Pam Lutfy: School Board Candidate Q&A
(R, Incumbent). Pamela Lutfy has worked in education for over 30 years and has served as a school board director for 25. She holds a master’s degree in Education and a B.S. in Speech and Language Therapy. She is also the founder and director of The Sunshine Station early learning center, which has served the community since 1992.
1. Should kids be required to wear masks unless they show a medical exemption?
I am unable to comment, at this time, due to litigation reasons.
2. Do you think kids are getting too much screen time at school? Explain.
“The last two decades have seen an explosion in the use of digital technology across the globe,” according to technology psychologist, Stephanie Pappas. DV teachers are trained to address different learning styles and individualized instruction while utilizing technology. Knowing our administration hires the best educators, I trust our staff’s instructional methodologies when balancing the appropriate amount of face-to-face time and screen time.
Quote reference: apa.org/monitor/2020/04/cover-kids-screens
3. How can we bring peace back to our teachers and parents?
Parents and teachers shine best when they are empowered. The best way to maintain peace, in my opinion, is to restore their particular spheres of influence to how they existed prior to the pandemic. Parents always had authority over their child’s education, but the pandemic has made them feel somewhat powerless. Teachers have always been valued and appreciated, but the pandemic has undermined their best practices. Return people’s respective influence to 2019!
4. How do we teach our kids what it means to be responsible members of the community?
Parents, school staff, and community members must join together to forge meaningful and exciting partnerships that inspire students to seek community involvement. Community engagement, a board priority before the pandemic, needs to be renewed! Volunteerism and school-to-work opportunities will assist students to better understand cultures, ideas, languages, diversity, and opinions. Teachers are daily leaders while modeling and encouraging pro-social behavior, but wider community commitment will realistically assist students in becoming responsible citizens.
5. Should schools stick to teaching the standard academic curriculum as it currently exists and leave the rest to parents?
Parents are responsible for entrusting the school board with approving rigorous and relevant curricula, and consequently the board depends on DV staff to establish professional learning communities, which design local curricula in accordance with PA standards and benchmark measurements.
Delaware Valley’s academic success is a testament to a process embodied with checks and balances, structure, yet, flexible enough to meet changing needs. Community members are welcome to participate in curriculum discussions commencing in mid November.