Multiple visitors speak out at Thursday nights Keystone Central Voting Meeting
By Christopher Miller
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Numerous visitors, both resident taxpayers and board members, spoke to the school board Thursday night during their voting meeting.
Starting off, board member Tom Cannon spoke to the board, asking them to “stop the whispers” as it is “unprofessional, embarrassing, and it needs to stop.” “I also feel that when Elisabeth (Lynch) has multiple questions, I feel she is being disrespected when people feel the need to make fun of her for continuously trying to ask question and this needs to stop, it is embarrassing and does not make us look good at all, I wish it stops.”
Mary “Midge” Cramer then addressed the board as a parent of a first grade student. She spoke on the proposed CharacterStrong curriculum which is an SEL curriculum, which is Social and Emotional Learning, an educational method that helps students develop skills for school and life by teaching them how to manage their emotions, build relationships, and make responsible decisions.
“This is more for the families to listen about what I have learned in the past week about SEL which broken down is self management, responsible decision making, skills to regulate emotions, goal setting skills, and strategies to resolve conflict. Why as a parent would I not want for my kid to have these in my toolbox?”
“Over time, SLE leads to a more positive school culture and climate that promotes greater well-being and greater engagement in school,” she told the board. “If you (the school board) have done your own research and not taken someone else’s word for it or used Google, you would know. I have not once come across any CRT (Critical Race Theory). I want my child to know that even though he was being bullied, that he himself can make the right choices…and that good habits grow character. The one song that I listened to that caught my attention was Respect, and this is where I am going to stray from because I was here at the last board meeting, and respect that you have with each other is non existent and I think the board really needs to work on this and as parent, that was bad…really bad. I wanted my son to come tonight just so you would know what it’s like for him, and his dad said no because of the way things were heated last week. So go and listen to that song.”
“My child wants to learn and I want every minute for him to be in school to be the best,” Midge said. “I am the parent who will confront teachers and staff. I am the parent that will stand up for all kids, not just my own.”
Sharon Redmon, resident and wife of Keystone Central School District Superintendent, spoke next to the board wearing three different hats; as a community member, seasoned educator, and a mother.
“I watched and attended many of these meetings, and I have wondered why they go on so long,” she started. “I feel it makes it very difficult for community members to attend when they have to go to work early the next morning. I ask the board to go with curiosity into the schools and learn how the teachers teach, see the trauma that is happening, and go into the schools with curiosity.”
“I also come to you as a mother of a son who has applied for a job here and who has been working for the past three weeks as a paraeducator, and as a special education teacher I know what it means to have those paraeducators by my side teaching the children. It angered me last week about the statements and words that inspired others to say hurtful words about him on social media that caused worry and anxiety. He took a job as a paraeducator that he chose to do rather than something else that might have earned him more money. I want to thank the many community members and teachers who reached out and apologized for others actions, and I ask the board and the community that everyone is listening and watching and instead of having our own individual ahts to put your KCSD hat on and serve those that I know you are here volunteering to do.”
Enrichment Teacher Christina Onuskanich then spoke to the board.
“For a long time I was very vocal at school board meetings, but then we started to take a shift in district and things were going really, really good, and I felt I could let you do the work you could do, but last week when I was here I was flabbergasted and did not know what was happening with our board. It shook me to the core. When I left the board meeting I was angry, and people came up to me asking me how I was able to stay so calm. After the meeting I approached some of you (board) to have a conversation, and because of that I was able to welcome insight and all of you into my classroom to see what we are doing, and one person joined me. I hope that more of you come into our schools and see what is happening.”
“I get to go to work every day loving my job and my students with my whole heart, and I get to see their parents and tell them how much I love their kids and I feel the love 150% back in return. We have to be committed to developing lifelong learners who are adaptable and resilient. We have to teach them the important things to be able to get through life and to build a high moral character and if we don’t do that we are failing our kids. I need you to give me the resources to make sure our kids become the best version of themselves, so give me the best because our kids deserve the best. Now I just have to trust you.”
Lastly, board member Elisabeth Lynch addressed her fellow board members with many stacks of papers in hand related to the tax office and recent information regarding proposals for alternative tax collection options within the district.
