Copyright Reading Eagle
For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193. Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com. In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased's care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email. All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full. Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published. Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing. Six candidates are vying for four spots on the Brandywine Heights School Board in the Nov. 4 general election. Incumbents Matthew Reitenauer, Brian Hohenshilt and Zachary Stubits will be joined on ballots by newcomers Elisa Hammes, Katherine Klinicki and Darlene Hertzog. The six are competing for four-year seats on the board. The Reading Eagle asked each of the candidates the following questions. Question 1: What characteristics do you possess that make you a good candidate to serve on a school board? Question 2: What is the biggest challenge your district is currently facing and how would you address it? Here are their responses. Incumbents denoted with an asterisk. Elisa Hammes Party: Democrat Age: 59 Occupation: Educator at Reading Area Community College Response 1: As a resident of the Brandywine Heights School District for over 22 years, a parent of a district graduate and an experienced educator with a background in the arts, I offer unique and valuable skills to our school board. My core focus is on bringing creativity, critical thinking and empathy — the building blocks of a great education — into every student’s learning experience. I know that when we offer students different ways to learn, we boost their engagement and create better, fairer results for everyone. I’ve also built a strong capacity for listening, compromising and working together, which is crucial for making smart decisions with various perspectives on the board and community. For example, my service on the Kutztown University ESL Advisory Board gave me firsthand experience collaborating with education leaders to meet the vital needs of English language learners right here in our local schools. Finally, I deeply believe in the power of education; it’s the foundation of a healthy community. If elected, I promise to dedicate myself to keeping the district running smoothly, effectively and with heart. Response 2: One of the biggest challenges we face is keeping our fantastic teachers. Almost half of new teachers leave within five years. Why? They’re often overwhelmed, and they simply burn out. This problem is made worse by the shortage of substitute teachers. Our regular teachers frequently need to give up their valuable planning time to cover classes. They become overworked and their morale drops, which eventually hurts the quality of education for our kids. I support and would strengthen our current mentoring program, where experienced teachers guide the newer ones. I would make sure our teachers have a safe, non-judgmental place to voice their concerns so we can find solutions to the problems they face. Second, retaining a teacher is far cheaper than replacing one. When a teacher leaves, it costs the district thousands of dollars. I would champion better pay incentives for our staff. These investments would quickly pay for themselves by stemming the high cost of turnover. Simply put, the health of our school district depends on the health of our teachers. We need to ensure we have enough people and provide the support they deserve so they can stay focused on what they do best: teaching our kids. *Matthew Reitenauer Party: Democrat/Republican Did not provide a response. Katherine Klinicki Party: Democrat Did not provide a response. Darlene Hertzog Party: Republican Did not provide a response. *Brian Hohenshilt Party: Republican Did not provide a response. *Zachary Stubits Party: Republican Did not provide a response.
