Meet East Penn School Board Candidate Wanda Mercado-Arroyo

Age:   
55

Family:
My spouse of almost 32 years Samuel Arroyo

Political party affiliation:
Republican all my life

Tell us about your educational background:
Certification in Educational Administration

From the University of Houston at Clear Lake, Houston, TX - 1996

M.S. Multicultural Studies in Education

From the University of Houston at Clear Lake, Houston, TX - 1987

B.S. in Biology

From Puerto Rico State University at Rio Piedras, P.R. - 1981

Professional Certifications
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Professional Certificate, Elementary & Secondary Principal, 2000

Texas Professional Mid-Management Administrator (Grades PK-12), 1996-Life

Texas Instructional Leadership Training Certificate

Texas Teacher Appraisal System Certification

Texas Elementary Self-Contained (Grades K-08), 1987-Life

Texas Elementary Bilingual/ESL / BILINGUAL (Grades K-08), 1988-Life

Tell us about your professional/business background:

I have served in the following capacities:

• High School Science Teacher at Department of Education in Puerto Rico
• Elementary School Teacher in the Texas Schools System for more than 15 years
• Coordinator for Community and Parental Involvement for the Allentown School District
• Director of Field Experiences & Outreach for Kutztown University
• Adjunct Faculty for DeSales University & Lehigh Carbon Community College

My work in the Lehigh Valley and Kutztown has provided me with ample knowledge of the community at large, which means I have been collaborating with our stakeholders for a long time; moreover, I have been able to build relationships and partnerships with numerous key civic and business leaders in our community. For the last eight years I have been involved in the International Business arena as an International Consultant and Woman Entrepreneur for companies in the Oil & Gas sector.

Why are you running for East Penn School Board?
As a concerned and responsible citizen I have always been committed to the tenets of quality education and effective schools for all children. Our school district needs directors with ample knowledge and experience of the educational system and the common sense of the member of the community. Moreover, we need members of the board with the willingness and capability to provide “safe schools” with an environment conducive to learning. Assuring our teachers, students and parents they have all they need for children to learn and excel.  We cannot afford to do otherwise. It is my commitment to work hard and maintain a careful balance of the district needs versus the cost to the taxpayers. Keeping costs in check while providing a quality education I believe will benefit everyone.

What qualifies you to serve on East Penn School Board?
I have a sincere belief that to whom much is given, much is required; My years of experience in the field of school & administration (25+ years) as well as my expertise in the business world (8 years) along my experience serving on numerous non profit organizations (10+ years) in the Lehigh Valley such as Member of the Board Girls Scouts Eastern Pennsylvania, DaVinci Center, Baum School Of Art Board member and numerous others has given me the necessary experience and leadership skills to be an effective board member.

What do you see as the East Penn School Board’s primary role and responsibilities?
To be a capable school board director and work diligently in keeping EPSD heading in the right direction.  It would be my responsibility to work as part of a team with all members of the board across party lines, parents, teachers and community at large on: setting the vision & goals for the district; adopting effective policies that give the district direction to set priorities to achieve its goals; adopting and overseeing a sound and fiscally responsible annual budget; and managing the collective bargaining process for employees of the district and making sure is fair and balance for all parties involved.  As we know one school board member cannot do the job alone; therefore, I plan to contribute with my knowledge and experience as a former school educator/administrator to collaborate and work as a team for the benefit of EPSD children, teachers and community.

Tell us about three major challenges facing East Penn School Board and how you would address them. (Please be as specific as possible):

Community engagement / Effective Collaboration / Communication: It is critical to continue to be an effective world-class school district and in order to continue to excel we must pay attention and hear to the voice of parents, community leaders, teachers and businesses. The school district must improve all communications to and from the community; furthermore, because numerous people affect the budget process, such as state and federal elected officials and agencies, citizenry, the teachers and the students, we must work alongside these stakeholders in order to fulfill our responsibilities and goals.

Budget Concerns: A responsible citizenry must support quality schooling but the directors must maintain a careful balance of the district’s needs versus the cost to the taxpayers. Keeping costs in check while providing a quality education benefits the entire community. It is the board responsibility to make sure a balance exists for the three principal forces that affect the budget process: Educational Programs, Overall Spending and Financial Resources. As a school director I will monitor the above factors while emphasizing: a safe and positive school environment; high expectations for all students; and positive communication between school district and parents.

Implementation of the Common Core Standards: The implementation of the Common Core Standards I believe could add additional burden to our budget. The board needs to consider the following costs: substitute teachers to cover for teacher attending training and professional development to implement the new standards; new textbooks due to the changes in the curriculum; and the cost of training our teachers and staff. The fact districts must bring outside consultants and provide lengthy hours of professional development mean implementation costs could be problematic and burdensome for the district.

How much are you spending to run? How is your campaign being funded?
The total amount of money spent on our campaign has yet to be determined.  All of our contributions have come from private individuals.  We have not accepted contributions from any community political groups or other outside PACs.

What, if any, endorsements have you received?
Our team made up of Garrett Rhoads, Chris Donatelli and myself have received the endorsement from our local Republican committee.

Do you use social media? If so, please provide links to your Facebook and Twitter.
I only use social media for friends and family.