COAL TOWNSHIP - Sol Bidding is a candidate for Shamokin Area School Board.
Bidding said education, not athletics, should be a school district's priority. "Yes, I like sports, but sports are not what schools are about. Schools are institutions for educating your children, while sports are a privilege," Bidding said. "So, education first, last and always. It provides a basis for becoming a productive citizen and is first step toward a higher level of education and a lifetime profession."
Bidding said he would be the public's voice in expressing ideas about what constitutes a sound education. He said one of his primary concerns will be to ensure that the school environment is safe and bully-free.
"I've worked for the betterment of children all my life," Bidding said. "I've attended federal and state school director courses, and I will use that education to make Shamokin Area a better school district."
Bidding said he promote cooperation among board members. "Together, we can do what you elected us to do, set higher education standards for our school district and demand the same from our administration," Bidding said. "We will work together to enforce the district's policies.
"I have witnessed what the teaching staff must endure from disruptive students and bullies. We, as a school board, must put an end to this disruptive behavior and allow our children to be educated without having their classroom disrupted and their person threatened," Bidding said. "I assure you I will fight for a no-tolerance bully policy. This school district administration fails to enforce the bully policy set forth by the federal and state boards of education.
"Bully threats are, in fact, acts of terrorism," he continued. "Your children have a right to a safe classroom/ school environment. You can hire all the armed security you want, but the lack of enforcing the bulling policy makes them useless. Perhaps this school district's administrators have become complacent. Why not? They receive a 5 percent yearly raise without showing improvement."
Bidding said if the district deals will disruptive students as early as possible, students will have to learn respect for other students, teachers and staff, or will pay the consequences.
"The respect for education, and each other, makes for productive future leaders," Bidding said.