Ada Nestor Challenges In Region 1, West Chester School District

Pennsylvania's Primary Election is May 18. Ada Nestor is a challenger for Joyce Chester's Region 1 seat on the West Chester Area School District Board of Directors. Nestor is a mom with children in district schools who is concern about the impacts school closings have had, and who said she will work to make sure classrooms stay open for in-person instruction.

He explained why he is running for election.

Ada Nestor

Age: 35

Position Sought: School Director, West Chester Area School District, Region 1

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: (I) became a single mom at age 18 but am now married and have a daughter in college and two sons in the West Chester Area School District, one of whom has special needs.

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

Education: Becoming a single mom at age 18 meant that I had to forego college and forge a different path in life. I have worked tirelessly to raise my children, provide for my family, hold down a job, all while facing a challenging chronic illness. While I might not have a college degree, my husband and I are the proud parents of a daughter who will soon graduate from college.

Occupation: 15 years in Residential Construction, Supply Chain and Bookkeeping

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking elective office?: Running for political office was never an aspiration for me until COVID-19 school closures forced me to take a look at the struggle that my own children and other children in the district were facing as a result of being forced to learn at home. While my primary motivation to run for school board was born from the school closures, I have developed a set of key issues that I will address if elected.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is: “Keeping kids in school.” Our schools have been open on a part-time basis until very recently. This created a burden on families. From the start of the school year, families should have had options for five days in-person or cyber. Every parent should have the choice about which option is best for their family.
I hope to fix the mistakes that have been made, remove the failing policies and curriculum to foster a loving and accepting community, to introduce term limits — two-term max — and to advance the success of ALL students, and more!

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: As a Hispanic mom with Hispanic children, the educational disparity between black and brown children and their white counterparts saddens and angers me. This chasm existed pre-COVID-19 but the divide is deepening and the district is not doing enough to address this. As a board member, I would study the data, ask hard questions of the district administrators, and would work towards addressing COVID-19 learning loss, and would then work to foster true community and inclusiveness among all races and ethnicities in our schools.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the district?: My opponent has missed more school board meetings over the past four years than all other board members combined. My opponent has voted consistently to keep schools closed. If it were up to my opponent, all children would still be attending school remotely. It is time for a newly elected board member to represent the underprivileged and underserved families in Region 1.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: The district ran $8 million over budget last year and I believe the board needs to work towards fiscal responsibility and accountability. The board should consider reviewing all contracts, administrative salaries, and budgets to find areas where we can reduce the overspending that has plagued the district over the last two years.
One way to increase revenue to the district is to work to attract students who have left the district — taking tax dollars with them — due to the current school board choosing remote learning over in-person learning. In addition, I believe that we need to protect our teachers’ salaries, rights, and pension programs, while fostering a safe environment for them to return, full time, to the classroom.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?: As a rape survivor, I spent years after my attack volunteering with the local Crime Victims Center to help train their new advocates. I have also spoken to local police departments, at colleges and universities, as well as to local women's events. I have walked through a lot of adversity in my life and I am passionate about giving back to my community and I will work tirelessly for our district if I am elected to the board.

The best advice ever shared with me was: To never give up and to always give people a chance.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?: First and foremost, I am a Hispanic parent who has been bullied by small groups of white women in the community since announcing my campaign for school director. I was a single mom at the age of 18 and have overcome my share of adversity to get where I am today. Most of the people criticizing me and my platform claim to care about the minority children in our district, and if that were true, they would not be targeting me with their baseless claims.
I decided to run for school board because I was appalled at how our district was failing our low-income and minority students with remote learning. I was appalled that the district criticized the parents who brought this issue to light. The largest minority group in our district are Hispanic students, and yet, very few people advocate on their behalf. While I identify as Hispanic, I stand for EVERY student, ALL races, ALL ethnicities, and ALL genders, because EVERY child deserves to have the opportunity to succeed.

View Ada Nestor's campaign website here.