Letter in Support of Martin Heldring

The following was submitted to Radnor Patch for publication by Radnor residents George and Cathy Van Kula.

Our family moved to Radnor Township in 2006.  We believe that good schools are the key to good communities and that is one of the primary reasons we chose to live in Radnor.  However, good schools are only possible with strong and capable leadership.  That is why we will be voting to elect Martin Heldring to the Radnor School Board.  

Martin is a Foreign Service graduate of Georgetown University and has an MBA from the University of Chicago.  He was born and raised on the Main Line, first in Merion and then in Wayne.  He has spent his career in finance living and working in New York, Washington, Chicago, Seoul, London and Singapore before returning seven years ago to Wayne.

We support Martin because of his honest, transparent and reasoned views about education and how to finance it.  He values a “Radnor Education” and wants to return to those exceptional values.  Martin is a thoughtful, reasonable decision-maker and we would all benefit from his service as a Director on the Radnor Township School Board.

The Radnor School District operates with an $83 million budget, which is more than twice the township budget.  School taxes are a little less than six times township taxes.  Given this significant investment we make in our community, we especially need someone with Martin’s background and experience to properly manage our resources. 

Martin will push for finalization of a meaningful written curriculum, something that does not currently exist, and a long overdue solution to the overcrowding at Wayne Elementary.  He would help the school board do a better job of seeking input from and communicating to all of the stakeholders interested in Radnor education.

But as bright, experienced and committed as Martin Heldring is, he cannot be a steward of our children’s education and tax dollars on his own. He must be part of a team of equally qualified school board members. Since off-year elections are decided by very small margins (a few years ago, five votes made the difference), we urge you on November 5th to vote for Martin and also for Susan Michaelson, Dave Falcone and Jim Link. Their literature says that “we should expect more,” and they are absolutely correct.