Flemming Godiksen is a Republican and Upper Southampton Township resident.
Why do you think you are qualified to effectively represent your community on the school board?
I worked 39 years in education starting in the classroom at Willow Dale Elementary school and then moving on to work in administration as a transition coordinator supporting work experience for students in all 16 high schools in Bucks County and private secondary schools. I have already been elected to represent the citizens of Upper Southampton twice on the school board. [I’ve] served as vice president for three years on the Centennial School Board; served on the education committee as chairperson for four years and been a member of the finance committee for seven years. I am also proud to be the school district’s representative on the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology executive board, having served two years as president and almost four years as vice-president. I have been elected by representatives of all the 13 school districts board members to represent Centennial School District on the Bucks County Intermediate #22 board for three years.
Educational background includes:
Bachelor of Science in Education from Socio-Educational University in Copenhagen, Denmark; Master Degree in Special Education from Penn State University, Great Valley, Pennsylvania.
Over the past few years we have seen attempts by some school boards across Bucks County, as well as Pennsylvania and the country, to either unilaterally ban books or make it easier for community members to challenge and have books banned, often by usurping the authority of librarians and administrative leadership. What is your position on book banning, and how will you implement policies to support faculty and students?
What is happening in other school districts is beyond any control of board members in Centennial. As chair person on the education committee in Centennial, we have not had any reason to remove books from libraries in the district. We regularly review books being recommended for purchase and [we] always consider if content is appropriate and non-offensive in nature. It is important to have a cross selection of book materials that correlates to each school library without offending students and community families. The selection process in the education committee provides guided input from teaching staff and administration to avoid book banning. It is important to recognize that not every book is recommended for board approval. We have current policies in place that allow for books of high interest for all groups of students, including books in foreign languages, to be selected. We recommend many books and materials to the full board regularly.
I am looking to develop some career experience for our high school students to become interested in education with hand-on activities in the elementary schools.
Decreasing teacher and staff retention is a growing issue school districts are facing. What is your role in the recruiting, interviewing and hiring process and what role can a school board serve to reverse this trend?
Centennial School District continues to be a district that is a preferred place to work in. Statewide we are seeing a decreased interest to work in education, mostly due to consistent negative press on education and not enough good news stories presenting the many success stories.
For the last five years I requested board members to be part of the interview process but the administration resisted. With the new superintendent in place we have had board members, including myself, teachers and in some cases teaching staff representing parents of the district and students [involved in] all the new administrative hirings. With my experience in education, I have recommended candidates to apply to Centennial School District from other districts, so we can get the best possible staff to further the progress of development of Centennial students’ success.
READ: In a Contentious 5-4 Vote, Centennial School Board Makes Abram Lucabaugh Their Next Superintendent
I am looking to develop some career experience for our high school students to become interested in education with hand-on activities in the elementary schools; and further the partnership with Bucks County Community College for introduction to and credits toward teaching certificates while at William Tennent High School.
What are the school board’s biggest challenges in the coming months; the next four years?
We are currently working to get the ideal administrative team completed. We already have in place a new superintendent that is changing the culture to be more inclusive and engaged with students, staff and community. We have hired a new assistant superintendent that will be coming from Quakertown Community School District. We have selected a new director and assistant director of student services that presented the district with an incredible plan to serve as guidance for the district. The biggest challenge is both short and long term as we begin the process of budget development; balancing the budget in and for the future. Special education will always be a challenge now, and in the future, as the costs keep creeping up. We will need to find ways to bring costs under control, while maintaining the high level of service. My feeling is that the difficulties in finding bus drivers and instructional support staff will also continue to be both long term and short-term issues. The uncompleted state budget is a hindrance as funds assigned to the district are held back until the approved budget is in place.
