IN Fox Chapel Area Spring 2020 | Page 20

NEW FCASD BOARD MEMBERS Next Step for Educator is Serving on Board M arybeth Dadd, the School Board’s new vice president, has been an educator for many years, and, although she is engaged in various aspects of education, she has a “deep interest” in teaching and curriculum development. “As an educator, I feel serving on the Board is the next step in my work in this field. I want to help use the district’s resources to support the students as they progress through their educational experience,” she says. “My greatest area of interest is always what we can do as a district to give our students the best education possible. Ms. Dadd has taught middle and high school social studies, and has been a mentor and curriculum developer. She currently supervises student teachers at Duquesne University. She sees the district’s biggest strength as the teachers and staff members. “We have very dedicated, motivated, and hard-working teachers and staff in our district who really make a difference in children’s lives,” she says. In her spare time, Ms. Dadd is involved in the Dorseyville Middle School and O’Hara Elementary School PTOs. She is also one of the O’Hara parent representatives for Parent Advocates for Learning Support (PALS), and serves on the Green Foxes Committee and as a TAG (Traveling Art Gallery) volunteer at O’Hara Elementary. Ms. Dadd has a bachelor of arts degree in secondary education/social studies from Niagara University and a master of science degree in curriculum development and instructional technology from the University of Albany. She also has a graduate certificate in supervisor of curriculum and instruction from Duquesne University. Ms. Dadd, who was born and raised in New York, and her husband, Robert Sroufe, Ph.D., moved here from Boston and have lived in O’Hara for more than 12 years. They have two daughters, one who attends Dorseyville Middle School and one at O’Hara Elementary School. The family enjoys traveling and spending time with their black Lab, Olive. Retired Teacher Serves Students in Different Capacity F ox Chapel Area School Board member Ron Frank retired in 2018 after spending more than 40 years in the Fox Chapel Area School District as an art educator. “Moving away from the classroom meant more time for new opportunities to learn, to grow, and to serve,” Mr. Frank says. “Our residents and students are our greatest assets, and our schools are the most important community resources.” During his career, Mr. Frank had a wide variety of experiences inside and outside of the classroom. He coached football and baseball, and served as Fox Chapel Area’s head wrestling coach for 40 years. His coaching career victories are third all- time in WPIAL wrestling history, and he has continued on as a volunteer wrestling coach at the high school. Mr. Frank also says that his experiences in a wide variety of positions have taught him about the importance of collaborating with different groups in the pursuit of common goals. One of his biggest objectives is moving the district 18 FOX CHAPEL AREA forward with an eye on fiscal accountability. He also stresses that learning is about the whole academic experience, which includes core classes, as well as the arts, music, and extracurriculars. “Students learn and develop in many different ways, and grow in small increments each day and every year through many experiences,” Mr. Frank says. “We must maintain our great schools at a cost that is reasonable and affordable to our residents knowing that the majority do not have children in our schools.” Mr. Frank served as the president and vice president of the Fox Chapel Educators Association. He serves the local wrestling community in numerous volunteer capacities. He has also been the manager of the Chapel Gate pool for many years. Mr. Frank has an associate’s degree in fine arts from Community College of Allegheny County, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and postgraduate certification in elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Frank and his wife, Maureen, have resided in Indiana Township for more than 30 years. Their sons – Patrick, Michael, and Timothy – are all Fox Chapel Area High School graduates and reside with their families in the district. Mr. and Mrs. Frank have nine grandchildren.