Deborah Anderson for SCASD School Board

A little bit about me ...

My husband and I moved to State College in 2009 with our (then) preschool-aged children. My sons have grown up in the State College Area School District, and I have always been actively involved in their education. I was a member of the Easterly Parkway Elementary PTO, Ferguson Township Elementary PTO, and Mount Nittany Middle School PTO, and I served as both Vice President and President of the FTE PTO. As my boys grew older, I shifted my volunteer focus to booster clubs relating to their activities, especially soccer and music (symphonic band, jazz band, marching band). I currently serve as Treasurer of the State College Music Boosters. I have always been interested in the school district at large, and I have served as a parent representative on two district-wide ad-hoc committees (exploring the switch to standards-based report cards for elementary students, and evaluating K-12 learning enrichment and gifted student opportunities). For the past several years in particular, I have kept up with school board issues by attending many meetings of the full board and the Culture, Climate and Learning Committee. In preparation for possibly joining the board, I expect to attend every full board and committee meeting in the coming months.

I graduated from Penn State University in 1993, and I earned my Ph.D. in Labor Economics from Cornell University in 1998. I held faculty positions at the University of New Mexico (Assistant Professor of Economics), Cornell University (Visiting Assistant Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations), and the University of Arizona (Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership). Most recently, I taught several semesters as an adjunct instructor at Penn State’s School of Labor and Employment Relations. Over the past year, I spent considerable time learning about COVID-19 and the impact of the pandemic on schools and youth; this reinforced my belief in the importance of addressing students’ social and emotional needs in addition to meeting their educational needs.

I am excited about the possibility of serving our community if I am elected to the SCASD Board of Directors. My children have benefited greatly from the excellent teachers and programs available in our school district, and it is my hope that all students would feel that same sense of welcome and support in our schools.