive free lunch. There are even more families who are above the poverty line but who are economically disadvantaged. It is not easy to identify children in need due to confidentiality issues and the need for self-identification.

Since research has shown a relationship between the income gap and educational achievement, the committee discussed several issues related to the types of programs and support needed in order to level the playing field and to help all students achieve in our district.

In addition, we discussed areas such as field trip costs, school projects, sports, extracurricular activities and technology to ensure that we’re not accidentally overlooking the needs of low-income students. In the finance committee, we’re currently exploring after-school activity coverage that would enable students of working parents to participate in after-school activities in the middle school. And we will be looking into the cost of field trips and school project materials at a future school board committee meeting. While support exists for students who cannot afford to go on school trips, we heard from the committee that some students in the middle school do not feel comfortable asking for the support.

Regarding technology, this is an important issue since having access to a computer is necessary in order to complete assignments—particularly at the high school level. Two organizations I volunteer with— FLITE and T&E Care— will accept your old computers, refurbish them and place them with students. However, the need for computers far exceeds the limited supply FLITE and T&E Care currently have. If you have a computer to donate, you can find information on www.tecare.org or by emailing me at Debbie.bookstaber@gmail.com.

ISC Committee:

I attended the ISC Committee meeting to discuss the results of the District’s Homework Study with parents. Parents provided feedback on the quantity of homework as well as the educational quality of the homework. The Education Committee will be meeting in April to continue this conversation.

Electronic Learning and the Strategic Plan:

At the March 24 Board meeting, the administration gave a presentation on the role of technology in the strategic plan. If you can, take time to watch the March Board meeting on T/E TV in order to hear this summary of the district’s technology plans.

Policy Committee:

In response to several taxpayer letters and emails, the Policy Committee is examining the nominating process for School Board leadership positions.

Middle School Advisory Committee:

We met to discuss field trip planning and evaluation and to brainstorm topics for the 2008-09 Middle School Advisory Committee.

New FLITE Program:

FLITE has a new College and Post High School Workshop series. To read about this program, click here.

Baby Bookstaber:

I promised to share photos of Baby Bookstaber in my March update. Since he’s overdue, you’ll have to wait until my April update for photos.

Debbie Bookstaber's School Board Update: February 2008

2008-03-09T18:18:00.003-05:00

February was another busy month. You can read the February meeting summaries at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/updates/feb08.pdf or the meeting minutes at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/submeetings.html, but here are a few highlights from my own perspective:

Public Information Committee:

At February’s meeting I gave a presentation about technology communication options for video and document sharing, information distribution, and social networking.

Following the meeting the T/E Board Talk about the Graduation Competency Assessments (GCAs) was posted online at www.tesd.net. Additionally, I loaded a copy of the video online at http://www.schooltube.com/ and obtained a free one-year license of School Tube’s MVP service. The goal of online video sharing is to make Board Talk more accessible to taxpayers in Tredyffrin-Easttown.

One unexpected benefit is that the Board Talk video prepared by Tredyffrin Easttown is now accessible to other districts throughout the state. Our School District opposes the proposed GCA regulation, and our Board Talk video has helped us build support throughout the state for our stance against this unfunded mandate. For more information about the GCAs, please visit the website I created: http://teschools.wordpress.com/.

At February’s meeting, we also discussed the growing importance of social networking sites such as MySpace as a way of communicating with students and taxpayers in the district. Following the meeting, the School District claimed the names of our area schools in MySpace and put a discussion of social networking on the agenda for the March Public Information meeting. (Note: Registering the school names did not cost any taxpayer money.)

Following up on the requests of former board member Sandi Gorman and other community members, the Public Information Committee also asked that the administration begin posting agenda materials for regular school board meetings along with the agenda on the District web site. We also will continue to evaluate other methods of sharing materials with the public. Towards the end of the month, I stopped by Conestoga High School’s TV studio to film two segments for the March Board Talk. One segment was about the implementation of the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program at the Middle Schools. For the second segment, I was interviewed by a Conestoga student.

PA Costing Out Study:

If you missed the February School Board meeting, please take the time to read through the presentation about the PA Costing Out Study at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/presentations/08feb25costing.pdf.

The PA Costing Out Study determined that public education in Pennsylvania is underfunded by approximately $4.6 Billion. The PA Costing Out Study notes that state and local taxes in PA are comparable to national averages but 6-12 percent below those collected in 6 nearby states. Therefore, according to the study, if additional funds are needed, they should be collected at the state level and allocated by the state according to a formula set by the state. Yet the study does not examine the impact of unfunded state mandates on local school districts.

Translation: Your taxes will go up. The state won’t do anything to reduce the impact of unfunded state mandates on your local schools. And don’t expect to see increased state funding for your local schools if you live in Tredyffrin Easttown, which will only get the minimum increase required by law. If you worry about tax increases, this line should concern you. Please take the time to let our state legislators know that we don’t want to see PA taxes rise to a New Jersey-like level.

Chester County Intermediate Unit Budget:

You should also check out the CCIU’s Budget at http://tesd.net/schoolbd/presentations/08feb25cciubudgets.pdf.

Unlike the School District, the CCIU’s budget is not capped under Act 1. Factors such as declining enrollment pose a threat to the CCIU’s budget. The CCIU will be working to reverse this trend, but we will face tax increases in the future if they cannot.

On page 9 of the presentation, you’ll find information about the CCIU’s Green Initiatives. T/E may be able to learn from the CCIU’s experience and leadership in this area. Expect to hear more in the coming months about green initiatives and related cost-savings.

On page 10 of the presentation, you can read about the $4,365,611 grant the CCIU received from the state to establish a statewide education network to enable every school district and IU in the state to share resources, collaborate on projects and reduce costs through the aggregation of digital content and broadband services.

