Dickinson Leader Joins Carlisle School Board
George Stroud, vice president and dean of student life, was recently appointed to the school board for the Carlisle Area School District. Photo by Dan Loh.
Member of president's leadership team gives back to public schools
By MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
George Stroud is a longtime higher-ed professional and a father of three children who’ve attended public schools in Carlisle. When a position on the Carlisle Area School District board became available, he threw his hat in the ring—and was named to the board by unanimous vote.
“I really like the district and what it stands for—my children have had a wonderful experience there,” says Stroud, who has two children in Carlisle High School and a child in college, “and I want to make sure that my children and other children continue to have good educational opportunities.”
A Pennsylvania native who’s worked in higher ed for 30 years, Stroud moved to Carlisle five years ago, when he accepted a position as Dickinson’s vice president & dean of student life. He’s served on several boards and has also volunteered as a coach. He submitted his application for the school board after the sudden passing of school board member Gerald Eby. The board interviewed Stroud at the end of August and welcomed him aboard.
He’ll serve in an interim capacity until November, when he’ll be on the ballot for a full four-year term.
Stroud enters the CASD board at a charged time for public schools across America, which continue to grapple with the effects of educational disruption posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public-school curriculum has also become a matter of hotly contested political debate.
“I’m concerned about politics getting into public education, and it’s partly what inspired me to get involved with the board,” Stroud explains. “I truly believe that public education should not be a place where we restrict learning. We want to encourage students to learn to love learning and, in fact, seek out more information.”
As a school board member, Stroud will help meet that goal by identifying potential roadblocks to student success and determining solutions at the policy, program and process levels. It’s challenging work in a diverse district like Carlisle, which includes students who hail from both rural and suburban areas and from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. CASD also includes students who speak English as a second language and students with varying abilities, learning styles and postgraduation goals.
As a member of the president’s leadership team at a global institution and as a CASD parent, Stroud is well positioned to help. “I’m eager to work with the teachers and administrators to figure out how we can best prepare our students and meet their diverse needs."
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Published September 13, 2023