School Director Candidate Spotlight: Amanda Greenberg — West Chester Area School District

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

Amanda Greenberg is running for school director in Region 2 of the West Chester Area School District, located in Chester County. She is a registered Republican and a certified special education teacher.

Why are you running for school board?

“I am running for the school board to ensure a better education for my own kids and all kids in the West Chester Area School District (WCASD). I want to improve safety, improve academic performance, increase transparency, and heighten fiscal accountability within the district. I have three elementary-aged children in the district, so the policies and current lack of accountability directly affect my own family. As a full-time special education teacher, young mom, and minority woman, I am well-suited to represent the families of our wonderful district.”

What are the most important issues facing your district?

“The decline in academic performance, lack of transparency, bullying, and violence are the most important issues facing our district right now. Test scores in our district have been falling since 2017, and it’s time to turn that trend around. The current board and administration seem to be avoiding transparency and accountability at every turn while seeming to forget who they serve and work for. The teachers and parents in WCASD deserve transparency and accountability at all levels.

“The bullying and violence on campus have been what I’ve heard most about from my miles of door-knocking. Parents across the region are concerned for the safety of their children while in the care of the district. There are some reasonable steps that can be taken to reverse the direction of this problem.”

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

“I earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a focus on exercise science from Arizona State University and a dual master’s degree in elementary education and special education from La Salle University. I have worked in both public and private education as a special education teacher and an elementary classroom teacher. I represent the largest minority group in our district, Hispanics. I know what it is like to be a minority and what it takes to overcome adversity.

“I am also a mom to school-aged children and will rely on my knowledge and experience as a special education teacher when making decisions as a board member. It is important to have parents with school-aged children and current educators on the board who understand the issues facing families and students on a personal level.”

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

“I have never run for public office and have not been politically active other than to vote in every local and national election since turning eighteen.”

Are you running with other candidates?

“Yes, I am running alongside four other candidates in West Chester. We are all supported by Back to Basics West Chester. Our platform consists of six pillars: school safety, academic excellence, fiscal accountability, transparency, parents as partners in their child’s education, and keeping politics out of the classroom. All five Back to Basics candidates come from diverse backgrounds with an array of life experiences and expertise that inform our drive and competence to support our community.”

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

“The most important roles of the school board are to hire and manage the superintendent, manage the budget of the district, and assist the administration with formulating and approving policies.”

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