Strategic Plan:

In February, I had a chance to review the latest copy of the School District’s Strategic Plan. I’m impressed by what I’ve read so far and by the extensive amount of community involvement in the plan. The Strategic Planning Process began in December 2006 with a “Vision of the Future” brainstorming session. Starting in February 2007, focus groups met to discuss the questions raised by the brainstorming sessions. Before my election to the board, I was a part of one of the focus groups. We discussed the current state of education and the skills we felt were necessary for students to succeed in the future job market.

Next, a committee of 33 members (including community members) met at a three-day retreat in May 2007 to develop a new mission statement for the district and several strategies. In July 2007, a professional scenario planner helped the committee develop four future scenarios for the School District based on identified uncertainties. The four scenarios were the subject of another round of focus groups. I also participated in those focus groups. My group discussed the potential impact of government mandates as well as distance/cyber learning on the district.

The next step was action planning. A team of over 185 community members, School Board members, administrators, teachers and students were involved in the process. They completed a comprehensive study which was shared with the Strategic Planning Committee and School Board in February 2008. The Strategic Plan will be submitted to the School Board for approval in June 2008.
Many aspects of the plan involve new technology and the role of technology. I am the School Board liaison to the Technology committee, and I’m looking forward to contributing in that area and others as the district works to implement the plan.

After School Activity Support:

As I mentioned in my January update, the Finance Committee is evaluating how to provide after-school support for students participating in middle school sports and activities. At the February Finance Committee meeting, we spoke with administrators from the two middle schools about how to provide this support. Several potential solutions were proposed, and these will be discussed at the March Finance meeting. As I stated in my January update, I feel strongly about the need to provide this support and will continue to look for a solution that works.

School Events:

I had the opportunity to see Conestoga’s spring musical Footloose. There were over 80 students in the musical, and the dance numbers looked pretty complicated. I was extremely impressed by all the hard work that went into the production and by the vocal talent of the performers. Kudos to TEMPO, the Tredyffrin Easttown Music Parents Organization for all their hard work on the musical and for staffing the refreshment stands during the show.

Tax Relief:

In February, the Finance Committee discussed a proposed tax relief program for low-income seniors. (You can read about the meeting in the Main Line Life.) On 2/28/08 The Suburban had an editorial "Finding Fulfillment in February." This listed the Laurels and Lemons for the month. One of the lemons was:

"Boo-hiss to the T/E School Board's Finance Committee for pushing back the proposed tax relief program for low-income seniors. It's nice to suggest that all taxpayers need relief, but on the mostly wealthy Main Line there are certainly some who need it more than others. Most Main Liners have no idea what it would be like to be elderly and unable to afford the prescription drugs that keep everything working properly; for many extremely well-off residents, the biggest financial decision they need to make is whether to buy a second home at the Shore. Yes, there are young, low-income families, too, that need relief, but under state law only seniors can get rebates- so why don't we at least start by doing what we can instead of talking about what we can't? Let's get our priorities straight T/E, and start giving back to those who really need it."

Tom Colman, a taxpayer who attended the February Finance Committee meeting (as well as nearly every school board meeting), responded the following week with a letter to the editor:

A better path to school tax relief

Your Feb. 28 "Laurels and Lemons" column gave a "boo-hiss to the T/E School Board's Finance Committee for pushing back the proposed tax program for low-income seniors." I'd like to applaud the Finance Committee rather than admonish them. The Finance Committee is taking their time because they want to consider taxpayer input, and they want to "get it right."

When it comes to tax relief, you say, "under state law only seniors can get rebates." It is unclear to me where you got that notion. The only legal questions that seem unsettled are whether school districts can legally offer rebates to a selected group of taxpayers (e.g., low-income seniors) under the "uniformity clause" of the state Constitution. There is currently a bill in the state legislature that will attempt to assure that such selective rebates are legal, but its passage is by no means certain. On the other hand, the T/E School District is free to offer tax rebates to ALL homeowners tomorrow.

But, why not tax relief for ALL homeowners? School districts collect taxes in order to fund educational programs, not to redistribute money to other people. School directors are elected to direct schools. What qualifies a school director to decide who in the community is more worthy of help: a fixed-income senior, a poverty-line renter, a newlywed, a recently unemployed couple facing mortgage foreclosure?

At the recent public hearing on property-tax rebates, I offered a plan that would provide rebates to ALL taxpayers. The proposal would use budget surpluses to fund annual tax relief for ALL homeowners and would add up to $1 million to the district's reserves annually. In addition, low-income seniors would get another $400-$800 per year of property-tax relief. I have also urged the school district to establish a voluntary "check-off" on property-tax bills, whereby taxpayers could make voluntary donations to a newly established tax-relief foundation. And those funds could be used for tax relief for both homeowners and renters.

But why even get to tax rebates? Why not just tax less? It's simpler, cheaper and eminently more fair to just let people keep their own money, rather than collect it, bank it, spend months haggling about who should get some back, decide how much, review applications, determine eligibility and send out rebate checks.

Just tax less. For starters, the district could reduce its budget by more than $1 million by implementing a payroll-budgeting policy that more accurately reflects vacancies throughout the school year. This budget-policy change would affect the budget numbers and the amount of taxation — it would not in any way change the number of employees, their pay, benefits, etc.

The school district has just begun its budget planning for 2008-2009. The proposed budget will be nearly $100 million. A small cadre of citizens will be at the school district's budget workshops and board meetings, urging the school board to be fiscally prudent while continuing its excellent educational programs. Please join the meetings and provide your input.

T/E has a truly outstanding school system, with top-notch board members, staff, teachers and support personnel — and a community that values and supports excellent schools. "Laurels" to all of them.

Thomas E. Colman
Wayne

Mr. Colman’s letter to the editor is an excellent summary of the issue. Let me be very clear: I support tax relief for low-income seniors. In fact, I support tax relief for everyone. I attended the November listening post meeting Mr. Colman wrote about in his letter, and I listened to what the taxpayers had to say. Overwhelmingly, the taxpayers asked for tax relief for all and opposed any tax shift that would raise the tax burden on one group in order to give a tax rebate to another group. I’ve received numerous emails from taxpayers saying the same thing.

