Chris Polzer, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bristol Township School District, earned his Doctorate in Education Leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University.
He began the program on March 14, 2020, the day after schools closed for the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Working towards my doctorate for the past four years, it feels like I’m graduating with Truman’s graduating class,” said Polzer.
While he calls it his “pandemic” degree, the education community also refers to it as a “terminal” degree.
“It symbolizes the end of me earning degrees, but I’m never done learning,” said Polzer.
His dissertation focused on school funding in Pennsylvania and the lack of equity, as Pennsylvania is ranked 45 out of 52 states for funding. Polzer interviewed state members of the House of Representatives and current members of the State Senate. The topic of funding is being heavily debated in Pennsylvania right now with some legislators advocating for $5.1 billion in new funding for the state’s poorest schools and others advocating to use the money elsewhere.
“My research suggests that moving forward the state needs to figure out how much it costs to educate a student in PA. Identify a target, or average number, so everyone is speaking the same language when it comes to costs,” said Polzer.
Polzer has been working in Bristol Township School District since 2018. He earned his supervisor of special education certification from Penn State University, completed his master of education at Gwynedd-Mercy University and completed his bachelor’s degree at Kutztown University.
"Congratulations to Dr. Polzer," Board President James Morgan stated. "It is a well-deserved honor. He works very hard on behalf of the school community, and we look forward to his continuing efforts to promote student achievement throughout the district."
Photo courtesy of Levittown Now (Truman graduation 2023)