A member of Bristol Township School District’s Board of School Directors since 2015, Amanda Geist can make an impact state-wide with her new role. She is now a member of the Pennsylvania School Board Association’s (PSBA) Legislative Platform Committee, which decides what issues will be part of PSBA’s legislative platform for the year.
“I’ve always been a huge public school advocate,” says Geist. She has taught in the School District of Philadelphia since 2009 and currently teaches 10th and 11th grade English. “I’ve seen what public policy can do for school districts and how important good policies are.”
One of the legislative priorities that PSBA and Geist are passionate about is school funding. Pennsylvania ranks 45th in the country in the state’s share of funding for public schools, with the state covering only 37% of public education costs.
“On the committee, I will make sure that the initiatives PSBA is supporting are beneficial for Bristol Township School District and districts like Bristol Township will benefit the most from increased state funding,” said Geist.
She has been involved with PSBA since she joined the district’s Board of School Directors in 2015. She has also participated in PSBA’s Advocacy Day and served as a voting delegate numerous times.
“I’ve always been passionate about advocacy, so it’s exciting to have this opportunity,” said Geist.
“We are proud of Amanda’s new leadership role and look forward to seeing the positive change she will help create,” said Board President James Morgan.