5 of 7 Saucon Valley School Board Candidates Share Views at Forum

Five of the seven candidates vying for Saucon Valley School Board seats appeared at a public forum at Saucon Valley High School Monday evening. Pictured above, from left, are candidates John Conte, Vivian Demko, Cedric Dettmar, Shamim Pakzad and Robert Phillips. Pakzad and Dettmar are running as incumbents along with Tracy Magnotta, who did not attend the forum. Also absent was challenger Raquel Barbera. The four open board seats come with four-year terms.

Clarification: Board candidate Cedric Dettmar stated during the forum that the COVID vaccination rate for Northampton County residents who have received at least one dose of the vaccine is nearly 90 percent. That statement appeared to contradict data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s vaccination dashboard, which listed a rate of slightly over 70 percent for Northampton County residents as of Oct. 15. The state statistic was shared in an earlier published version of this story, before the data source Dettmar cited was known. Dettmar later clarified to Saucon Source that the source of his data was the CDC, and that he was referencing the vaccination rate for county residents over the age of 12 who have received at least one dose, which is currently approximately 89.4 percent. Unlike the CDC, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reports vaccination rates by county by factoring in those 12 and under for whom the vaccine hasn’t yet been approved, which results in the calculation of a lower overall percentage. Various differences in the reporting and/or analysis of vaccination data may be the source of other differences in state and federal percentages. We apologize for any confusion our earlier reporting of the data Dettmar shared may have caused.

Saucon Valley School District residents who wanted to learn more about the individuals running for school board were able to hear some of them answer questions and highlight their qualifications at a Northampton Community College-sponsored forum Monday.

Five of the seven candidates vying for four seats on the nine-member board appeared at the forum, which was held in the Saucon Valley High School auditorium and moderated by Sam Chen, an assistant professor of political science at NCC. Those candidates were John Conte (Republican), Vivian Demko (Democrat), Cedric Dettmar (incumbent; Republican), Shamim Pakzad (incumbent; Republican) and Robert Phillips (Democrat).

Absent from the forum were candidates Tracy Magnotta (incumbent; cross-filed Republican-Democrat) and Raquel Barbera (Democrat).

Chen said the event being held was a forum, because “debates often shed more heat than light” on candidates. To start with, each candidate had a chance to discuss their qualifications and goals should they be elected to the board. Chen then asked several questions of his own, along with questions submitted by members of the audience.

Saucon Valley School Board candidate John Conte

Conte said that if elected he will do what is best for students while keeping in mind that there is a limit to what taxpayers can afford.

“Students need an education in the classic fundamentals of the three R’s,” he said, referring to reading, writing and mathematics.

He added that “parents must support the school’s efforts,” and said “political agendas” should be kept out of curricula.

Saucon Valley School Board candidate Vivian Demko

Demko began her remarks by highlighting her Saucon Valley roots–which she said run four generations deep–and her experience as an educator. Prior to her retirement earlier this year, she spent more than 28 years working in Saucon Valley schools in various roles.

She holds two master’s degrees in education, and said her professional background in education gives her unique insight into the challenges of educating students today, one of which she called a “toxic school climate.”

According to Demko, her experience would be a “unique” asset if she is elected to the board.

Saucon Valley School Board candidate Cedric Dettmar

Dettmar was educated at MIT and UCLA, where he earned a Master’s degree in business administration. His private sector experience has included work for the tech corporation Oracle in Silicon Valley, and one of his goals prior to being elected to the board four years ago was to apply fiscal oversight to the administration of the district, he said.

He said his other goals as a board member were to forge a better relationship with the Saucon Valley Education Association, the union which represents the district’s teachers, and to help improve the district’s academic reputation.

The biggest challenge the board has faced has been the COVID-19 pandemic, which Dettmar said they responded to successfully by being one of the few districts anywhere to keep classrooms fully open to students whose families opted for in-person instruction.

Saucon Valley School Board candidate Shamim Pakzad

Pakzad, who is a professor of engineering at Lehigh University and also holds an academic leadership position at the school, also made it clear that he is running on his record as a school board member for the past four years.

He highlighted the fact that the board has kept property taxes at the same level during that time, and said programs have been added and the district’s reputation enhanced simultaneously.

He cited a recent parent survey in which he said more than 90 percent of participants said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the district’s response to the pandemic, when more than 80 percent of households kept their kids enrolled in in-person classes.

Saucon Valley School Board candidate Robert Phillips

Phillips said that his goals if elected to the school board are to help make Saucon Valley a “premier” school district; to be fiscally responsible by incentivizing enrollment of school-age children in the district; and to have respectful dialogue with community members.

He countered the statements by the incumbent candidates that district programs have been maintained or expanded, saying that “simply isn’t true.” Specifically, Phillips said paraprofessional positions have been eliminated and high school-level classes have been cut over the past few years.

