Director Lisa Strobridge
Incumbent representing Region #3 (East Brandywine N1, N2, S)
FB Public Page: Lisa Strobridge – DASD School Board Director Region 3
Endorsements
DAEA, PACE
On what ballots will you appear in the May primary?
Both
Why have you chosen to run for school board?
I am choosing to run to retain my position on the Board because I believe that quality public education is a cornerstone of our democracy, and right now, we have organized groups attempting to undermine that cornerstone. As a Board member, I have observed members of our community spew bigoted and racist comments towards our DASD administrators and staff, demand to remove scientifically, historically accurate, and age-appropriate books from our libraries, and tell the Board that we are not fulfilling our religious obligations. These same community members are either running for our Board or supporting opposing candidates in an attempt to undermine funding for public schools, target marginalized groups in our community, and permeate a dangerous and narrow religious agenda into public education. I support students and educators, not banning resources. I prioritize school and student performance, not political agendas. I strive for community engagement to improve transparency, not self-serving rhetoric. As a member of the Board, I will continue to advocate for and support policy that prioritize a student-centered school system that promotes academic and self-growth by addressing the individual needs of every learner.
What prior experience will make you a successful board member?
I am the current DASD Region 3 School Board Director and look forward to continuing to serve the community in this role. As a member of DASD’s Board, I am part of the team that establishes and reviews DASD’s policies and approves appropriations to ensure just and equitable education opportunities for every student in our district. I am a compassionate and ethical member of our community. Before joining the Board, I consistently attended school board meetings over the past several years, regularly spoke at meetings, and emailed the Board to share thoughts, concerns, and appreciation. Participation in these meetings has allowed me to understand the successes celebrated within our DASD community, challenges before us, and prepared me to serve on the Board.
I have acquired and demonstrated success in project, budget, and stakeholder management throughout my professional career as a geologist, as well as in my community volunteer roles. Professionally, throughout my 22 year environmental consulting career, I rose through the ranks as a geologist in the field interacting with homeowners and business owners and completing technical field tasks, to project management roles such as budget, schedule, subcontractor management, to strategic project closure development, life cycle cost analysis, to providing technical expert testimony. Throughout my career, I have performed cost savings and cost avoidance analyses, presented and participated in public meetings, and provided technical trainings to colleagues at professional meetings and seminars. Three years ago, I left the consulting field to seek out more personally rewarding work as a civil service professional. I am proud to have been able to share my expertise more locally in our community, including helping members of Chester County address environmental impacts after Hurricane Ida.
Please describe your previous volunteer positions for this school district.
- Girl Scouts of Eastern PA
- Before joining DASD’s School Board, my most recent and significant volunteer experiences have been with GSEP where I have volunteered as Troop Leader, Service Unit Cookie Manager, and Service Unit Manager.
- As Service Unit Cookie Manager, I was responsible for working with over 50 Troop leaders and 50 troop cookie mangers to effectively communicate, train, set budgets and goals, ensure finances were reconciled, and distribute rewards to over 600 girls.
- As a result of the success of cookie seasons under my leadership, I was recognized by GSEP as a service unit volunteer who has gone above and beyond providing time, skills, and leadership in my role on the service unit team through the Super Service Unit Award.
- Following my role as SU cookie Manager, I was nominated and accepted the position of Service Unit Manager. During my time in that role, I was awarded the Go-Getter Award. This is the award I most proud of as it recognizes a volunteer who puts goals into action, pursues leadership positions, and perseveres through challenges.
- I volunteered through Chester County Mothers of Multiples Club before my kids were school age, and then with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP).
- I have also volunteered for various school activities and at East Brandywine Township Youth Association.
How many public board/working meetings have you attended in the last year for this school district?
More than 20.
Please describe your understanding of what a school board does and how it supports our public school system and the community.
School Board Directors collectively set the policy and strategic direction of the district and hold the Superintendent accountable for the management of the day to day activities of the district. Our public school system is designed to teach content knowledge, citizenship, critical thinking and reasoning so children can growth into successful adults and members of society.
What are 2-3 strengths of which your district can be proud? Why?
What are 2-3 needs of the school district that you will make your highest priority? Why?
- We need to continue to respond to the mental health needs of our students and continue social emotional development. All students need opportunities to identify their emotions and practice empathy and compassion in order to create safe spaces and grow into their best and authentic selves.