I strongly believe that school taxes should go to schools and educational purposes. The proposed “Low Income Senior Tax Relief” plan would raise taxes on everyone for a non-educational cause.
In my opinion, if you care about low-income taxpayers, you would vote against this plan. Here’s why: In order to pay for the proposed rebate, the School District would need to increase everyone’s taxes regardless of income. Furthermore, tax hikes cause landlords to raise the rent, and renters are among our most vulnerable residents. The proposed plan would directly hurt many of the families (both renters and homeowners) I’ve met in the district—especially low-income families who are scrapping and saving in order to afford a residence in this top-rated school district.

I agree that many “low-income seniors” need our help. Rather than violating the Uniformity Clause of the PA Constitution or using our school tax dollars for a non-educational purpose, I believe we should endeavor to meet this need using private dollars rather than compelling the taxpayers to support my own personal charitable inclinations.

I volunteer many hours of my time with local charities, and I have been repeatedly impressed by the generosity of T/E residents. I truly believe T/E residents that can afford to do so will support the proposed foundation to assist needy seniors. But, if taxpayers wouldn't voluntarily support tax assistance to low income seniors, I don’t believe that I, as a School Director, have the right to force them to do so.

At the February Finance meeting, I proposed that the district’s $7.5 million surplus be used to provide a rebate to all district taxpayers. This would provide equitable tax relief to everyone in the district. I also proposed additional relief for low-income seniors through the establishment of a foundation that would be funded by voluntary contributions from taxpayers.

Two other ways to provide tax relief are to (1) calculate more accurate budgets and (2) avoid taxing more than is necessary, as proposed in Mr. Colman’s letter. I will continue to take taxpayer feedback and to share it at Finance Committee meetings.

Contact Debbie Bookstaber:

Want to share an idea? You can contact me by email at debbie.bookstaber@gmail.com.

Next Update:

Check back in early April for my next School Board update and pictures of Baby Bookstaber who is expected to make his arrival at the end of March.

Learn More About PA's Proposed GCA Regulations

2008-02-18T15:21:00.005-05:00

For more information about the proposed GCA regulations, please read the information on http://teschools.wordpress.com/.

You can also visit http://www.tesd.net/gcavideo.htm to watch the T/E Board Talk about the GCAs online.

Board Talk also plays regularly on Comcast Cable Channel 14 and Verizon Cable Channel 20. Here is the schedule: Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 10am, Tuesday/Thursday at 6pm, or Saturday/Sunday at 3pm.

Debbie Bookstaber's School Board Update: January 2008

2008-02-01T18:13:00.000-05:00

I was sworn in as a member of the Tredyffrin Easttown School Board on December 3, 2007.

Along with new board member Karen Cruickshank, I've been busy attending many orientation and training sessions. So far we've attended seven sessions on topics such as the budget, strategic planning, facilities, policy, finance, the PSSAs, NCLB, the Sunshine Act, the role and duties of school boards, and more. I've been so impressed by how helpful the T/E School District administrators and other school board members are. They've answered a ton of questions and helped me get up-to-speed quickly.

In addition to orientation, new board members are encouraged to tour all the schools. I've really enjoyed seeing the schools and meeting teachers and administrators.

Every school board member was appointed as the official liaison for one school in the district. I've been assigned to New Eagle Elementary. In January, I attended a program sponsored by the New Eagle PTO and the Green Committee. Stacy Kinneally of the Green Flag School program spoke about ways to make your school and home more "green." The environment is an important issue to me, and I was happy to see that I was already doing many of the green tips suggested. After the meeting, I joined www.greendimes.com based on Stacy's advice. I hadn't heard about this program before, but GreenDimes will get your name off of junk mail lists for a $10 fee- saving approximately 1.5 trees a year. I look forward to attending more events at New Eagle.

In December, I received my committee assignments. There are five standing committees: Education, Facilities, Policy, Finance and Public Information. I have been assigned to the Finance and Public Information committees, and I will also serve as the School Board representative to the Diversity, Technology, and Middle School Advisory committees. As you might imagine, I've been extremely busy attending school board meetings-- sometimes even five in one week. You can read the meeting minutes at http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/schoolbd/updates/jan08.pdf, but here are a few highlights from my own perspective:

I attended the January InterSchool Council (ISC) meeting. At this meeting, Rich Gusick shared information about PA's proposed Graduation Competency Assessments (GCAs) with representatives from the parent teacher organizations. The parents were understandably concerned about how the GCAs could negatively impact students in our school district. With their support, I created a website with information about the GCAs and how to take action. The ISC and the members of the TE School Board signed the statement that appears on the "About Us" page of the website, which is an indication that there is strong opposition to the GCAs in our community. I encourage you to read the information about the GCAs and to contact your local paper and legislators.
As part of the Public Information Committee, I also filmed a segment for TETV's Board Talk program about the GCAs. Our next board talk will be about the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. I am looking into ways to post the Board Talk programs online since this would enable even more parents and community members to watch these valuable programs.
In addition to working on the budget, the Finance Committee is evaluating how to provide after-school support for students participating in middle school sports and activities. We heard from several working mothers who requested either activity buses or after-school supervision as this would enable their children to participate in extracurricular activities. I also know from my experience volunteering with FLITE and with TE Cares that after-school supervision or activity buses are necessary if we want activities to be accessible to children from all socio-economic levels. We will continue to evaluate this issue in future months and are looking for a cost-effective solution.
The Diversity Committee met to discuss the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Since I have volunteered with anti-bullying programs for years, this is an issue near and dear to my heart. T/E is in the second year of its elementary school bullying prevention program and in the first year of its middle school bullying prevention program. The Olweus program is just one element of T/E's comprehensive school climate campaign. As part of the program, the teaching and guidance staff have been trained on how to recognize bullying and how to intervene properly. There is on-the-spot intervention as well as separate follow-up meetings with both the bully and the victim. A major element of the program is empowering bystanders to intervene. By discussing the roll of bystanders, reading popular children's books with a bullying theme and explaining the difference between tattling and telling a teacher or adult in order to help another student, the program encourages students to stand up for bullying victims and to get adult help when necessary. T/E kicked off the program with a survey of students, which will enable them to compare survey results yearly to determine the effectiveness of the program.
The Chester County Intermediate Unit and four other Chester County School Districts are making the switch to bio-diesel fuel-- as are Colonial, Radnor, Haverford, and Lower Merion. The PA Department of Environmental Protection is awarding grants to enable school districts to make the switch to cleaner-burning fuel. The grants are a win-win for the community since they enable school districts to go green AND save taxpayer money. T/E does not own its own buses, but I have asked that we consider the bio-diesel fuel grants as we evaluate RFP responses from transportation providers.

