Bethlehem Area School Board hopefuls shared their views on everything from social-emotional learning to “book bans” at a Saturday candidate forum.

Candidates M. Rayah Levy, Karen Beck Pooley, Emily Root Schenkel and Kim Shively attended the forum, which was hosted by BASD Proud Parents, a local group that advocates for fair public school funding. The event was held at the Bethlehem Area Public Library, and BASD high school students moderated the event.

Cindy O’Brien and Michael Recchiuti did not attend, but agreed to phone interviews with The Morning Call to talk about their candidacy.

Pooley, Schenkel and Levy are running as a slate for three at-large seats that are up for grabs. They are also campaigning with Shively, who is running for the seat in Region 3. O’Brien is in the running for both an at-large seat and the Region 3 seat. Recchiuti is running unopposed for the seat in Region 2.

If O’Brien wins both seats that she is seeking, then she would choose one and the board would appoint someone to the other.

Pooley, Schenkel, Shively and Recchiuti are currently school directors. O’Brien is the only Republican in the race; the remaining are registered Democrats. Pooley, Schenkel and Recchiuti will appear on both the Republican and Democratic tickets in their contests due to either write-in votes or crossfiling in the primary.

Levy, Pooley, Recchiuti, Schenkel and Shively are endorsed by Lehigh Valley for All, a progressive grassroots group, and the local teacher’s union through the Pennsylvania State Education Association. O’Brien is endorsed by the Northampton County chapter of Moms for Liberty.

At the forum, Pooley, Schenkel, Shively and Levy all agreed on the importance of social-emotional learning.

“It speaks for itself,” Levy said. “You have to be there for your students socially and emotionally. Case closed.”

Schenkel said it’s important for the district to prioritize SEL to holistically address the needs of students. She said trained staff is essential.

It’s necessary for teachers to be coached in best practices for SEL, Pooley added. She said the district already relies on community partners for some of its SEL needs.

Shively said social-emotional learning has always been present in schools, but newer practices provide for a systematic way to focus on students’ non-academic needs.

“We just want to help them to grow up and be healthy and prosperous adults,” she said.

When it comes to mental health, Schenkel said BASD is a leader among public schools. The district has classroom coaches who help teachers manage mental health concerns. She said staff members also need mental health support.

Schenkel and Levy said hiring more school psychologists is necessary, but acknowledged the market is tight.

Levy, Shively and Pooley all highlighted the need for safe spaces for students, like the wellness centers at Liberty and Freedom high schools. Pooley said similar spaces should be accounted for in other schools as facilities updates are made.

Levy also said certain student groups may be particularly vulnerable and need mental health resources as a result, such as LGBTQ students who may face discrimination.

On gun violence, Schenkel said she is happy to see the Safe2Say reporting tool in place, as well as BASD mental health supports. She said it’s important to acknowledge community fears about gun violence and it needs to remain a constant conversation. She highlighted the district’s school resource officers.

Shively said local police are involved in making sure schools are secure. School safety is tied to both physical security of buildings, as well as student services, Pooley added.

Levy said the district has to be prepared for an active shooter. Training and safety conversations need to be consistent.

BASD secondary schools have a new report card system this year. Student moderators asked the candidates about their opinion on this change.

Students will now receive marking period and final grades based on academic assessments, but will also receive a separate engagement and responsibility grade, as well as a personalized comment.

“There’s always going to be some pain with change and some growing challenges,” Schenkel said, but the new policy is meant to make sure students are meeting academic standards.

The policy provides for more equitable grading and helps determine student learning paths.

Levy said she is aware some parents don’t support the new grading policy, but said it’s essential community members voice concerns about these kinds of changes at school board meetings.

Both college professors, Shively and Pooley believe the new system provides more individualized information about how a student is doing. Pooley added staff has had professional development on the new grading system.

Students asked candidates at the forum about “book bans.”

Schenkel, Levy, Pooley and Shively all said they oppose such measures.

Shively acknowledged that “not all books are not appropriate for kids of all ages,” but said librarians and educators should be trusted to choose books.

Levy said parents should only be allowed to restrict what their own children can read. Pooley said the district already has a process in place for parents to review what their child has access to read.

“We’ve actually made a concerted effort in our district to ensure that our students are seen in the material that they come across,” Pooley added. She also said curriculum adoption is always transparent.

Though not at the forum, O’Brien told The Morning Call by phone that the term “banning books” is being used “by people on the left to force their argument, to intimidate people who don’t want to see sexually explicit books in schools.”

O’Brien said sexually explicit books are not an issue in BASD at this time that she is aware of, but would want to address such books if necessary.

Recchiuti did not attend the forum, but told The Morning Call by phone that he trusts school librarians to choose appropriate books. Parents should be able to decide what their child reads, but should not be able to restrict reading materials for others, he said.

On other priorities, O’Brien said she supports transparency in education to make sure parents know what their students are learning in advance. She said BASD should also inform parents if their student is transgender or using new pronouns.

O’Brien supports diversity efforts that promote fairness among students and believes the district needs more academic coaches.

She supports BASD’s mental health initiatives, such as school counseling and peace rooms for students to calm down. She also supports restorative justice practices to an extent, but said some community members have questioned their effectiveness.

“Anything that helps kids, I’m all for,” she said. “There is a concern that there’s not consequences for what students do.”

She said improving student behavior would improve safety. On gun violence, O’Brien said the district must do a cost-benefit analysis of all options, including metal detectors, which she said she is open to considering.

On other priorities, Recchiuti said the district may need to hire more counselors to address student mental health concerns. He said teachers are also essential in helping to identify students’ mental health needs and informing counselors.

“Teaching SEL methods is a way for students to express any mental health issues, too,” he said.

Recchiuti also praised elementary leadership programming as a positive example of SEL.

Recchiuti said he supports the new secondary grading policy because it helps teachers get to know students better.

On safety, he said BASD has increased its safety measures in recent years, such as secure entryways, but gun regulations are outside of the district’s hands.

Morning Call reporter Jenny Roberts can be reached at 484-903-1732 and [email protected].