Arthur Baehr Candidate for Abington School Board of Directors
www.artbaehr4abington.com artbaehr@comcast.net Abington PA 19001
age 68
Education: BS Mathematics Drexel University
MS Environmental Science Drexel University
PhD Civil Engineering University of Delaware
Q. The school district oversees a considerable budget. Please share your skills and experience relevant to budget decision making. Do you have any suggestions for improvements in the current budget? What are your top budgetary priorities if elected?
A. I served as project manager and principal investigator for many large projects during my career as a Hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. If elected I plan to become expert in evaluating the cost/benefit of expenditures in all departments. The ratio of administrative costs to instructional delivery will be a consistent focus.
Q. In what order would you, as a school board member, place the following priorities for your district: athletics, core academic programming, extracurricular opportunities (music, art, clubs, etc.), facilities maintenance/expansion, and technology development? Please explain.
A. Priority #1 is the quality of education. A fundamental challenge to teachers, counselors, and administrators is to provide a plan for each student while maintaining ambitious, quality core curricula. Students, in collaboration with their parents/guardians, will be regularly advised to take advantage of course offerings, extracurricular activities, and vocational opportunities offered to Abington students.
Q. School board members have collective authority rather than individual. How will you foster a spirit of collaboration with your fellow board members to successfully work together with each other and the community on behalf of the students?
A. Respect. Listen. Learn. By doing requisite research (homework) on topics within the Board’s purview I will be a valued colleague. Informed, honest, and substantial interactions with fellow Board members will be my aspiration.
Q. What steps can be taken toward implementing innovative approaches to teaching and learning, including lessons learned during the pandemic, to effectively prepare our students for skills needed in the 21st century?
A. It is critical to provide our students, especially those at the elementary level, with programs focused on recovering from pandemic-induced learning deficits. Curriculum specialists and classroom teachers will be encouraged to communicate their pedagogy to address the challenges posed by post-pandemic realities.