I will continue to look into ways to use technology to help inform the public about our school district. One important way I'll keep you informed is by updating this blog regularly. You also can contact me via email at debbie.bookstaber@gmail.com.

WayneSuburban.com Profile: Debbie Bookstaber

2007-12-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

From the 12/13/2007 WayneSuburban.com:

Debbie’s debut: Debbie Bookstaber may be new to the school board, but she knows a thing or two about service

By Rachel Perry

At 29 years old, Debbie Bookstaber just became the T/E School Board’s youngest member, but don’t assume that young is a synonym for inexperienced. Bookstaber may not have as many years under her belt as the board members she’ll soon serve alongside, but she definitely has the wisdom and work experience necessary for the position, and she’s ready to bring some fresh perspective to the board.

But who is Debbie Bookstaber, new role aside? Well, to start, she’s a technology professional, a mama-to-be, a wife, a volunteer, a blogger — and, it seems, a natural leader.

Bookstaber, who has been actively involved with community service and educational reform since her college years, lives in Berwyn with David, her husband of seven years.

Although she grew up in Merion, the move was an easy transition for Bookstaber. “I certainly had made a lot of friends in this area,” she said of her childhood years. “I grew up going to the Upper Main Line YMCA.”

After high school, she went on to study at Yale University, where she received bachelor’s and master’s degree in history, completing her graduate studies in 2000.

But, said Bookstaber, history wasn’t her only interest.
“I was very interested in education,” she explained. “I did student teaching and a lot of volunteer work with children. I worked at the Yale Center for Disabilities, where I scanned books into Braille and took notes for hearing-impaired students in class.”

Bookstaber was also the president of her sorority and the coordinator for the Yale Women’s Center, a feminist organization seeking to improve the lives of women.

She’s still trying to improve the community; she volunteers with Girl Scouts and she’s an alumni interviewer for Yale. “I think I relate well to high-school students because I’m not that old,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of work with anti-bullying groups. I’m really passionate about violence prevention in schools.”

She can also connect with students because she’s familiar with many of the new ways they connect with each other; MySpace, Facebook and other online social networking sites are a few examples of things her generation knows well but older generations may not be as well acquainted with.
Bookstaber also works with technology in her professional life; she’s working for a new Internet startup.

In her free time, she likes to travel and often gets paid to write articles about the places she visits. She also enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, exercising and reading.

With such a busy schedule, how does someone like Bookstaber even find time for hobbies? We’re not sure, but her life is about to get even busier as she and her husband are going to take on new roles soon: parents. Five months pregnant with her first child — a boy — Bookstaber is glowing.
“It’s very exciting,” she said.

But she’s also realistic about bringing a child into the world, and part of the reason she’s joining the school board is to improve conditions for all kids.
“Expecting a child, you really want to do what you can to make the world a better, safer place,” said Bookstaber.

She’s already working on that; she currently manages a very successful blog specifically for moms — www.mamanista.com. “One of my friends had a baby with a heart defect, so we started a mommy blog to raise money for the American Heart Association,” she said.

It’s not surprising, then, that Bookstaber cites her own mother as her biggest influence growing up.

“She taught for 30 years in an inner-city school,” she said. “She was the one who really emphasized volunteering and service. From fourth grade [on], she had us out there volunteering.”

That’s one of the reasons Bookstaber decided to pursue a spot on the school board, where she will be representing Tredyffrin Region 2.
“I viewed it as more of a community service, instead of a political position,” she said. “It’s unpaid, completely voluntary; a lot of people don’t know that. Education affects everybody.”

November 2007 Update

2007-11-10T19:36:00.000-05:00

Thank you all so much for your help and support during my successful campaign for a seat on the Tredyffrin Easttown School Board. I'm looking forward to serving our community on the School Board over the next four years.

About Me

2007-10-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

I am running for School Director in Tredyffrin Region 2. Recently, I served as the Vice-Chairman of the TE Tax Commission, which recommended unanimously against imposing an income tax in TE.

I am currently an Executive Director at uTANGO.com, an internet startup company. My background is in technology, online marketing and business development. Prior to uTANGO, I worked in Business Development and Strategy at Expedia.com where I managed the affiliate marketing channel and drove several hundred million dollars in annual sales. I also worked as a Senior Product Manager at Travelocity.com and as a Product Development and Operations Manager at Site59.com.

I am running because I care deeply about education and our township. My record shows that my interest in educational issues is sincere and long-standing rather than a recent development.

For example, my involvement in anti-bullying and relational aggression dates back to high school when I started and ran a program to teach conflict resolution skills in inner-city elementary schools. The goal of the program was to give students the tools to resolve issues without resorting to violence. That program went on to win an award at the state-level.

I continued to mentor teen girls in New Haven throughout college (focusing in particular on the relational aggression issue as well as self-esteem) and ultimately was selected as a coordinator of the Yale Women's Center, an umbrella organization serving women and children in New Haven. Since college, my involvement has only grown as I've spent many hours working with children and teens.

