The latest installment of our series of interviews with school director candidates across Pennsylvania brings us to the North Penn School District.

Vince Altieri is running for school director in North Penn School District, located in Montgomery County. He works in the trucking industry as a Director of Operations and is a registered Republican.

Why are you running for school board? 

“I began attending school board meetings after my child was advised by a school nurse that she should be vaccinated. I was concerned about this situation and addressed it with the school principal and the director of pupil services. I was advised by both that the action of the school nurse was inappropriate. I then brought my concern to the president of the school board. After first being ignored, I was eventually told that the school board condoned the action of the nurse. As I attended more meetings, I quickly realized I was naïve to the fact that political agendas were prevalent throughout the decision-making process. These politically-motivated agendas are directly responsible for the double digit decline in North Penn’s school ranking over the last fifteen years.

“As a school board director, I will remove political agendas from the decision-making process. That is the first step that will enable North Penn School District to prioritize academic excellence, which I define as providing every student and teacher the tools that will allow them to reach their maximum potential.”

What are the most important issues facing your district?

“Because the North Penn school directors have made decisions based on their own political agenda, the trust between the North Penn community members and the current board has been broken. The current board misled the community about the cost of an impending high school renovation project, they recklessly spent funds on a health care clinic and athletic field, and they consistently silence parents and lecture them. The North Penn School District must restore trust and academic excellence, as well as student and teacher safety.”

What is your professional background/experience? What skills would you bring to the board?

“My wife, a 25-year veteran elementary school teacher, and I are involved parents of a child who attends North Penn. After graduating college, I began a career in the trucking industry, starting as a dock person. I have remained in the trucking industry for more than 30 years and am currently a Director of Operations.

“I was born and raised in the melting pot of Jersey City, New Jersey, and have resided in Montgomery County for the past fifteen years. I am the son of a military dad and learned at a young age to honor and respect our great country and to never take freedom for granted. My mom raised me and my older siblings to love each other and to live by the golden rule, ‘treat others as one wants to be treated.’

“In addition to working in one of the life lines of the economy, the trucking industry, the qualifications I am most proud of are being a parent and a person with common sense.”

Have you run for political office previously? Have you been politically active?

“I have never run for political office. Unlike the members of the current board of directors, I am proud to say I have no political aspirations. I am solely involved to ensure that the North Penn School District parents have a voice in their child’s education.”

Are you running with other candidates?

“Yes. I am very proud and humbled to be running with fellow parents Diana Blystone and Liz Vazquez, and grandparent Mike Jowder, who provides me valuable insight from a senior perspective. Working together as a team has been a wonderful experience so far. You can learn more about my campaign on my Facebook page.“

What is the most important role of the school board in your opinion? 

“Among many responsibilities, I believe the most important role of a school board director is to provide leadership that will allow every student the opportunity to reach their maximum potential. Education is about preparing our children for the real life challenges that lie ahead.”

We contacted the Democratic and Republican committees in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties and asked them to share the questions with their school director candidates. Broad + Liberty will post the responses throughout the summer to assist voters in learning about the candidates running in their district. The series is open to any school director on the ballot in November. Please contact barosica@broadandliberty.com for more information.

Broad + Liberty is a nonprofit media endeavor dedicated to sharing voices and stories that are shut out of other media outlets. @BroadAndLiberty