"Why I'm Running" - by Michael Ryan

     I have had one question repeated again and again to me over the past month or so from family, friends, neighbors and complete strangers. That question is: why are you running for school board director? It seems like it would be a simple question that would require a relatively simple answer. However, that doesn't seem to be the case as my answer is never short. If I had to try and simplify it, my answer would be something like the following: "My motivation for running for school board director is that I want to serve my community in an area where I can use my dedication and experience to make a positive impact. I believe that our children's education is paramount to fostering a strong and successful community. If we can provide our children with the best education possible, their future success will resonate throughout our entire district."

     A belief or a vision of what I want for Methacton is nothing more than just a thought, unless there are goals to go along with it. My goals for running and being elected to the position of school board director all stem from those three quoted sentences above. There are many challenges currently facing our school district and I want to be a part of overcoming those obstacles. We have all heard that there are some tough financial times ahead with the possibility of large looming budget deficits. I want to use my experience in finance to help steer our district in the right direction. We need a strong financial plan in place that doesn't just look to either raise taxes or make broad budget cuts to entire programs or services. We need to look at ways to increase "non-tax" revenues. We also need to look at cuts to budgetary expenses that won't have undesirable effects on our children's education. 

     Another issue within our district is the lack of transparency and communication between the board, administration and the community. We have all heard the saying "communication is a two-way street." I believe that communication in our district is "currently under construction." There is not nearly enough information flowing from the board and administration regarding many of the current issues facing our district and there is virtually no communication allowed from the community back to the board or administration except for about 3 minutes of public comment per person at a once a month school board hearing. The formation of "consolidation committees" is not how a district should want to obtain community involvement. The community needs to be involved all the time not just during a process centered around closing a school.

     There are many more issues facing our district besides just the two mentioned above. However, just pointing out issues and challenges does no good for our children or our district Solutions are what make a difference and I want to be a part of making those solutions possible. I have already told one group of parents that my ultimate goal is to make sure that when our children receive their high school diploma from Methacton, I want it to be something that everyone is proud of and not simply just another piece of paper with their name on it.