- We also need to position the district to meet the current and projected growth of the district by expanding overcrowded schools and adding a 5/6 grade center. The addition of a 5/6 grade center will also allow us to realize full day kindergarten which has been discussed for well over a decade.
What kind of leader are you? Are you an “out of the box thinker” or a “follow the rulebook to the letter” kind of person? Do you like to double-check the work of the people who work for you, or do you tend to trust them to do the job you hired them to do?
I have a growth mindset and try to gather as much information as possible to make an informed decision. When I question information provided to me it is not out of lack of trust, but rather to deepen my understanding.
There will be times when the majority of your constituents will want you to vote a certain way, even though your preference may be to vote the opposite. Will you be willing to change your vote to represent the majority, or will you vote the way you think is right even if it is unpopular? Why or why not?
How do you plan to make yourself accessible to the community or specific groups and gather feedback from them? Please share some specific ideas on communication between the school district and its families/the community.
The community can email me, and all School Board directors, at any time to ask questions and share insights. I welcome discussions and feedback.
How do you feel about organized labor within the school system? (Please address both your perspective on unions in general and specifically perspectives on arbitration, striking, pensions, and funding.)
I support the right of public school employees to unionize and commit to good faith bargaining with local employee unions to ensure fair compensation and benefits, as well as a positive working environment. Supporting teachers and staff at the building level with adequate resources (emotional, behavioral, professional development) will help with retention.
Do you have any practical ideas for balancing budgets (what you might change funding for or cut)? Please share your willingness to utilize all means to meet rising budgets up to and including using authority given via ACT 1 of the Special Session of 2006.
Do you believe the district is doing enough to support all students post graduation choices? (College, vocation, military) If no, do you have any specific ideas on how to address this?
School board meetings across the country have become lightning rods for heated debate.
In our district specifically, the size and rate of growth of DASD, coupled with the lack of tax increases for almost a decade and a global pandemic, have put us in a uniquely challenging financial position. We have also seen dramatic changes in our community’s demographics, leading to the addition of a director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Please describe your feelings on the following topics that are frequently discussed in our school board meetings and share some specifics on how you intend to approach them.
Transportation problems: extremely long bus rides, early pickup times, lack of activity buses, doubled up runs that get kids to school late
Full-day kindergarten (currently offered at 85% of PA school districts and all other districts in Chester County)
I support implementing full day kindergarten.
Building a new 5/6 center and converting Marsh Creek to a 5/6 center: could possibly accommodate growth at the elementary level, help implement full-day K and reduce busing problems for sixth graders
Adding a second 5/6 grade center will also reduce transitions for our students as they will be with the same cohorts 5-12 grade.
Making improvements to the elementary schools which are in need of expansion/updating
Special education and gifted programs, supporting families through the IEP process, etc…
Extracurricular and after school enrichment activities: both revenue generating and non-revenue generating programming and major programs like theater, band, athletics, and clubs
Implementing later start times, consistent with recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics for secondary students especially
Mental health and bullying: thoughts on our situations with both, the role of the school district in addressing them, some specific ideas for doing so
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs: supporting marginalized students, what policies and programs are positive and which ones are not
Reading materials: Balancing diversity in our library and curriculum materials with parental rights/community standards for allowing minors access to sexually explicit and racially charged content
Curriculum:
Current public school debates revolve in part around what facts are real (i.e. based on evidence, data, and science) and which ones are based on political or religious ideologies. How a school board member feels about this debate could impact their curriculum decisions.
Please share some specifics on how you feel schools should approach sensitive topics such as:
Science topics: evolution, how vaccines work, the shape of the planet, gender expression and biological sex
Health and sex ed topics: mental health, reproductive organs, transgender and homosexuality, safe sex practices, social and emotional learning
History topics: slavery, racism (both historical and as part of current events units), the Holocaust and other genocide events, persecution of religions
English Literature: books that contain factual accounts or historical fiction based on any of the above topics
While still also being:
1. In accordance with standards and in an age appropriate way, as set forth by state and national organizations
2. With full transparency for parents to opt their own children out of specific lessons for which they feel they are not yet ready
Our curriculum should be designed by qualified professionals and include historically and scientifically accurate information that is age appropriate.