Mister Tredyffrin and Friends

Art Post and Kevin Mahoney released a joint press release today. It's an amazing thing. Amazing. A refreshing deal struck across the divide of party politics, in the best interests of our township's schools.

Background

So there are two openings for the Tredyffrin Easttown School Board's Region 2. The local Republican Party put up two candidates, but the local Democrats only put up one. Two of these three candidates are going to be on the board.

Because the school board is considered to be "non-partisan" by the Powers that Be, candidates can cross-file party affiliation for the primaries. Which means all three candidates appeared on both the Republican and the Democratic ballots last Spring. The two Republicans would win the Republican primary, of course. But because the Democrats only fielded one candidate, one of the Republicans was sure to win the Democratic primary, as well.

Last May, Republican Kevin Mahoney won the Republican primary with 42% of the vote. The other Republican, Debbie Bookstaber, won the second spot with 38%. Democrat Art Post came in third with a respectable 19% of Republican voters choosing him over one of the Republican candidates. Impressive, and a good sign for the Democrats. Art Post handily won the Democratic primary (46%), but second place had to fall to a Republican. Bookstaber got 27%, while Mahoney got 26%. That one percent was enough, though. Debbie Bookstaber will go into the general election with both a "D" and an "R" after her name on the ballot.

Now, here comes the surprise. Art Post (D) and Kevin Mahoney (R) agree on a few of things. But in particular, they agree on who the best two candidates for the school board are. They agree on this so whole-heartedly, that they endorsed each other's campaigns, as announced in this press release:

DEMOCRATS SUPPORT POST, MAHONEY FOR SCHOOL BOARD
23 September, 2007

(Berwyn, PA) - In an effort to ensure that the very best candidates for Tredyffrin/Easttown school board are presented to voters in November, the Tredyffrin Democrats announced that they are supporting Art Post and Kevin Mahoney for the open board positions in Region 2. Art Post is a Democrat who has a long record of service to children and youth in Tredyffrin. Kevin Mahoney is a Republican and currently serves as the President of the school board.

"When it comes to the education of our children, we must find the most qualified people to make the decisions that will impact their lives, and those decisions often transcend party affiliation," said Maria Micolucci, Chair of the Tredyffrin Democratic Committee. "Art and Kevin are both highly dedicated to the children and schools in Tredyffrin with a long record of involvement in the community. They have also endorsed each other's campaigns. It is refreshing to see that their shared vision for the future of our schools and youth can be bi-partisan, and we believe they will both be excellent school board members."

Art Post has lived in Tredyffrin for twenty-five years. He taught in the Abington, PA school district for several years. For the past ten years he has coached rowing at Malvern Prep, helping boys there win nine national championships. Art lives in Tredyffrin with his wife, a son who is a senior at Conestoga, and a daughter at Cornell, who graduated from Conestoga in 2006.

In expressing his support for Kevin, Art said that he has known Kevin for nearly 10 years. "We have discussed many school issues over those years, and although we belong to different political parties, we agree on the importance of the issues that affect our children and our schools, and are both dedicated to serving our community".

Kevin Mahoney has lived in Tredyffrin for nearly 45 years. Kevin is committed to our community. His volunteer activities include serving as the President of the Paoli American Legion Baseball and is past President of Devon Strafford Little League. Kevin was elected President by his fellow School Board members last December. He has chaired the Finance and Personnel Committees. Kevin lives in Tredyffrin with his wife and their three children.

Mahoney said he's not worried about supporting a candidate from a different party. He explains "When it comes to keeping TESD strong, meaning a quality education and low taxes, party affiliation shouldn't matter. What matters is that you understand and you are willing to make the tough choices to ensure a bright future for our students and our community. I have known Art for years, and he is exactly the kind of person we need on the Board."

Micolucci said that there is often confusion for voters on school board campaigns because candidates can "cross-file", meaning that their name will show up on both Democratic and Republican ballots. There will be three names on ballots for school board in the November election, and Micolucci said that the Democrats took this step because they want voters from both parties to know that they are committed to finding the best candidates.

"The bottom line is, we believe Art & Kevin are the two most qualified candidates in Region 2, and we want voters to have this information when they go to the polls in November," she said.

My Take

Okay, here's my opinion. Art Post is an amazing candidate. He has the experience, drive, history, and enthusiasm that we all need on the board. Kevin Mahoney is the current President of the board, and does a fine job. Then there is Debbie Bookstaber. Ms. Bookstaber is a young woman who moved into the school district not too many years ago. She has little to no experience in education. She has never taught. What she does have going for her are political connections. It is this citizen's opinion that Ms. Bookstaber, a right-wing darling of the TTGOP and the Chester County Young Republicans, is interested in politics, pure and simple. That's all well and good, but personally I'd rather see her start her career somewhere else. The School Board is far too serious a place to be considered a proving ground for fledgling politicos. How about she goes and works more closely with the TTGOP for a while, instead? Maybe become a committeeperson? Learn the ropes that way?

Thankfully, both Art Post and Kevin Mahoney recognize with this press release that they are the best qualified for the job. And they both recognize the danger of letting the other school board position be filled by someone without the proper credentials or with a less-than-straightforward agenda. They risked the ire of their own parties, and endorsed each other. Surprisingly, the Democrats have embraced this decision. That is a fairly big thing. While the TTDem's won't endorse someone who doesn't win a primary, it is a bold move to actively help a Republican in any way. In contrast, nobody is really expecting the TTGOP to similarly recognize the wisdom of Post's and Mahoney's decision. The hope is that the voters will understand.

So, Republican or Democrat, don't pull that party lever. Don't just vote "R" or "D". Look at the candidates and decide which one is best, regardless of party. Our school children deserve a school board that is party blind. I guess the Powers that Be were right, after all.