As a former Gold-Award Girl Scout, I mentor scouts working on Silver and Gold Awards and also speak on self-esteem and relational aggression (bullying). Overall, I have been involved in anti-bullying and anti-violence advocacy for over 15 years.

Advocacy for adults and children with disabilities is also a cause close to my heart. From 6th-12th grade, I volunteered many hours a week at Inglis House, a wheelchair community in Philadelphia. At Yale, I volunteered all four years at the office on disabilities to scan books into braille, take notes in class for deaf and blind students, and more.

In 2003, I was selected as a volunteer of the year by the Junior League of Boston for my efforts as a Foster Care case reviewer, where I worked with many special needs children. I advocated for the safety of children and was instrumental in running the annual toy drive as well as a school supply drive.

As the Chairman of the Junior League Project Research and Development Committee, and as a member of this volunteer organization, I helped implement new literacy, cultural, and health projects for children in the greater Philadelphia area. These projects included BooksAloud! (reading techniques to parents and children), Kids in the Kitchen (teaching proper nutrition and healthy habits to kids), Cultural Clinic (arts and music education for middle-schoolers) and more.

I have volunteered many hours in Tredyffrin as well. I am an auxiliary board member for Tredyffrin and Easttown Care (http://www.tecare.org/). One project I worked on this summer for T&E Care ensured that students in need received computers. I am on the Tredyffrin 300 Committee, where I am chairing the Taste of Tredyffrin and the CafePress committees as well as working on PR and marketing of the historical DVD. The goal of Tredyffrin 300 is raise money to rebuild the Jones Log Barn.

I grew up on the Main Line and attended The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from Yale University with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in History. After graduation, I moved to Boston with my husband David, who was stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base. After David left active military service, we moved back to the Main Line.

We chose Tredyffrin because of the outstanding school rankings and the fiscal responsibility of the School Board. We bought our first house here, and it is where we plan to stay and start our family. This is one of the strongest reasons I care so much about long-term strategic planning for our school district. I want to ensure our schools stay top-ranked for a long time to come, so that I can send my children to them in the future.

As a Yale Alumni Interviewer, a volunteer admissions reader for the PA Governor’s School for International Studies, and a focus group participant in the TE School District Strategic Planning Process, I have been able to get to know many Conestoga students and can attest to the fact that TE provides a private-school quality of education at a public school price. By serving on the school board, I hope to maintain and improve the educational excellence and fiscal responsibility of the School District.

Election Coverage at MainLineLife.com:

10/2/07
To the Editor:

Tredyffrin-Easttown voters in Region 2 have a special reason to go to the polls next month: A bright young woman named Debbie Bookstaber has stepped up to fill the school board seat being vacated by Sandi Gorman.

Debbie holds a Masters degree with high honors from Yale and has impressive experience working for dotcoms. She has already contributed her exceptional technology skills to many charities such as T & E Cares, the American Heart Association, and the Tredyffrin 300 campaign. Having someone with Debbie's technology expertise would be an asset to the board.

School taxes are by far the largest local tax we face, and Debbie Bookstaber is a strong advocate of keeping taxes low for everyone. When the school district studied the proposal to create an income tax (as required under Act 1), Debbie volunteered for the tax commission and served as its vice chairman. That commission recommended that our district not adopt such a tax and was credited with a thorough and thoughtful report.

Everyone who has volunteered with Debbie – and given her wide involvement in the community, there are many of us – can attest to the fact that she is dedicated to the welfare of Tredyffrin. Debbie is one of the most energetic and intelligent candidates for local service in recent memory. Our community is fortunate to have such a capable and qualified candidate. She deserves our vote.

Lynn W. Ray, Wayne

Election Coverage at WayneSuburban.com:
"Six Candidates Vie for Seats on the Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board"- WayneSuburban.com
"Bookstaber's bid for school board is based on her desire to "ensure the quality of schools in the future." A technology and marketing professional with bachelor's and master's degrees from Yale, the Berwyn resident grew up in the Merion section of Lower Merion, where her parents still live today.

Her volunteer service includes the FLITE mentoring program and serving as an auxiliary board member of Tredyffrin and East-town Care. She also chaired a Tredyffrin 300 committee. "If you look at my background," she maintains,"I've been a serious volunteer."

As for issues, the board needs to continue its practice of fiscal responsibility, she believes. She said she can contribute to that aim based on her experience as vice chair of T/E's Tax Commission, which was convened to ponder the implications of the state's Act 1 legislation, including whether to enact an income tax.

She is also a proponent of anti-bullying and anti-violence measures in the schools. "To me, that's a pretty important issue," explaining that a student's well-being is negatively impacted by bullying and violence.

She is also concerned about state and federal unfunded mandates that hamper control of public schools. The state, for example, is proposing a Graduation Competency Assessment (GCA) program. But she believes local school districts are the best evaluators of whether a student is proficient enough to graduate high school. "It's something that the teaching staff is very concerned about," she pointed out.

Bookstaber, who was endorsed by the Tredyffrin Republican Committee and appears on both parties' ballots, also wants to prepare T/E's students to be able to compete in an increasingly global economy."

Primary Election Coverage at WayneSuburban.com:

Seven candidates vie for seats on Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board, WayneSuburban.com

Young perspective (Letter to the Editor- May 2007)
The word "balance" has been tossed about recently in these editorial pages, particularly as it relates to the T/E School Board. If "balance" is a concern of this community, there is no better candidate to diversify our school board than Debbie Bookstaber.

Like many young couples, she and her husband moved here specifically for T/E's exceptional combination of outstanding schools and reasonable taxes. The views, concerns, and experience of Generation X are not yet represented on our school board.

As a successful dot-com entrepreneur, Debbie Bookstaber adds a fresh perspective to the issues facing our school district. She has a firsthand perspective on the way technology and globalization are impacting the economy. When she worked at Travelocity, Debbie saw many of the programming and call-center jobs outsourced to India, so she appreciates the need for students to have the preparation and training necessary to compete in a rapidly changing job market. And she will bring valuable expertise in technology to the board.

