Tricia Bliven-Chasinoff Running For Great Valley School Board

Pennsylvania's Primary Election is May 18. Tricia Bliven-Chasinoff is running for Great Valley School District, School Board Director, Region 3, representing Willistown residents. Familiar with using complex information, she said she is ready to make decisions based on science and with a view toward benefit the whole child.

She explained why she is running for election.

Tricia Bliven-Chasinoff

Age: 50

Position Sought: Great Valley School District, School Board Director, Region 3

Party Affiliation: I am cross-filed for the purpose of this election, but I am a registered Democrat.

Family: Rich (husband), Ean (son, 19), and Zoe (daughter, 17)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education: Bachelor of Science, Biology and Psychology; Master's, Developmental Neuroscience.

Occupation: Freelance medical and science writer, 20 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking elective office?: I have two children; my daughter is a junior at GVHS, and my son is a freshman in college. My son had a fairly extensive IEP throughout his entire school career and, as a result, I spent 13 years as an educational advocate and worked with a wide range of school personnel — administrators, teachers, support staff, etc. My experience as an involved and engaged parent was (almost) universally positive and I was constantly impressed by and appreciative of the dedication of the teachers, staff, and administrators who worked with my children.
At the same time, I learned to appreciate the complexity of the educational process and how well-intended and caring people focused on a specific goal can navigate barriers and challenges to make a meaningful impact for students.
My son is now thriving in college and I have discovered that I am an educational advocate with no one to advocate for. Serving on the school board feels like the natural next step.

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is: I don’t think there is ever just one single issue facing education — there are so many issues and moving parts and each one needs to be prioritized equally and within the context of whatever is happening in the school and in the community at large.
For example, boards all across the country are currently dealing with how to safely educate students in the midst of a pandemic, while also continuing to assure that instructional standards are maintained, mental health needs are addressed, and schools are kept secure — and they have to do all these things in the context of competing agendas from multiple stakeholders. My educational and career background is in science, specifically, in developmental neuroscience, which has provided me with a framework for understanding the cognitive needs of students.
Additionally, having spent my career in science, I am comfortable working with complex (and sometimes contradictory) information.
One of the things we've all seen over the past year is that science is an iterative process; it requires us to listen, accept knowledge gaps, ask questions, and gather information before making conclusions. That process gets repeated, often many times, resulting in greater understanding and more refined conclusions.
This is the approach I will bring to the school board. The first thing I’ll do is acknowledge the inherent complexity of the issues and then I’ll listen — to the students, to the teachers, to the administrators, to the parents, and to the community. I’ll ask questions and I’ll actively listen to the answers, I’ll seek additional information and perspectives, and I’ll form my conclusions from the information I’ve gathered.
And just as importantly, I’ll do these things from the perspective of someone who cares deeply about educating our children in a way that prepares them to live meaningful and sustaining lives. For me, this means that I consider education to be successful only when it meets the needs of the whole child — academic, social, and emotional. This perspective is borne out of lived experiences and will shape my approach to every decision.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: I cannot speak to the qualifications or intentions of other candidates; however, I can say that I believe that I have the unique perspective of having both an academic-scientific and deeply personal understanding of the value of a well-run and appropriately funded public school system.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: I believe that any commitment to education must also include a commitment to initiatives surrounding diversity and inclusion. Public schools have a responsibility to protect the rights and dignity of ALL students as well as an obligation to provide educational resources aimed at teaching students to engage respectfully with people from all backgrounds.

The best advice ever shared with me was: How do you eat an entire elephant? One bite at a time! I think of this every time I am faced with a challenge that feels overly daunting. It reminds me that all tasks, even the daunting ones, get done one step at a time!

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