Patch Election Profile: Shawn Fagan, First-Time Hatboro-Horsham School Board Candidate

HATBORO-HORSHAM, PA — As we continue meeting candidates for local races, check out responses from Patch's questionnaire that were completed by Shawn Fagan, who is running for a seat on the Hatboro-Horsham School Board.

Age (as of Election Day)

43

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Family

Jane 44 (spouse), Lily 13 (daughter), and Owen 10 (son)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Science - Penn State
Master of Sport Administration - Belmont University
Master of Business Administration - Saint Leo University
Doctor of Education - Temple University

Occupation

Higher Education Administration

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

First time running

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/Shawn...

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am passionate about education and ensuring that our district reaches its full potential and that every student has the opportunity to grow and reach their educational goals.

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

An immediate needs assessment to determine how COVID has impacted our students (academically, mentally, socially, emotionally) and teachers/support staff this past year

- I will champion for this with School Directors and the District leadership
- Advocate that Federal and State COVID Funding is used effectively and meets the needs of our students' needs
- Ensure that teachers and support staff have the necessary resources to execute current support services and additional support services to meet the needs of our students.

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

My education and experiences position me to serve as an effective member of our School Board, and throughout my career in higher education I have a proven track record of supporting and advocating for students and teachers. I have also worked in a team environment my entire life as a scholarship athlete at Penn State, a professional athlete in the Toronto Blue Jays’ baseball organization and a senior leader at Temple University.

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

The current board is not a cohesive unit as many members do not attend board meetings, seem unprepared and unengaged and is a primary reason I decided to run for School Director as I have many years experience working in a collaborative team environment. My goal is to contribute to making our Board an effective team to ensure that all students in our district receive a high-quality education.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

1. We need a swift and comprehensive analysis of our school rankings and make a contemporary plan for the future, while continuing to advance equity work.

2. We need to positively reengage parents into our schools to cultivate and strengthen these partnerships and find ways to encourage parent/student advocacy.

3. We need to have a proactive plan in place to keep schools open should we have another COVID surge or pandemic in the future.

4. We need to bring local businesses and business leaders to the table to connect them with the district — connecting local business with education.

5. We need to leverage our relationships with technical, vocation, and community colleges to ensure our students have every opportunity to succeed beyond our school district.

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

In my professional work I am responsible for my College's student retention, graduation rate, and student success initiatives. Over the past several years we have seen an increase in our student retention rates, 4- and 6- year graduation rates, and student success and outcome rates.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Every day you either get better or worse, you never stay the same."

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

If elected I will work tirelessly to bring our district a top-100 ranking again and I know enough that we need to bring all the experts together in our community to quickly identify and address these issues of yesterday.