Meet a School Board Candidate: Tabitha Dell'Angelo

"Our district, like many others, would benefit from seeing equity as good for everyone."

Today we Meet a School Board Candidate with a wealth of experience in education who recognizes the importance of respecting school district faculty and staff when when working together to create “the highest quality and most well-rounded education … in the safest environment possible” for every single student. I also really appreciate her understanding and explanation of equity literacy and the importance of “school personnel to engage in some critical self-reflection to identify implicit biases we hold.”

Tabitha Dell'Angelo’s campaign, like so many other candidates’ we’ve featured on here, is an antidote to the far-right electoral putsch Bucks County GOP extremists are trying to execute in order to take over local school boards — something I wrote about in my latest column for the Bucks County Courier Times/The Intelligencer: “Vote against right-wing extremism May 18.”

After you learn more about her make sure you support Dell'Angelo’s campaign, or the campaigns of similar candidates in your school district. And don’t just vote, help get out the vote May 18!

Tabitha Dell'Angelo is the parent of two CBSD students and has lived in the district for more than 15 years. She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and is a professor of Education at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. Her goal is to prepare her students to be excellent teachers of content and strong advocates for positive child development. She has also developed and implemented after school programs in Philadelphia in addition to conducting large scale evaluations of existing programs. While in Philadelphia, she was the Dean of a College House at the University of Pennsylvania where her role was largely about supporting the transition from high school to college in a way that fosters student success. And, in the way back machine, you will find her getting a certification to teach Special Education through Rowan University.

Tabitha also has experience with mental health counseling. She previously worked with Contact Rape Care in Burlington County, NJ as both the education outreach coordinator and doing short-term crisis counseling for survivors of sexual assault. She is currently a trainer for a program called Youth Mental Health First Aid and has trained many current and future educators on ways to support youth who may be struggling.

Lastly, she is a big advocate for the arts. She has edited a book on using the arts in teaching and this is a focus of her own teaching and research. In fact, she has led several after school programs at Doyle elementary focusing on performing arts.

Why are you running for school board?

I believe that every school board decision should be aimed at making sure every single Central Bucks student gets the highest quality and most well-rounded education we can provide in the safest environment possible. I would also like to see more respect for the expertise of the school district faculty and staff. The school board members are not necessarily experts in teaching, curriculum development, transportation, or any of the other factors that contribute to the smooth running of a school district. While school board members may have opinions, they must be willing to listen, learn, and make decisions informed by those who are bringing their expertise to bear.  I am confident that my academic and work experience have made me uniquely qualified to achieve this goal. 

What do you identify as the top education issues folks must confront in your school district, in Pennsylvania, and nationally?

Our school district, like many others across the State and country, are struggling with equity literacy. To be equity literate is to be able to recognize and redress inequities. Unfortunately, many people hear equity and perceive it as a personal attack. I don’t know who said it first, but years ago I heard or read that “when you have privilege, equity feels like oppression.” I think this may be what is operating in places like Central Bucks. We are a largely affluent district. Only a small percentage of our families qualify for free or reduced lunch. We have a very small population of people of color, people who observe non-Christian religions, or are non-Native English speakers.

The average person in Central Bucks has never had to think a lot about their privilege — that is a privilege. Now that the Pennsylvania School Board Association has made equity a centerpiece of their efforts, school districts across the country are reflecting on how their practices can be more equitable. Our district, like many others, would benefit from seeing equity as good for everyone. This might mean making sure that there are positive representations of people of all backgrounds in instructional materials, it might mean reconsidering how we approach school based fundraisers, it might require all school personnel to engage in some critical self-reflection to identify implicit biases we hold. To be sure, some of this might feel uncomfortable. But, if we don’t feel discomfort, we are definitely not growing. It’s time to welcome a bit of discomfort because what is at the other end of that is truly worthwhile.

How can folks get involved with your campaign?

www.drtab4cbsd.com has information about the campaign and ways to get involved.

Which journalists, writers, podcasts, and/or publications do you turn to for information and inspiration?

For those interested in equity in schools -- Paul Gorski, Cheryl Matias, Cornelius Minor, Bettina Love, Tiffany Jewell, Jose Vilson, Bree Picower, Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade -- that’s a start but there are so many others. These folks can be found in academic journals, blogs, twitter, books, websites. 

I am completely addicted to podcasts. Classics -- This American Life, RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Revisionist History, Reveal -- and some newer series like Nice White Parents or Poverty Myths - Busted! are musts. This American Life’s - The Problem We All Live With, House Rules, and Harper High are amazing looks at American Public Schooling. Hidden Brain’s Slanguage episode, I could go on and on here.

Publications like Rethinking Schools and Teaching Tolerance consistently put out good material.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.