Only 11 years out of high school herself, it's obvious from her volunteer work that Debbie feels a strong connection to the students in this district. I've heard her speak about the stress students feel due to college admissions and over-scheduling as well as the impact of bullying and relational aggression on students. The contributions and "balance" Debbie would bring to the T/E School Board will serve to make a great Board even better!
Peggy Layden, Berwyn

Light turnout leads to an uneventful primary, MainLineLife.com
"In the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District:
Karen Cruickshank and James D. Bruce will appear on the Democrat ballot for Region 1, and Art Post and Deborah Bookstaber will appear on the Democrat ballot for Region 2. James Bruce and Kevin C. Grewell will appear on the Republican ballot for Region 1 and Deborah Bookstaber and Kevin B. Mahoney will appear on the Republican ballot for Region 2. Peter Motel will run unopposed for Region 3."

Independent Support for Debbie Bookstaber

2007-10-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

The following letter appeared in the Main Line Life and the Suburban on 10/25/07.

To the Editor:

The current Tredyffrin-Easttown school board race is a good example of why I came to be a registered "Independent" voter. For me, an Independent voter is someone who defies traditional political labels; someone who has tired of partisanship and of special interests'money dominating politics; someone who votes for the person, not the party.

Serving as co-chair of Tredyffrin 300, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with many wonderful community members who helped to make our events successful ' Republicans, Democrats and yes, Independents ' all working together in the spirit of what makes our community such a great place to live.

One of the very talented Tredyffrin 300 volunteers I had the pleasure to get to know was Debbie Bookstaber. I found Debbie to be an excellent listener, an articulate spokesperson and someone who was passionate about our community. Debbie's expertise as a marketing and technology professional and her willingness to share her talents is unsurpassed! Whether it was setting up an online CafePress account for Tredyffrin 300 merchandise, organizing the Taste of Tredyffrin campaign, or giving a voice and presence to Flat Judy through the creation of a blog, Debbie's technological talents continuously amazed and impressed. In addition to Tredyffrin 300, Debbie has used her technology skills for other non-profit organizations, including T/E Cares and the American Heart Association.

Tredyffrin 300 was not about politics, and neither should the school board elections. The Tredyffrin-Easttown school board should encompass this same spirit of nonpartisanship; enough of the "mud-slinging" and name-calling. Yale-educated Debbie Bookstaber is a hardworking, passionate individual who cares about her community and the quality of education in our schools. Debbie is dedicated to continuing to find methods to enhance ways our local youth are educated and is committed to involving the community in helping shape future budgets, as evidenced by her participation on the TE Tax Commission.

Debbie represents what is best about our future; she will work to increase the opportunities needed to meet all of our students'educational, emotional and social needs. Debbie will serve the school district and the community by helping to ensure a good education for future generations by creating a partnership between parents and teachers for the benefit of the education of our young people.

As a taxpayer, I feel we are very fortunate that such a talented young person has stepped forward to serve our community. Please join me in supporting Debbie Bookstaber for TredyffrinEasttown school board; I encourage voters to cast their vote for her.

Pattye Benson, Malvern

Debbie's Doorknocking Efforts- 2500 Doors!

2007-10-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

An article about doorknocking and the upcoming election ran today in the Main Line Life. I was mentioned in the article:

"...Debbie Bookstaber, a Republican T/E Region 2 school board candidate, is the speed demon. During the hour I joined her, she hit 50 houses.

At 29, she's one of the youngest candidates on the Main Line, and it shows in her casual and tech savvy approach. As soon as someone appears at the door, she says, "Hi, my name is Debbie and I'm running for school board." She leaves out her last name and party affiliation. After handing her flyer to the voter (she doesn't knock on doors of people who haven't voted in the last four years), she says, "If you have more questions or want more information, my Web site and email are on the back of the flyer."

Then she breezes to the next door. Bookstaber works for an Internet company, and she's the only candidate I observed who puts a major focus on using the Web to communicate with voters.

She also keeps an extremely detailed campaign database. This database led her to discover that the neighborhoods where she campaigned before the primary contain the precincts in which she did very well among Democrats.
It's these Democratic votes, she believes, that helped her beat incumbent Republican Kevin Mahoney for the open spot on the Democratic school board ballot. (Like all T/E school board candidates, she ran in both the Republican and Democrat primaries.) The moral of Bookstaber's story? The door-to-door campaign works."

By the time of the election, I will have knocked 2,500 doors. I've enjoyed hearing your feedback and answering your questions (both at your door and by email- debbie.bookstaber@gmail.com).

If you haven't met me yet, hopefully I'll have a chance to knock on your door prior to the election. Either way, I'd love to hear from you. I think it's important to take the time to listen to your ideas about how to maintain our excellent school system and to hear your concerns about what you'd like to see improved in the future.

Debbie Bookstaber and the Yale Taliban Campaign

2007-09-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

Here is a letter to the editor that Debbie Bookstaber wrote in response to criticism of her leadership of a bipartisan alumni protest against the admission of Taliban leader Rahmatullah Hashemi to Yale:

To the editor:

In 2006, Yale University, allowed a former leader of the Afghanistan Taliban regime to enroll in a special student program. That man, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, had only a fourth grade education, and had previously toured the United States as a representative and apologist of one of the most brutal and misogynistic governments in modern times. I was shocked by Hashemi’s admission since I had seen numerous academically-qualified students from our own area rejected.

I joined a bipartisan alumni campaign to encourage Yale to reject Hashemi's application for continued enrollment. This was not about political ideas, but rather about our alma mater bending its own rules to offer an exceptional opportunity to a man guilty of human rights abuse. We felt that if Yale was going to recruit students from Afghanistan it would be more fitting to help victims of the Taliban's years of oppression.

Malalai Joya, the first female Afghan parliamentarian, called Hashemi’s status as a student at Yale "an unforgivable insult." Ultimately, Yale agreed. In July 2006, it was announced that Hashemi’s application to pursue a bachelor’s degree had been rejected.

