Letters: Krishnankutty has strong track record; Slate for State dedicated to students
Editor’s note: The CDT welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the May 16 primary election and will accept letters that are received by May 11. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.
Krishnankutty has strong track record
Nalini Krishnankutty is an outstanding choice to be elected to the State College Borough Council this year. Appointed last year to fill a vacancy on the Council created by the departure of Rich Biever, Krishnankutty is now running for the seat in her own right. Both at the time of her appointment and now, one characteristic stands out among her many qualifications: her capacity for inclusion. She doesn’t just talk about making sure everyone is represented in decisions that affect their lives, she actively involves many constituencies as part of her daily interactions in the community. As she said recently, her passion is to “decrease barriers to engagement so we can learn from and utilize the expertise, energy and creative ideas of ALL our residents to solve issues.”
A resident of the Borough since 1987 and a graduate of Penn State, Krishnankutty has served on multiple community and government bodies over the years, including the board of the Mid-State Literacy Council and the study committee for the Borough’s Community Oversight Board. During the time her daughter was attending State College schools, she was also engaged in strengthening and preserving the quality of our school system. She already has a track record addressing some of the key issues we face in the Borough: neighborhood vibrancy, affordable housing, a sustainable tax base, and mental health services, to name a few. Our borough will be in good hands with Nalini on the Council. Don’t forget to vote May 16.
Slate for State dedicated to students
I am running for a third term on the State College Area School District school board and it is unlike previous races in many ways. School boards nationwide have garnered media attention and are being used as political venues for extreme views. In reality, very little of what we do on a daily basis has anything to do with the national political coverage we see about school boards.
Things that we do encounter routinely include: Title 1 reading programs, how to best serve kids with special needs, curriculum cycles, how to prioritize issues with the district’s strategic plan, facilities maintenance and accessibility of district facilities, celebrating various academic and athletic achievements of our students, lighting and turf installation and maintenance, budgetary timelines and priorities, communication to families, etc.
The candidates in the Slate for State group, Amy Bader, Anne Demo, myself, Dan Kolbe and Aaron Miller, are dedicated to serving the needs of students in the district equitably and will do what is necessary to help support students in whatever ways they need. We will not be sidetracked by political talking points that have nothing to do with our students or our district, and instead we will prioritize: 1) high academic achievement for all students 2) trust and transparency with the community, families and teachers and staff in the district, and 3) responsible fiscal planning and stewardship.
Please vote for us, Slate for State, in the primary election!