Democratic Committee Hosts LMSD Board of Directors Candidates' Forum

Tuesday night at Narberth Borough Hall, at the tail end of its regular meeting, the Lower Merion and Narberth Democratic Committee hosted a forum with the Democratic candidates for the five Lower Merion School District Board of Directors seats set to open at the end of the current term.

The eight candidates who attended the forum were incumbents Diane DiBonaventuro and Virginia Pollard, Richard Rasansky, who was a finalist for the seat Pollard was elected to in October, and newcomers Benjamin Driscoll, Marissa Golden, Maureen O'Leary, Subha Robinson, and Robin Vann Lynch. Current Democratic board members David Ebby, Lisa Fair Pliskin, and Susan Guthrie did not seek endorsement from the committee.

After a lengthy debate amongst the committee members about the level of support a candidate would need to secure an official endorsement (they eventually decided to keep it at 60 percent of the quorum) each candidate made opening and closing remarks and fielded a handful of questions.

Mother of three Robin Van Lynch introduced herself as a parent and teacher advocate who was disheartened by the achievement gap in the district. "Some students and families don't reap the benefits of this area," she told the assembled. The PhD bemoaned the fact that the gap widens the longer children are in the district and added that as an educational researcher she is uniquely well qualified to narrow it.

Subha Robinson, a CPA with four children in the district, called education a "social and economic equalizer" and advocated more science education for elementary aged children.

Richard Rasansky, an entrepreneur and father of three, boasted of his business background and the unique perspective this would afford a lawyer-heavy board. "I'm not an expert on education, (but I'll) find out who the experts are and get the advice that we need," said Rasansky of his practical approach to problem solving.

39-year Ardmore resident Virginia Pollard, who was elected to the board unanimously in October, promised to continue to represent all Lower Merion constituents, but also the African American community, which she says hasn't always gotten a fair hearing from the district. Pollard said her greatest achievement so far on the board is the pride her community takes in having "someone who looks like them" in such a post.

Maureen O'Leary, a consultant with four children and a PhD in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania, emphasized the importance of the sciences and called for a board that could "propel our school into the 21st century, so that we can have 21st century scholars."

Marrissa Golden, a professor of Political Science at Bryn Mawr College with a daughter in the district, wondered if the pressure to achieve, a pressure she attributes in part to programs like No Child Left Behind, is doing harm to students. She said her top priority if elected would be to target and mollify the underlying causes of the achievement gap rather than scramble for superficial solutions.

Benjamin Driscoll, a patent attorney with two children at Penn Valley Elementary School, said the district needed to return to fiscal responsibility. "The Republicans make it their issue, we've got to make it our issue," he told the room of democrats. He emphasized the primacy of preparing students to compete on a global level post-graduation.

11-year board member Diane DiBonaventuro touted her experience and pragmatism, and said that if the committee chose not to endorse her she would work with them to get Democrats elected.

The committee will host a subsequent "Meet and Greet" with the candidates on March 1, then hold a meeting on March 15 to vote on which candidates to endorse.