Incumbent Nancy Crowder Wants Your Baldwin-Whitehall School Board Vote

ELECTION RESULTS HERE: http://patch.com/A-426t.

Thirteen candidates are vying for four seats on the Baldwin-Whitehall School Board during May 21's primary election, including Nancy Lee Crowder.

Name on Ballot: Nancy Lee Crowder

Age on May 21: 48 years old

Incumbent? Yes or No?: Yes.

Are You Cross-Filed as a Republican and a Democrat?: Yes.

Primary Political Party: Republicans

Occupation: Customer Service Representative, Just Between Friends, Inc.

Municipality of Residence: Whitehall Borough

Work History/Previous Political History: Baldwin-Whitehall School Board member since December 2009

Post-Secondary (College, Trade School, et al.) Education History: Mon Valley Vocational Technical School (Cosmetology)

Why Do You Want a Spot on the Baldwin-Whitehall School Board?: "Baldwin-Whitehall has a lot to offer our students. I am going to continue to fight for the children in B-W and the taxpayers. I want to see ALL the kids get a quality education in B-W.

"There are many things that I have been a part of that I would like to see through that have not been resolved or completed yet: for examples, AYP (adequate yearly progress), Common Core standards, Keystone Exams, teacher evaluations, PSERS (Public School Employees' Retirement System), STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, school safety, school report cards—just to name a few.

"I am an independent thinker, and my No. 1 priority is the education of the children of B-W. I don't always vote the popular vote, but I hope my vote is the proper vote.

"I am currently (Baldwin-Whitehall's) Pennsylvania School Boards Association representative and (its) South Hills Area School Districts Association representative."

What Are the Two or Three Issues Facing the Baldwin-Whitehall School District That You Care the Most About and Plan to Address?:

1. "I am concerned about our district not currently making AYP, as well as the upcoming Keystone Exams. Time and change has made Baldwin-Whitehall a lot more culturally and economically diverse than it used to be. I do not think we have conquered these challenges well. I think we are on the right track and headed in the right direction now with (Superintendent Randal A.) Lutz and (Assistant Superintendent Denise) Sedlacek. I would like to continue to be part of their team. I feel it is not enough to look good; we need to be good for all students.
2. "I am concerned that college may not be the best choice for all students. Some trades cannot find people to fill positions. I think we need to shake the stigma that Steel Center Vocational Technical School is only for lower-level learners. Many of the jobs available are for trades that will not need an IMMEDIATE college education. I am not saying that college is not needed. I am just saying that it may not need to be the first option for many students. Too many students are going to college coming out with large amounts of debt and only getting entry-level jobs or positions, or no jobs at all. I would like to see us get our students more involved in STEM education sooner rather than later. Allowing students to fit more electives in their schedules is one way to increase STEM education. This is a great article about STEM Education (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/newtechcity/blogs/new-tech-city-blog/2013/may/14/kids-need-stem-education-thrive-digital-age/)! I also believe that we need to realign our course requirements to allow more flexibility for our students to take more electives so that they can be exposed to more career/trade (STEM) possibilities. I am currently serving on the Steel Center Executive Council for Workforce Education and Development.
3. "I am a fan of transparency and parent involvement. I would like to see our school board meetings videotaped and put on the Web so that parents and taxpayers can view them at their convenience. One of our chief responsibilities is to maintain two-way communication between the board and students, employees, parents, taxpayers and the community."

Are You Married? Do You Have Children? If So, How Many?: "Married to Bill for 29 years with one son, Lee, who is a sophomore at Baldwin High School."

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