Presently I am a candidate for the T/E school board. I understand that my involvement in that Yale Taliban protest is being misrepresented to undermine my candidacy. However, the alumni protest is well documented on the internet (search for "Nail Yale") and the facts are available for anyone to see.

Debbie Bookstaber

Debbie Bookstabers Answers Questions from Conestoga Students

2007-09-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

I was contacted by the Contestoga Spoke with some questions about my campaign for School Board. Here are my responses to their questions:

Please describe the basis on which you are running: (i.e. – Are you running as a Republican/Democrat?…What region are you running in?...Are you a new candidate or an incumbent?)

I am a new candidate running in Region 2. I am the only candidate in Region 2 on the ballot for both the Republican and the Democratic Parties, and I have been endorsed by the Republican Party.

What experience do you have in the field of politics/dealing with education?

I do not consider myself a politician. My interests have always been in the areas of community and public service.

I first got involved with the T/E School District when I volunteered for the Tax Study Commission last year. Studying the school budget in-depth as the Vice-Chairman of the Tax Study Commission gave me insights into the challenges our schools are facing and inspired me to serve on the school board.

My mother was a public school teacher for over 30 years in Philadelphia, and educational issues were frequent dinner table topics. I credit her with my lifelong interest in volunteering. I am a Gold Award Girl Scout and have volunteered with disabled students and anti-bullying programs for years. I am an Auxiliary Board Member for Tredyffrin and Easttown Care and also chaired a Tredyffrin 300 committee. As the chairman of the Junior League Project Research and Development Committee I helped implement new cultural and educational projects for children in the Greater Philadelphia area.

My educational background includes a B.A. and a Masters degree in History with high honors from Yale University.

If you had to address the student body of Conestoga, what topic would you speak to them about? Why?

I would like to have an open conversation with the student body about stress, over-scheduling and the pressure to succeed. I graduated from high school in 1996, and my memories of feeling overscheduled, stressed and worried about college admissions are still painfully fresh.

As an alumni interviewer for my college, I have the opportunity to speak with lots of high school seniors. I’m always struck by how much pressure is put on students from an early age to succeed in school, sports, extra-curricular activities, etc. I am often approached by students as young as sixth grade wanting to know what to do to get an edge with college applications. I’ve received calls from students in tears after they receive a college rejection letter, and their pain is always real.

The great thing about a school like Conestoga is how accomplished its students are academically and athletically, but the downside is a culture that can potentially make students feel like they don’t measure up if they don’t play on the Varsity Team or if they can’t get that A. That’s something we need to address. High school should be a time for growth and learning-- not stress and anxiety.

What do you feel is the most pressing need in the school district today?

Keeping up the good work! Our district is one of the most highly rated and fiscally efficient in the state, if not the country. Like all T/E residents, I want to keep it that way.

I grew up on the Main Line, but my husband and I chose to move to Tredyffrin because of the outstanding school rankings and the fiscal responsibility of the School Board. We bought our first house here, and it is where we plan to stay and start our family. I have been able to get to know many Conestoga students and can attest to the fact that TE provides a private-school quality of education at a public school price. By serving on the school board, I hope to maintain and improve the educational excellence and fiscal responsibility of the School District.

How long have you been campaigning?

I had the opportunity to meet the School Board Directors when I served on the Tax Commission. I decided to run after I learned that Sandi Gorman would not seek another term. Before I made my decision, I spoke with several of the current board members to get their perspective on what it’s like to serve on the board and the issues our school district is facing. Since then I’ve participated in Strategic Planning Focus Groups, attended School Board Meetings and talked with many Tredyffrin voters.

Please list any other stances you have on educational practices/policies that you feel would be appropriate for your description:

Local control of the schools: Our current school board has advocated for local control of the schools, and I agree with this position. Unfunded federal and state mandates drive increased taxes without necessarily improving our particular circumstances. While accountability in public education is desirable, the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind are putting increasing pressure on teachers to “teach to the test.” Thousands of schools have responded to the math and reading testing requirements laid out in No Child Left Behind by reducing class time spent on other subjects. The T/E school district teaching staff has addressed the NCLB requirements at several board meetings and expressed concern that the NCLB requirements could result in increased state or federal intervention with the result of lowering standards in T/E. Currently T/E far outperforms other school districts, and this success is a result of local control rather than state and federal mandates.

Bullying: Bullying and relational aggression is a concern. According to a recent Pew Study, about one third of teenagers have been targets of online bullying. Yet despite the high percentage of teens experiencing online bullying, 67% of teens surveyed still said that bullying happens more offline than online. Eliminating bullying is an issue I care passionately about since it has a serious impact on student’s emotional health and on the safety of our schools. Every student deserves the right to learn in safety and without harassment. Implementing anti-bullying programs can increase the safety of our schools and create a better environment for learning. T/E is taking this issue seriously and has introduced programs such as The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. If you talk to the parents of any middle-school aged girl, you’ll quickly realize this is still a large problem in our school district. While no program can completely eliminate bullying, addressing the issue has been proven to reduce incidents of bullying by up to 70%.

Globalization: As globalization increases, the job market has become more competitive. I have a firsthand perspective on the way technology and globalization are impacting the economy. When I worked at Travelocity I saw many of the programming and call-center jobs outsourced to India. I understand the need for students to have the preparation and training necessary to compete in a rapidly changing job market. Offering foreign language, technology and science classes is particularly critical.

What do you feel you have to offer that the other candidates will not be able to do? (or what can you do a superior job on?)

My most obvious difference is age. As a representative of “Generation X”, I would certainly bring a unique perspective to the School Board. While the other candidates in Region 2 have children in high school and college, I am just starting my family now. This is one of the strongest reasons I care so much about long-term strategic planning for our school district. I want to ensure our schools stay top-ranked for a long time to come, so that I can send my children to them in the future.

