Slate for State
EXPERIENCE MATTERS, CONNECTION COUNTS
Academic Success for All • Trust and Transparency • Financial Stewardship
Click buttons below to read more about each candidate
The five candidates selected the name ‘Slate for State’ based on their decision to run in the upcoming election as a cohesive group with shared goals for SCASD. Slate for State includes experienced incumbents in Bader and Brandt, and talented first-time candidates in Demo, Kolbe, and Miller. The group focuses on three core principles as candidates, and as future board members – academic success for all students; trust and transparency with teachers and the community; and good financial stewardship of district resources.“We believe that the work of education is best when it is done in partnership rather than in competition. The Slate for State believes that by working together to emphasize our core values, we create a team that is more than the sum of the individual candidates. This collaboration will extend our reach and allow us to focus on sustaining the high quality education that our SCASD community has come to expect. As fellow parents, the Slate for State believes that nurturing our children to reach their potential should always be the top priority of a well-run school district.
SLATE for STATE Endorsements
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Our Three Core Values
Academic Success for All
We believe every student should have the tools and resources to access a successful education, which can look different for each student.
Trust and Transparency
We commit to building trust with our community, teachers, and staff through open dialogue and clear priorities.
Fiscal Stewardship
We know our job is to leverage district resources for the betterment of students and our community.
Media
Announcements
Bader AnnouncementBrandt AnnouncementDemo AnnouncementKolbe AnnouncementMiller Announcement
Media Discussions of the Election
11 Candidates Running in Primary for State College Area School Board Seats25 school board seats are up for grabs in Centre County this year. Here’s who’s running2State College School Board Candidates Align with Competing Slates
Letters to Editor
Anne Demo: Letter to the EditorGretchen Brandt: Letter to the EditorLetter in Support of Anne DemoLetter in Support of Gretchen BrandtDan Kolbe: Letter to the EditorLetter in Support of Amy BaderLetter in Support of Gretchen BrandtJesse Barlow Letter Endorsing Slate for StateLetter from Educator in Support of the Slate for StateAaron Miller: Letter to the EditorJohn Gastil Letter in Support of Slate for StateSusan Johnston Letter in Support of Slate for State
Dr. Amy Bader
Aside from a brief six years away, Amy Bader has called Pennsylvania home. Growing up in the eastern part of the state puts her firmly on Team Wawa, but her native Canadian husband and five years in Buffalo means she also loves Tim Hortons, or ‘Timmies’ to those in the know. That said, two boys in competitive ice hockey has meant a lot of trips to Pittsburgh and an appreciation (but not love) of Sheetz.Public education has given a lot to Dr. Bader. Her hometown's high-quality district put her on the path to a full-tuition scholarship at Temple University, a partially public-funded college, where she studied biology and finished a master’s degree. Despite a cat allergy, she went to veterinary school at University of Pennsylvania and spent several years caring for small animals at a combined general and emergency practice outside Philadelphia (turns out lots of veterinarians have allergies!). That journey from modest but high-achieving school district to an Ivy League professional school had a monumental impact, and it solidified Amy’s commitment to public education and the way it can change lives.Sparked by engagement around the State High project, Amy stepped up to service on the SCASD board in 2015. In her nearly eight years as a school director she has developed a variety of interests and served in many roles, including as board vice president for four years. In the course of her two terms she has been part of a variety of major initiatives. Most well-known would be the design and construction of new facilities to replace failing buildings; including the High School and Delta buildings, Spring Creek Elementary, Corl Street Elementary, Radio Park Elementary, and Memorial Field.Understanding that high-quality curriculum is vital to closing achievement gaps for marginalized communities, supporting students with disabilities, and enriching gifted learners – Dr. Bader has always prioritized continuous improvement in student learning and supported efforts to better meet the needs of all students. One significant district effort was to add more time to the elementary school day to meet a variety of needs, along with shifting the secondary school start time to improve adolescents’ sleep quality.Amy’s most significant impact has been in the area of primary reading instruction, as she has been a tireless advocate for an evidence-based approach to reading instruction. Dr. Bader notes that “effective reading instruction is one of the single most important things that schools must provide to all students. It is the foundation of learning.” Her advocacy for literacy was first inspired by family members who have dyslexia and her work as a board member at the local non-profit Dyslexia Reading Center of Central Pennsylvania.In a third term, Amy looks forward to continuing to support the well-being of all students – “every student, every day, in every way they need.”Follow my Facebook Page
