Election 2023: Republican Jonathan Seamans For Council Rock School Bd.

Candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

COUNCIL ROCK — Republican Jonathan Seamans is seeking election to the Council Rock School Board in Region 2. He is challenging incumbent Democrat Ed Tate for a four-year seat on the board.

Biographical Information

Name: Jonathan D. Seamans
Age: 54
Town of residence: Newtown
Position sought: Council Rock School Board Director, Region 2
Are you an incumbent? No
What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Newtown
Party affiliation: Republican
Family: Susan and I have been married for 20 years, and we have two children – Grace, 16 and Tucker, 14. We also have the best dog in the world, our chocolate lab named Gus.
Education: BS in Economics from Clarkson University and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University
Occupation: I am currently the Director, Finance and Budget at the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs.

Questions

Why are you running?

The main reasons I am running in Council Rock Region 2 are to put our students and their families first, to ensure our most vulnerable students are protected and have equal opportunities, and to make sure our schools always remain open for in-person learning. These have been my reasons for running since the start of the campaign. However, the last few months have presented an additional reason, and that is the dishonesty of my opponent. How does a person who claims to be an “effective collaborator” and wants to “encourage civility and collaboration” expect to bring those qualities to the school board after running a campaign of nothing but lies, misinformation, and name calling? I have run a positive campaign on the points listed above and will be able to work with the rest of the board to effectively represent Region 2.

What do you see as the top issues facing the district and how do you plan to address them?

The learning loss across the district created by the school closings during the pandemic will hang over this entire generation of students. Our students went almost three academic years without an historically normal school year, and we must always remember that fact and work to develop programs and supports to enable our children to overcome those challenges.

What policies would you change, revise, delete or retain and why?

I will work to support and build on policy 102 – Academic Standards. Too many school districts across the country are eliminating AP classes, honors programs, and other programs for high academic achievers in the name of equity. I will work to ensure that does not happen in Council Rock.

If elected, what would you fight to change or keep the same?

I believe the best school districts are those where the most families are active and involved in the education of their children. School board members can foster that type of environment with their work on behalf of ALL their constituents, not just those who agree with them. If elected, I will listen to all the voices in our district, and I promise to work for all the students and families of Council Rock.