Phillips claimed that families are leaving the district in search of better educational opportunities for their children, and said he will work to keep them here by investing tax dollars in Saucon Valley schools rather than outside the district.

Note: Below are the candidates’ answers to two of the questions posed by the moderator. The forum was not livestreamed, however a video recording of it is available on candidate Vivian Demko’s YouTube channel.

Q (moderator-generated): What steps should the Saucon Valley School Board take with regard to COVID mask and vaccine mandates?

Phillips: “I would not be in favor of violating the state (mask) mandate (for schools).” He said the advice of public health professionals should be followed by the board with regard to COVID safety. Although the vaccine or a version of it isn’t yet approved for younger children, he said there are state and federal guidelines for the administration of other types of vaccines to students, which he said should be followed if they’re adopted for the COVID vaccine.

Pakzad: “This idea of one size fits all–I don’t think it’s ever a good idea.” He said Saucon Valley’s policy called for optional masking until the state’s mandate made it moot, adding that he is especially concerned about the impact masks may be having on 350 special needs students in the district. “All of these kids, or a lot of them, are by definition in a situation where they have communication problems,” he said. “I advocated for having a balanced approach at the beginning of the year.”

Dettmar: He said his first priority with regard to masking and vaccine mandates remains keeping schools open. He said the percentage of people in Northampton County who have had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine was “almost 90 percent.” Dettmar later clarified that he was referencing the CDC vaccination statistic for Northampton County residents over the age of 12, which stood at 89.4 percent as of Oct. 17. He noted that many people in the county are opposed to wearing masks and being vaccinated, and said that if the board chooses a side on those issues “it’s very destructive to our community.”

Demko: She said her first priority with regard to vaccine and mask mandates is “keeping our school staff and students safe.” She said she would rely on information from medical experts in making decisions as a school board member, and would follow current guidelines because she believes they offer the best protection from the virus. Mandating the vaccination of teachers “would be very controversial,” she said, before citing a statistic that 85 to 90 percent of teachers in Pennsylvania are already vaccinated.

Conte: “I’m against the vaccine mandate. I don’t think they’re necessary.” Conte said “there’s lots of treatments available for those people infected by COVID,” and that he believes optional masking policies are “the way to go.” That way, he said, parents can decide whether their child wears a mask or not. He said it is the school district’s responsibility to make sure that all facilities are being properly sanitized.

Q (audience-submitted): What are your views on critical race theory (CRT) and dealing with race relations in schools? Critical race theory posits that racism is a core principle embedded in our society. It was noted by the moderator that Saucon Valley does not currently teach CRT nor does it have plans to implement teaching of it.

Phillips: CRT is “a political football.” He said “it’s not a reality as far as it impacts our schools today.” He questioned whether students are being taught to identify their own biases, and noted that the Saucon Valley School District itself was the subject of a documentary about racism in schools several years ago. He said the underlying issues raised by the documentary still need to be addressed. “There’s always an opportunity to be improving,” he said.

Pakzad: The board has a “very transparent” process for approving curriculum which provides the public with the opportunity to weigh in on proposed changes. He said that as an immigrant himself, he believes “this country is not a racist country.” “I really believe in American exceptionalism,” he continued. He said he believes that “racial education should promote racial unity,” and that “a race discussion that has already divided this community cannot be the best approach for this district.”

Dettmar: He said he has “no tolerance” for racism, which he admitted “exists in this country,” but weighed that against efforts by the board “to keep politics out of our schools.” He noted that Saucon Valley, as a result of the incident that ultimately led to the documentary’s production, has a racial bullying policy which he admitted doesn’t always work perfectly. “We cannot be bringing political discussions into our schools” when they favor one side over another, he said.

Demko: She said she has heard stories about racist incidents in Saucon Valley schools firsthand from families she has spoken with as she has campaigned for the school board. For example, she said one parent told her that “my child was called the ‘n-word’ and it was accepted in the classroom.” She said no child should have to accept being called that. “I’ve heard (racist language) in our community,” she said. She added that she believes the district needs to commit to professional development for staff, in order to combat racism, and that it also should start educating students “to be accepting of all people.” An opportunity to do that was missed when the board approved but later disapproved a book called “Racism, Anti-Racism & You” that was to have been read in a class, she claimed.

Conte: He said he believes CRT is part of a political agenda and that he would do everything he can to keep it out of schools. “Racism is a fact of life,” he said. He added that “reverse racism exists,” and claimed that he has been a victim of it. “I don’t believe America is a racist country,” he said. “Obama would never have been elected if this country was racist.”

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2, when polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information about voting in person or by mail, including upcoming deadlines, visit VOTE.pa.gov. To view sample ballots for district voters and other information, visit the Northampton County Office of Elections and Voter Registration site.