The biggest differentiator is my background and expertise in technology. When I participated in the Strategic Planning focus groups for T/E, I noticed that online-education (cyber learning) and technology challenges came up frequently in the discussions. I’ve used my technology expertise to help other non-profits in our area, and I believe it would be an asset on the school board as well. I am a technology and marketing professional with experience managing multi-million dollar budgets and negotiating business development deals. I have worked in management positions at four successful dot-coms, including Travelocity and Expedia.

Clearing the Air- What I Really Said at the TTDems Meeting About Evolution

2007-04-08T22:11:00.000-05:00

A recent post on the Tredyffrin Democratic Party blog misrepresented me by claiming I am an intelligent design advocate. The author based her attack on something she claims that I said at a Democratic Committee Meeting. However, I have a video of the event which shows I said nothing of the sort.

On the TTDems blog, Tredyffrin Democratic committee member Sandra Malard wrote,

“Creationism and intelligent design in the Tredyffrin/Easttown schools' science curriculum? If that idea disturbs you, but you think it's an unlikely development, please read on. Speaking by invitation at one of the Tredyffrin Democrats monthly meetings earlier this year, all but one of the Republican-backed candidates immediately and emphatically repudiated the idea of injecting intelligent design into the T/E curriculum. Debbie Bookstaber, however, would only say: "I think the matter requires more study." This evasive response from someone who wishes to steer the education of our children should at least raise an eyebrow…. Ms. Bookstaber owes the voters an honest statement of her views.”

Here is a link to a video of my actual response. It may not be the most eloquent answer I’ve ever articulated, but it does show Sandra Malard to be prevaricating.

My response was only 24 seconds long, so it is possible Sandra Malard misheard me or misconstrued my statement about having respect for all points of view. But I am not- as Sandra Malard claims- trying to conceal my position on this – or any other – issue applicable to my candidacy for the school board.

I have never felt that science and faith were incompatible. In fact, I learned about evolution for the first time in 4th grade at Waldron-Mercy Catholic School and never viewed it as controversial. As I noted in my remarks, I also believe any decision about curriculum should be made in full compliance with Pennsylvania State Law and only after consultation with relevant educational experts.

To further clarify my positions, here is an excerpt of an email that I sent to Tredyffrin Democratic Committee Chair Maria Micolucci and to Art Post, Democratic Candidate for School Board, in response to the content on the TTDems blog:

“The tape proves that the accusation on the TTDems site is untrue. Anyone who knows me could tell you that this creationism/intelligent design accusation is a complete falsehood....While I am respectful of people who believe in creationism and intelligent design, I am not one of them. I have absolutely no intention of changing the way evolution is taught in our school district. I certainly am not trying to conceal my position on this or any topic as was implied in the post on the TTDems site and on Daily Kos.

I am surprised to see such vicious mud-slinging in a school board campaign. If I were to be elected, I would represent all households- not just the Republican households. I don't believe partisanship belongs in a school board campaign. It is my sincere hope that we can run a campaign on the issues instead of resorting to negative campaigning. I plan to run my own campaign purely on the issues rather than attacking the other people running. I believe that is the only ethical thing to do.”

I am happy to debate or clarify my position on any subject relevant to my candidacy on the school board through this blog. I want to represent all T-E voters and taxpayers, and anyone is welcome to contact me at debbie.bookstaber@gmail.com.

Anti-Bullying

2007-04-05T17:55:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken at a Girl Scout Thinking Day in February 2007. I spoke to the girls about self-esteem and bullying.

Eliminating relational aggression (bullying) is an issue I care passionately about since it has a serious impact on children's emotional health and on the safety of our schools. Every child deserves the right to learn in safety and without harassment.

Implementing anti-bullying programs can increase the safety of our schools and create a better environment for learning. Experts at the US Department of Education and Secret Service agree:
"Metal detectors, student profiles and police officers patrolling school hallways are less likely to prevent school shootings than anti-bullying programs like one conducted in Delaware."

If your child is being bullied, here are some resources that may be helpful.

For parents:
Stop Bullying Now
National Youth Violence Prevention Center
TE School District Guide on Cyberbullying

For parents of girls:
Odd Girl Out
This article in Oprah Magazine summarizes some of the advice Rachel Simmons gives in Odd Girl Out.
The Ophelia Project

I received a kind email the other day from Julie at Stop RA Today. Julie's website offers some wonderful resources for students and parents about the problems of bullying and relational aggression- www.stopRAtoday.com. Here's the message from Julie:
"I was reading blogs this morning on RA and found your blog. I am happy to hear that you are so active in this regard! I've started a website on that subject, as well as speaking in local schools here in VA. Keep up the great work, hope you win!"

Cyberbullying- A Real Problem

2007-04-05T17:53:00.000-05:00

According to a recent Pew Study, about one third of teenagers have been targets of online bullying. Online bullying includes: receiving threatening messages, having private e-mails or instant and text messages forwarded without consent, having an embarrassing photo posted without permission, or having rumors spread about them online.

Girls are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying than boys. 38% of online girls have reported being bullied compared to 26% of online boys. A staggering 41% of online girls in the 15 to 17 age group report being the victim of a form of online bullying.

Yet despite the high percentage of teens experiencing cyberbullying, 67% of teens surveyed still said that bullying happens more offline than online.

Information on Act 1

2007-04-05T17:52:00.001-05:00

I served as the Vice-Chairman of the TE Tax Commission, which unanimously opposed imposing an income tax in the TE School District. I encourage TE residents to learn about Act 1 and the potential impact on our schools.

Read the Tax Commission's study- here.
Read my Letter to the Editor of the Bulletin- here.
Read an analysis of Act 1 at TENeighborhood.com

Volunteer Organizations

2007-04-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Favorite Volunteer Organizations:

FLITE (Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin-Easttown)
TE Cares
Tredyffrin 300
Girl Scouts of Southeastern PA
The Junior League of Philadelphia - read about their community projects
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children)