Meet Haverford School Board Candidate Danielle Camaratta Vitale

Danielle Camaratta Vitale - School Director

Age (as of Election Day)

44

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Chris Vitale - 44, husband (20 years this year)
Jackson Vitale - 14, son, 8th grade at HMS
Reece Vitale - 12, son, 6th grade at HMS
Shane Vitale - 7, son, 1st grade at Lynnewood Elementary School
Frosty- our adorable 4 year old dog

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

B.A. in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Pittsburgh (1998)
M.A. in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Maryland (2000)

Occupation

Speech Language Pathologist, but I am presently at home with my children.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

Committed4Haverford - King, Larsen, McKay, Vitale for School Board (Facebook Page)

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have been actively involved with the Lynnewood Elementary School PTO since 2012 and have chaired many committees and held various offices including PTO President. While I still greatly enjoy volunteering in our local schools, I have always had an interest in serving my community in a larger capacity. I am excited for the new challenge of serving our entire Haverford Township community because I believe in the need for strong schools that strive to meet our children’s academic, social and emotional needs.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Obviously, pandemic education is the biggest issue facing our district at the current time, but, as school board is an elected 4 year position, I would hope pandemic issues would not dominate that far into the future. In general, I think the School District of Haverford Township School Board has done a great job in keeping parents informed and in being able to adapt and switch gears in response to ever changing circumstances. Issues such as school tax increases, especially with regard to residents on fixed incomes, do need to be addressed, though. In addition, we need to better combat the spread of misinformation surrounding the BASIS program, and we need to address the concerns many parents have with regard to the heightened focus on standardized testing.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have been an active PTO member and school volunteer since my oldest son entered kindergarten in 2012. When you volunteer in our schools on a consistent basis for as long as I have, you see the challenges that educators and students face. You see our schools’ strengths and weaknesses. I understand how our elementary schools and middle school work, and I am ready to put my experience as a parent and volunteer to work for the benefit of the entire district.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Of the 4 seats up for election, only 1 current school board member, Kristin Larsen (who is running on the Democratic slate with me), is seeking re-election. I have nothing but respect for the 3 retiring school board members who have done a wonderful job serving our community during a very difficult time. In particular, I can not express how much I admire retiring school board member Susan Mingey. I was blessed to met her when she was my oldest son’s principal at Lynnewood Elementary, and I only hope to follow in her example of putting the needs of our children first as we make educational decisions.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to making sure that our children are back in school safely and are being challenged and stimulated, I am passionate about making sure that every child feels that they belong. At Lynnewood Elementary, I started an after school club program because I believed that when children are involved in extracurricular activities, their self esteem increases, they are able to develop their interests and form friendships, and they strengthen their ties to their school and community. I was aware of all of the sports options available to children in our township (as well as the sports offered by elementary schools to the older grades) and of the lack of after school activities in non-sports areas. What started out as a single weekly art class offering grew to encompass activities as varied as yoga, Zumba, board games, readers theater, and craft club. Every child needs to feel a sense of belonging and connection, and I would like to promote this across all of our elementary schools.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have chaired many committees for the Lynnewood Elementary PTO and was also elected PTO President. I believe that the parents I worked with were confident in the fact that I could get a job done and get it done well. I have run May Day Carnivals and 5th grade graduation activities and was always able to adapt to changing circumstances - be it rescheduling a carnival postponed 3 times by rain or reimagining graduation activities canceled due to COVID-19.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I promise that I will put the needs of our schools and children first. I do not believe that the school board should be a political entity, but I see politics creeping into concerns and public comments. I have always been politically moderate by nature and have always been able to see a situation from other perspectives. My husband and I are of different political affiliations, and I find it helpful and insightful to be able to discuss issues from varying viewpoints. If elected, I will listen to the concerns of all of Haverford Township’s residents to make responsible, informed, and non biased decisions that benefit all of our students,