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

Laya Martinez is running for school director in the Lower Merion School District, located in Montgomery County. She is an author and a registered Republican.

Why are you running for the school board?

“I am running for the Lower Merion School Board because I see what is happening in our school district and society and how it affects our schoolchildren. I want to focus on knowledge and what is taught to our children and truly make a difference in our children’s lives.”

What are the most important issues facing your district?

“Based on feedback I’ve received from parents in the community, a few of the most important issues are what our children are learning, how they are being taught, and how both of these have an impact on our children. The focus needs to turn back to what the children should be learning, such as basic history, math, science, and literature. We need to focus on how to be self-disciplined and work hard, as opposed to teaching opinions that surface in the rhetoric, media, and society.”

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

“I went to University to be a teacher and although I became an entrepreneur, I taught Sunday school. I am heavily educated in the psychology of teaching. Some of these include Maria Montessori’s methodology, and Rudolph Steiner, and I have read many books on education and child psychology.”

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

“I have not run for political office but have helped candidates in previous elections.”

Are you running with other candidates?

“I am running independently.”

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

“The most important role of the school board is to focus on the best interests of our children by setting the proper curriculum. We need to focus on teaching our students to be the finest and brightest so they can lead their generation to live rewarding and productive lives as adults.”

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