Lehigh Valley superintendents, principals and other school officials gathered at the BASD District Education Center on Sycamore Street Oct. 28 for a forum with United States Assistant Secretary of Education Massie Ritsch.

The forum provided educators with the opportunity to present their triumphs in education in their districts, but also to voice their concerns about their district and the policies mandated by the Federal Government for Ritsch to take back to Washington, D.C.

Ritsch gave an update on the current state of education and measures that the president is currently focusing on. He described a new early childhood learning initiative that the president is working on that would invest $75 billion over 10 years in a partnership with states that would provide high quality full-day preschool to all four- year-olds from families whose incomes are at or below 200 percent of the poverty line. This program would be funded by a new tax on tobacco products.

"This is the smartest money you can spend. [We] are trying to deliver the most prepared kindergartners to your program," said Ritsch.

He then asked to hear from each of superintendents about what they are the most proud of and what keeps them up at night.

Nazareth Superintendent Dennis Riker was quick to tout the programs his schools offer their students, but mentioned that one of the things that worry him is being able to sustain these programs and teachers.

Many cited special education as something that worries them, along with money to sustain their programs.

Ritsch acknowledged that funding for special education programs had not come through as planned, but suggested that the solution for the high costs of special education in public schools is the new early childhood education intuitive. For every dollar spent on quality preschool programs it returns $7 to the district.

Another strong concern regards charter and cyber schools and the quality of education offered for the money the public schools are required to provide them.

People attending charter schools don't want to deal with groups of people that don't think and act the same way they do," said East Penn School Board President Charles Ballard.

Ritsch then posed a question to the audience, "What have you done to market your program"?

"We have done everything we can to create a community-based school with everything we have. [It's] an issue of poverty that the state and federal government don't understand. It needs to be backed up with money," said Sonia Vasquez of BASD.

While Ritsch listened to their concerns, he said that many are not things he can respond to and that they need to be addressed with the state.

Those gathered told him that Harrisburg had been informed and not much was being done to help.

He was urged to be more flexible with mandates not related to the classroom and collaborate with schools on sustainable mandates.