PUNXSUTAWNEY — Lisa Gourley has announced that she will be running as a candidate in this year’s Punxsutawney Area School Board election.
The following statement was submitted to The Spirit:
“I am announcing my write-in candidacy for the Punxsutawney Area School Board. As a lifetime resident of Punxsutawney, a graduate of Punxsutawney Area High School, a mother and now grandmother with children in our school system, I have experienced the best our district has to offer. I believe we must work together to continue moving our school district forward to ensure that our students have the necessary education and tools to succeed in the larger world that we live in today.
“As a registered nurse, I have had the opportunity to work with many people in multiple states and in multiple facilities. Through this experience, I have worked with those from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In order to be successful, I have had to listen, acknowledge and honor viewpoints that at times were at odds with mine. Doing so provided us all with a way to be successful developing a true team approach to solutions.
“I would bring this same approach to our school board. I feel it is imperative that we work with not only each other on the board but also our students, parents, educators and librarians to provide the best educational opportunities that we can. Our students’ world is much bigger than the boundaries of Punxsutawney. The world they will inhabit is a global world, and one of our main focuses should be preparing them to live and be successful in that world.
“In educating our students, we teach them how to think critically. Using research, questioning and developing this skill, we ask our students to develop their opinions and then support their positions utilizing facts. I believe that this same approach is important to utilize as a member of the school board. Using critical thinking will allow me to research issues in front of the board and make the best decisions based on facts, which will improve the education of the students in our district.
“There are many issues that are currently surrounding education, and I would be honored to be a part of helping to navigate these issues and ensure our students receive the best education possible.”