Region 1- Kutztown Borough

Region 1 - Kutztown Borough

(Vote for 2)

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Steve Morris

- Return Power to Parents in Education

- Teach Academics over Ideologies

- Advocate for Mental Health as 20+ year Counselor in Berks County Prison

- Fiscal Conservative

ConcernedCitizensoftheKASD@outlook.com

P.O. Box 223, Lenhartsville, PA 19534

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I am a 52-year-old married father of 2 currently living in Kutztown. I have one child attending Kutztown Elementary and another that graduated from Kutztown HS in 2022. He is currently serving in the US Navy. I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Kutztown University in 1999. After obtaining my degree, I became a Counselor at the Berks County Prison, and have been employed there for the past 22+ years.

As a counselor, I’ve assisted people from all walks of life. Whether it’s men who are accused of a crime and waiting for trial, or already convicted and sentenced, they’re still human beings who face some serious stress and need some help to walk through it. Despite diverse backgrounds, they have a few things in common. Some of them were sexually abused as children, many of whom were told to keep "secrets" from their parents, so predators could continue to exploit them. A large portion of them were sexualized at a young age, particularly through exposure to pornography. The Internet only made this trend worse.

I know from my training in psychology and experience as a counselor that pornography is nearly as dangerous to a child as drugs or alcohol. That’s why I’m appalled that our School District would allow sexually explicit material into our schools claiming it has “literary value” to help “marginalized students.” Pornography doesn’t belong in our schools, and it doesn’t matter if it’s gay or straight. That’s not “book banning.” Common sense dictates the obligation to set standards for determining how taxpayer dollars will be used to stock the limited shelves of our public school libraries.

Parental rights are an important issue facing public institutions nationwide, including Kutztown. I’ve attended many school board meetings in the past two years where I’ve heard several times we must “trust the educator/teacher” and “you wouldn’t tell a doctor how to do their job.” We should not just blindly trust those in power. Certainly, educators have experience and insight that needs to be respected. This isn’t about questioning the methods for teaching academic basics like math and reading. Rather, this is a concern about the promotion of ideologies such as gender fluidity and sexual orientation inside the classroom, without regard for a parent’s right to guide their children’s exposure and discussion on these topics. Great educators advocate for students- but never at the expense of a student's relationship with their family. No educator should EVER have “secrets” with the pupils they teach.

As a school director, I will emphasize the need for our students to build critical thinking skills. When students are only presented with one side of a controversial issue, we rob them of opportunities to evaluate information and form their own opinion. I will advocate for adherence to our long-standing policies of the neutral presentation of controversial topics, independent of a teacher's personal ideological viewpoint. When viewpoints are presented, it cannot be done in a manner that promotes one over the other. It must be done in a manner that breeds discussion -- instead of intolerance for those who may have different opinions.

Increased transparency and a returned focus on academics (over ideologies) are what is needed in our schools today. We owe this not only to our students -- the future of our community -- but also to our parents and taxpayers who trust us to be good stewards.

These are just some of the important issues currently affecting our students and families within KASD. I bring a unique perspective as a counselor in the prison system, making me best equipped to deal with these issues and make the best decisions for ALL of our students. These issues go beyond Democrat and Republican; they are right and wrong issues.

Please consider me as your choice for School Director choice in the Kutztown Borough.

Myers

Brad Myers

- US Army Combat Veteran

- Prepare Students to Excel in a World of Diverse Perspectives

- Help Students Avoid & Overcome Substance Abuse

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ConcernedCitizensoftheKASD@outlook.com

P.O. Box 223, Lenhartsville, PA 19534

Watch Brad's Video

My name is Brad Myers. I am 35 years old and originally from Westport, CT. I served 4-years in the United States Army as a combat Infantryman, and completed one combat tour in Iraq. By the time I was 22 years old, I experienced all the good, the bad and the pain the world has to offer more than most people will ever experience in their lifetime. These experiences have shaped me, instilling a dedication to service as part of a core value of my beliefs. I am the father to 2-year-old twin boys with another child due to arrive this June. I am married to the most amazing wife, Kristen. My wife was born in Allentown, grew-up in the Lehigh Valley, and knew that the Kutztown Area School District was one of the best places to live in Pennsylvania. We made the decision to plant our roots here and start a family.

I am the oldest of 5 siblings and was forced to become an adult at a very young age. My parents divorced when I was 5 years old. It was not only incredibly painful, but it was brutal. My mother, who I loved dearly, committed suicide when I was 11. Experiencing this type of pain and loss in my vital years of adolescence helped shape me into the man I am today. I do not complain, nor do I blame myself or others for my situation.

Yet, ‘Educational Equity’ narratives found in schools nationwide, including Kutztown, would say that I come from a place of privilege solely based on the fact that I am a white, cis-gender male. These judgements at face value diminish individual experiences. If experiencing divorce of your parents, death of your mother and growing up without her ever seeing you hit your lifetime milestones is a privilege, then I wish this upon no one. I believe that all children regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs should be afforded the same educational opportunities equally.

At the same time, I realize some students with disabilities need extra resources. I was one of you growing up! I was not the greatest student in school, as I struggled due to my ADHD. To be frank, I was told by my teachers that I would amount to nothing and would never go to college. College was forced on students at my public school system, but it’s not for everyone. I always respected and enjoyed working with my hands, but there was no option for vocational high schools for me. I wish this was, because blue collar workers are the backbone of our society. I believe we need to provide stronger pathways for vocational learning.

The Army was the greatest decision I ever made. I was lost as a young man, and what the Army did was tear down my walls to nothing and build me from the bottom up. I am extremely grateful for my experience because I was able to live not only around the country and see what else the United States is made of, but I also was able to see just how amazing we have it. Before we deployed to Iraq, our Sgt. Major circled us all up together and gave a speech. The words still haunt me today, because they became true. “Gentleman, take a look around you, look at the men to your left, right, behind, and in front of you. Some of you will not make it home.” The sad reality is that I did have to experience the loss of a brother in combat. The Army taught me the importance of critical thinking and perseverance. It taught me that the best decisions are the ones made when you understand both sides of a situation and remove emotions from the equation. In our world of ‘cancel-culture’, I want to ensure our children are learning both sides of a subject so they can form their own independent decisions. Our students need to be able to speak freely and debate, without fear of being silenced.

After I left the Army, the structure that served me so well was no longer there. The emptiness came back as I struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) so I tried to fill it with alcohol. After assistance through the VA, I have been sober since February 19, 2014. Since then, I spend a lot of my time volunteering for sobriety houses, helping others who struggle with addiction to drugs or alcohol.

As a father with young children, I believe our students get the best education when there is a strong and respectful partnership between the school system and the parents. Parents are the experts of their children and must have a voice in school policy and curriculum. Public education can only succeed when parents are viewed as a vital partner in the process of teaching academics. Any attempts to block transparency with parents on curriculum/resources under the guise of ‘trusting the experts’ must be removed. I stand for creating common sense standards that disallow materials with sexually explicit content to be purchased with tax-payer dollars to be stored in our finite library spaces.

I believe my life experiences have uniquely prepared me to represent the Kutztown Borough as a School Director for KASD. I want everyone to know that I am a willing servant to my community and not the other way around. It would be an honor to represent Kutztown.

Education

US Army: Served 4 Years Active Duty as a Combat Infantryman with 1 Combat Tour in Iraq
BS: Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University
MBA: Finance and Management from DeSales University