Former board member urges closer ties between Northwestern Lehigh SD and Circle of Seasons charter school
Summary
A resident, former board member and pastor told the school board that Circle of Seasons is doing well and urged joint meetings, visitations and better communication between the district and the charter school. A local church offered volunteer and financial support for schools.
During the board’s public-comment period, Sterling Ritter, a Northwestern alumnus, former school board member and retired German teacher who is now pastor at Saint Peter's Linville UCC Church, urged the board to improve lines of communication and collaboration with Circle of Seasons charter school.
Ritter told the board he has three family members who attended Circle of Seasons — "one is still presently in seventh grade" — and described their academic progress. "The school is, in my educator's opinion, doing a tremendous job," Ritter said, adding that the Waldorf-style program is different from a traditional classroom but can be successful with the right teachers. He said he has visited the school, attended events and spoken with the school's principal, and proposed joint visitations and possibly a joint school board meeting to build understanding.
Ritter said he had expected the Circle of Seasons principal, Joey, and his son-in-law Dave to attend the meeting but learned they were not present; he told the board he planned to request personal meetings with the district superintendent and the charter school's principal to discuss improved coordination. He also said he intends to attend future board meetings to support better relations.
Also speaking during the public-comment period, Crystal Bilby identified herself as representing Harvest Church and offered the congregation's help "in any way possible from volunteering, help with money, senior class stuff, anything that the church can do to help out families, individual schools, or the school board." The board took no action on the public comments during the meeting; the remarks were filed under the communications section.
Ritter and Bilby’s remarks were delivered during the board’s courtesy-of-the-floor public comment slot; the board’s agenda did not include any item formally proposing partnerships or agreements with Circle of Seasons at this meeting.