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the GENERAL election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview from the PRIMARY election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
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Gretchen Brandt
Gretchen Brandt was born and raised in Colorado, where she studied Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She went on to receive a Masters degree in Public Administration at Central Michigan University and conducted dissertation research at Penn State on the homo and heterogeneity of congressional districts, including gerrymandering. Her work in politics led to her being the lead plaintiff from Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District in a case that helped change how the commonwealth’s voting districts are drawn. A resident of State College since 1999, Brandt has two children in the district — one in middle school and one in high school.Currently Vice President of the board, Brandt co-authored the district’s Inclusive Excellence Policy. She has been an outspoken supporter of engagement, safety, and support for the whole student, and has advocated for efforts to eliminate disproportionalities. She has served as Chair of the board Policy and Facilities & Grounds Committees, as well as the Chair of the Centre Region Solar Purchasing Power Agreement Working group. The Group represents a consortium of the school district and municipal, authority, and county governments, who are considering pooling their electricity in order to find a grid-tied utility scale solar project that can meet current and future demand.Brandt also has served as the district’s liaison to the Centre Region Council of Governments, where she is a member of the Parks Authority Committee, the Public Safety Committee, the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee, the Land Use and Community Infrastructure Committee, and the Governance Committee.An advocate for children’s health and the environment, Brandt contributed to the design and construction of several district building projects that achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold or Platinum certification. In a third term, she said she “will continue to champion the adoption of inclusive design, renewable energy, the sustainable design and construction of Park Forest Middle School, sustainability and security in the district’s Facilities Master Plan, and the district’s transition to electric school buses.”Follow my Facebook page
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the PRIMARY election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
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Dr. Anne Demo
Dr. Anne Demo considers her experience as a SCASD special education paraprofessional during the pandemic as the defining strength of her candidacy for the school board. Her work at Mount Nittany Middle School followed 20+ years of teaching communication as a professor at Vanderbilt, Syracuse University, and Penn State. While at Syracuse, she earned the University Teaching Recognition Award. In 2019, Demo responded to the urgent district need for paraprofessional help because she knew how life-changing such support could be, having witnessed it firsthand in her family.A commitment to public education and service guided her upbringing and family life. Her parents served in the Navy, and she and her husband both attended public schools and earned their doctorates at Penn State. Their son is a State High junior who volunteers weekly at Schlow and is on the Student Advisory Council for the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. Anne is the Interfaith Lead for the Centre Regional Chapter of Moms Demand Action, was a parent member in the SCASD Disability Workgroup, and Inclusion Volunteer of the Year for East Area YMCA in Fayetteville, New York in 2013. She currently works part-time in the School of International Affairs at Penn State, supporting graduate students from around the world.Dr. Demo is running to serve on the State College Area School District School Board because of her deep conviction that all learners deserve an accessible and equitable education. Her experience supporting neurodiverse learners at different stages along their academic path has well-prepared her to connect with parents struggling to find resources for their children.For Demo, the top challenge facing the school board is the complexity of managing post-pandemic mental health and learning differences in the context of limited resources and teacher burnout. Having supported students in SCASD classrooms, Anne understands that academic success depends on the expertise teachers share daily in their classrooms and the community. Because teaching and staff shortages impact student well-being and limit course offerings, they are a key priority.As an advocate for public education, Anne looks forward to listening to ideas and concerns from community members while pressing state legislators to fully and fairly fund the mandates their legislation requires of school districts. Such advocacy is an essential element of sound fiscal stewardship that meets the needs of students.Dr. Demo is excited to be on the Slate for State because she believes that our data-driven approach facilitates accountability to the community and effective state advocacy.Follow my Facebook page
Anne Demo is a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate!
