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. Three candidates are vying for two seats in Region 1 of the Boyertown School Board in the Nov. 4 general election. Incumbent Ruth Dierolf will appear on ballots as both a Democrat and a Republican. Newcomer Michelle Wile is running as a Democrat, and newcomer Matthew Weir is running as a Republican. The three 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. Michelle R. Wiley Party: Democrat Age: Not provided Occupation: Educator Response 1: My education has been the “game-changer” in my life. I am very fortunate to have received an outstanding education in the public schools of Pennsylvania. And it really has made all the difference in my life’s trajectory, and in the lives of my children. I graduated with honors and received honor degrees throughout my educational journey and received a doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. I’ve taught high school math and middle school honors courses in urban, rural and affluent schools. During my administrative tenures in public education, I received commendations from the state for math interventions my teams and I developed. My 23 years of service as a teacher and administrator have been a rewarding and satisfying experience. I have gained wisdom from the challenges and setbacks, and I have been inspired by the fruitful collaborations with my stakeholders. It has been an awesome journey that has prepared me for this position. I also realize that a strong school board candidate must be more than someone who cares about education. Through the many years of being a Boyertown resident, I have fostered community-minded values and recognize the necessity to balance the need for excellent programs with fiscal responsibility. Response 2: Today, our students are facing real challenges. Standardized testing shows that a significant number of them are falling behind in proficiency in math and reading. These are not abstract statistics — they are our grandchildren, our neighbors’ children and the future caretakers of our community. I am a strong advocate for full-day kindergarten. Research consistently demonstrates that high-quality early childhood education impacts lifelong cognitive, social and emotional learning. Quality full-day kindergarten programs stimulate critical skills like language and problem solving, providing a foundational boost for our young learners. Expanding to a full-day program could perhaps require additional resources; however, the benefits outweigh the costs. While a tax increase may be unavoidable, this increase can be offset with school board leadership that fosters frugal stewardship, out-of-the-box thinking and phased or targeted implementation. We must maintain a forward-thinking vision and fully understand both the short- and long-term benefits that supersede the costs. Strong schools build strong communities. *Ruth A. Dierolf Party: Democrat/Republican Did not provide a response. Matthew J. Weir Party: Republican Did not provide a response.
