General

Municipality of residence (Phoenixville Borough, Schuylkill Twp or East Pikeland Twp)

Phoenixville Borough

Please list your education and professional background and local volunteer experience

IT manager for a commercial construction company
Participant, Phoenixville Friends of Open Space

What is your relationship to PASD? For example, do you /​ have you had children or family members in PASD schools?

My wife and I have a son who will be two years old in July. He will be a student in the Phoenixville school district in a few years. As a new parent, I’m acutely aware that every decision made today for the district will impact my and others’ families and community for years to come.

Please disclose any potential conflict of interest, for example, do you have a business or professional relationship with PASD?  Do you have any family members or people living in your household who are employed by the district?

I have no conflicts of interest.

What motivated you to run for school board?

I decided to run for school board after closely observing and providing some citizen leadership around the school district’s sale of the former Phoenixville Kindergarten Center in my neighborhood. My neighbors directly around the center and I, along with other fellow community members, had some ideas and actively participated in the process to the best of our ability, but unfortunately we were not valued in the process. Many of these individuals later asked if I would consider running for school board. After witnessing the lack of transparency in this decision, and what seemed like a lack of long-term vision, I realized that I wanted to offer my time and dedication to the leadership of our school district.

Additionally, to revisit my own childhood experience for a moment, as a young student I had quite a negative school experience. It took me years to get my life back on track in large part because of this experience. As a new parent, I don’t want my son or any other children to ever be in that same position. I believe our children have the right to attend school in an environment where everyone is valued, cared for, and empowered to be the best they can be. The school experience should be so much more than just an education. School is our children’s second home in a way, because of how much time they spend there and the crucial role their relationships with other students and faculty play in helping to shape the rest of their lives. I’ve realized that as community members, we must step up and be involved if we want things to be better. When supporting our students, we’re contributing to the development of our future neighbors, parents, teachers, doctors, political leaders, and beyond.

One of the school board’s responsibilities is setting policy for the district.  Are there current policies that you believe should be changed, or are there policies that should be added?

I believe in protecting many policies that are already in place in the school district. For starters, I believe the teachers are our best resource. We need to trust in their expertise and allow them to have a significant role in making decisions for our students (like what books they’re allowed to read). I want the experts to remain empowered to decide (for the student body in general) what is considered age-appropriate information. In my opinion parents certainly have the right to decide specific guidance for their own children, but not for everyone’s children. I believe the recent change in school start time for our students is a proven benefit for students’ health and wellbeing. However, before-school care could be established for working families so as not to add an additional burden on them to have to find morning childcare. I also hear from families that the school district might not be doing enough about bullying in our schools, so I’d like to bring in experts who can recommend potential improvements in policies surrounding that difficult issue. I’d also like to add and improve policies that focus on overall health and wellbeing. With current rates of depression and suicide in children and teens, we need to do better. In order for every graduate to be prepared for their next steps in life, they need to be mentally and emotionally ready for all that life might bring. From managing stress and social media to the food we put in our bodies, we have to help our children learn ways to take good care of themselves. I believe strongly in the idea of community schools. The term refers to the idea that schools serve as both educational institutions and centers of community life, and that children are viewed as being at the heart of the community. It’s the kind of environment where every graduate is prepared for their next steps thanks to a healthy, safe, hopeful, and involved community that fosters their growth. Students only spend a portion of their time inside the walls of a school and need the same support outside of school. Fostering partnerships for childcare, food security, and wellness activities must also rely on the support of the community. In addition to this kind of emphasis on community, sustainability will be a big policy focus for me. East Pikeland, Schuylkill Township and Phoenixville all have made commitments to the sustainability of their communities, and the school district should also commit to sustainable energy production and use. I’ve been attending the school board meetings about the new elementary school and I’m disappointed in the lack of planning for sustainability. As an example of what can be done: A rural school district in Batesville, Arkansas, invested in solar power and turned a $600k energy expense into a $1.8M revenue. They generated enough solar energy to give every teacher a raise of up to $15,000. Schools are already a longterm investment in our children and our future, but we don’t need to think of it in the abstract — there are tangible facility investments we can make now for our future.

Please list your three top priorities for the school board, if elected.

1. Community Schools – Continue to build strong partnerships and relationships with the community and provide a community hub where students and families can succeed.

2. Focus on the future – School taxes are not just an expense but an investment in the future that can bring millions in savings if used responsibly.

3. Increasing transparency and community involvement. We should rely on parents, teachers, community members and professional experts to provide a healthy environment for our students and we need everyone’s voices to be heard.

Where can voters go to learn more about your candidacy?  (Website, social media handles, etc)

Facebook page — Daniel Wiser for PASD School Board

Is there anything else you’d like voters to know about you?

I will be committed to listening to the concerns and ideas of parents, teachers, community members, businesses, and community support groups. Important work must be done collaboratively to make our schools the best they can be. Please reach out with your questions, concerns, and ideas.