Learn more about what that means HERE.
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the GENERAL election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the PRIMARY election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
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Dan Kolbe
Born and raised in Philipsburg, PA, Dan Kolbe has spent much of his life in Pennsylvania. In Dan’s mid-twenties his career took him to Philadelphia for six years and Fort Lauderdale for four years. While living away from the area, Dan met his husband, Douglas. Their journey brought them back to State College two years ago to raise their son Jadon. One of many reasons Dan and his husband chose to permanently locate in State College and raise their family here was to ensure that their son receives a quality public education.Dan credits a lot of his success in life from the quality public education he received from the Philipsburg-Osceola School District and its AMAZING teachers. The district helped Dan learn valuable skills needed to be successful in his 15 + year sales career through various companies. It would be safe to say that high school specifically taught Dan what community involvement was all about and inspired Dan’s desire to serve the community.One of his primary inspirations to run for school board is not only a desire to serve the community, but to create more spaces of representation for families like his in our elected bodies. Board members who come from diverse backgrounds and experiences bring different perspectives to the decision-making process. This can help ensure that the needs of all students and communities are taken into account. Representation on the school board matters because it ensures diverse perspectives, addresses equity, builds trust and community engagement, supports student success, and promotes democracy.Calling upon his leadership skills learned throughout managing business teams of different sizes, Dan is committed to working with all teachers, support staff, administration, and the community in ensuring that the work of the board is done in a transparent way to build trust and rapport. Ultimately, the goal of a school board is to ensure the success of the students. Trust and transparency in decision-making processes helps make certain that the best decisions are made for those students and their education.In order for ALL students to have the opportunity to find success, the right curriculum is critical and Dan is eager to engage in this work of the board. Dan feels that curriculum should be designed to prepare students for the future by equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in higher education or the workforce. This can be done by providing a consistent framework for teaching and learning, guaranteeing all students have access to the same information and skills regardless of the teacher or classroom they are in.Dan is so thankful to call the Centre Region and the State College Area School District home for himself and his family. They were welcomed back with open arms to their hometown that has grown and changed for the better – more inclusive and accepting of everyone regardless of their differences.Follow my Facebook page
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the GENERAL election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the PRIMARY election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
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Dr. Aaron Miller
Dr. Aaron Miller, a State College native and State College Area High School alum, graduated from Penn State in 2019 with both a MS and PhD in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS). As an adjunct teaching professor now in HDFS, Dr. Miller focuses on early and middle childhood, adolescence and family demography. Before deciding to obtain his graduate degree, Aaron and his wife Lacy briefly lived in Seattle where they taught early childhood education. However, they are now happy to be settled in Ferguson Township where their two elementary school aged children attend Corl Street Elementary.Dr. Miller’s decision to volunteer for the SCASD school board comes down to having a passion for education and for meeting the needs of children. The role of school director is a commitment of service to the children and families of our community. Having two children in the district, he has seen first-hand what high-quality instruction can do for children who have struggled to find their footing early in public schools. It is essential for our public schools to meet the needs of every child who enters a classroom. Dr. Miller is eager to support the ongoing mission of providing a high-quality education and ensuring the success of ALL students.School directors should act as partners in a high-quality school district, and that requires placing trust in district educators and building trust within the community. As a fellow teacher, Dr. Miller values this trust and believes that a successful board member should bring stewardship and oversight without interference. With this shared mission in mind, Dr. Miller is pleased to work with the Slate for State to continue facilitating the good work of teachers and administrators in SCASD.Follow my Facebook page
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the GENERAL election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
Click on the image below to watch the Candidate Interview for the PRIMARY election conducted by Geoff Rushton for CNET - Government and Education Access for Centre County
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