Meet Paul Edelman

Next S.T.E.P. candidate Paul Edelman, Jr. is a North Penn resident who has been attending NPSD school board and subcommittee meetings since 2009. With two children attending an NPSD elementary school, he has a vested interest in the district’s public education. Paul has worked as an assistant laboratory technician at Merck for sixteen years. He has also served as Vice President of Fundraising for Home and School and is currently the parent representative to Gwynedd Square’s Olweus Anti-Bullying program.

If elected, one of the first things Paul plans to work on is strengthening communication between the district’s staff, families, and students. “In order to make this district better, we need to hear from everyone,” he says. “We need to establish an open line of communication for all interested parties to raise their concerns and be heard.” He also plans to examine the district’s budget line by line to make sure tax dollars are being spent how they are supposed to be.

Although the NPSD ranks within the top 100 of the 570 districts in Pennsylvania, Paul believes it should be ranked even higher. “We need to make the students a priority,” he says. “It’s not enough to simply compare ourselves with a large district such as Philadelphia, Harrisburg or Allentown. We need to compare to our district to those in the top ten, and see what they have done to succeed.”

Paul believes the first step towards maintaining a healthy learning environment is teacher morale. “Teachers need to be appreciated for the efforts they put forth both during school hours and after,” he explains. “People are always more likely to engage with someone who seems relaxed and cheerful… children are no different.”

Paul also plans to make sure teachers are provided with the best resources and curriculum materials possible. According to the candidate, the most ideal way to do so is to have the board members sit down with teachers and listen to their concerns. “I want the NPSD to be the acknowledged leader in quality education,” he says. “Without giving teachers, students, and parents an opportunity to voice their opinions, we might just miss that opportunity.” According to Paul, the only to make sure teachers continue to receive the best possible training, is to hear from them directly.

While canvassing, Paul often hears concerns from parents about special needs in the NPSD. “Why aren't these issues being dealt with adequately by the current board?” he asks. “In order to meet these needs, they need to be brought forth first.” Paul believes that an open dialogue between families and staff will help make students’ needs more clear. The school board members would then be able to select the appropriate administrators to make sure each need is met with the proper actions. “If the district doesn't currently have the proper services, staff, equipment, or training, we have to fill in the blanks,” he says. “There can be no shortcuts when it comes to our students’ needs.”

Mark your calendars to vote on Nov. 5th! Meanwhile, follow our blog by clicking “Get email updates” above. You can also follow us on Twitter (@nextstepfornpsd).