Mike Woodin - Avon Grove School Board Candidate

I am excited and humbled to join the Avon Grove School Board! I truly appreciate everyone who supported my candidacy and put their trust in me - in all sincerity, thank you!

I look forward to listening, learning and collaborating with our community in support of our kids, our teachers and our district. Only together can we succeed.



P.S. I am seeking to collect my yard signs - please message me if you have any and I’ll come by to pick them up.

🌧 It’s a beautiful 🙄 day to vote! 🌧

Great to see so many friends, neighbors and supporters turn out to vote!

5 hours to go - I am splitting my time between the following polling locations today:

📍West Grove Fire Co. Station 32 on 1517 New London Road (London Britain Township’s Polling Place), and
📍Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (Franklin Township’s Polling Place)

👋Come on by to say hi! The polls are open until 8 pm.

👉 Tomorrow (Nov 2 from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM) is Election Day!

I will split my time between the following polling locations:

📍West Grove Fire Co. Station 32 on 1517 New London Road (London Britain Township’s Polling Place), and
📍Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (Franklin Township’s Polling Place)

Thank you to everyone who has visited this page, checked out the FAQs on my web site (WoodinAGSD.com), watched my YouTube channel, answered my knock at the door, attended meet and greets and spread the word.

I am proud to bring something different to the school board race:

✅ a self-funded candidate who is in the race to rally our community in support of our kids and our teachers, who are heroes. I wrote this opinion editorial back in March and stand by every word today: https://issuu.com/adpropublications/docs/rev_press_03-24-21

✅ someone who isn't afraid to say what he believes in (I have answered your questions publicly on Facebook since my campaign started. Whether I’m talking on your doorstep, to local media, on Facebook or via the FAQs on my web site, you’re getting a real-time, honest answer directly from me, which you as an AGSD community member deserve.)

✅ someone who values integrity: as a man of faith, I am driven to be honest and respectful. I hold these principles in high regard and will do my best to incorporate them into my decision making as a board member

✅ expertise in finance and capital planning: this will serve us well as we invest in our district and drive transparency in how taxpayer dollars are spent. I’m accustomed to providing this transparency in my professional life and to building consensus based on what’s best for student education

✅ a leader who wants to restore T.R.U.S.T. (transparency, respect, unity, strength and togetherness) in the Avon Grove community so that we can roll up our sleeves and support our students, teachers and schools. Parents and community members: We have a critical role to play in our kids’ education and in raising kind, future-ready humans. Our teachers are amazing but they can’t and shouldn’t have to do it alone. Your involvement matters.

✅ a people over politics approach: I appreciate support from neighbors across all party affiliations. On several occasions I've posted on my page who the other Region 1 candidates are (repeated again below) because I want voters to be well informed. I’ll share them here again:

➡️ 🌟 Mike Woodin 🌟

➡️ Bruce Belcher: https://www.sb4ag.org

➡️ Ruchira Singh: https://www.sb4ag.org

➡️ Lynn Weber (incumbent) – Lynn Weber for School Board

See you at the polls!

Mike Woodin - Avon Grove School Board Candidate updated their info in the about section.

When our girls were born I vowed to protect them, to teach them to be strong 💪 and kind ☺️ . Now as we go through the process of adopting our son, we are back to navigating diaper changes and teething and just wanting him to know how much we love him and that he is part of our family and our hearts. ❤️

It makes me think of the proverb: It takes a village to raise a child. 🙌

I know how important it is to trust the people who influence your kids’ education. I also know how important it is to be active in our kids’ education, because our teachers cannot - and should not have to - do it alone. Our teachers are heroes - but they need our help too! 🤝🤝

I want your kids and mine to get the best education at Avon Grove, and to know that their community values them. I want us to walk alongside our schools, helping those in need, encouraging our teachers and raising great kids who use their talent and education to make the world a better place. 🌎

This picture sums up our family perfectly - trying to get a perfect shot, but in reality this is the “perfect” shot of us.

My kindergartener earned enough “Bucket Points” to take a stuffed animal to school today and - in a twist that won’t surprise any parent — we got to morning drop-off only to realize she left hers at home.

So I took a conference call from the road and headed back to PLE with a skunk for a copilot.*

🧐 What does this have to do with the elections on November 2nd?

AG teachers and staff work hard to foster a positive learning environment for our kids, whether it’s encouraging "Bucket Fillers" or teaching math. But they can’t do it alone. As parents, caregivers and community members, we have to step up too.

✅ I’m running for school board in Region 1 (Franklin and London Britain townships) because I have skin in the game. My three kids have 30+ years to go in Avon Grove schools. My family moved here for the strong schools and I want them to continue to be a selling point. I also want our teachers to feel blessed to work here. It is also important to me that the community have timely, transparent two-way communication around AG curriculum, finances and policies. If elected to school board, I will advocate for this. I have a proven track record of professional leadership and serving our community. Check out my web site for more info on my background and FAQs: www.WoodinAGSD.com

📅 There are some important dates leading up to the November 2 election:
📌 Register to vote by 10/18
📌 Many of you take pride in voting in person but if you will be out of town or unable to go to the polls on 11/2, you must request a mail-in or absentee ballot by 10/26
📌 Learn more here: https://www.vote.pa.gov/About-Elections/Pages/Upcoming-Elections.aspx

🙌 Beyond our vote, there is so much we the community can do to support our schools. Join the PTA. Tutor a student. Offer a safe place for kids to play after school. Respond when families in our district are in need. Teach our kids that they can disagree with someone and still be friends. Remove the stigma around mental health. Practice math facts. Coach a sports team. Volunteer with the band. Speak respectfully about our neighbors. Offer internships or jobs to high schoolers. The list goes on, and many of you already do this so well.

🤝 Together we can raise a generation of youth who use their innate talents and solid education to make the world a better place.

*Yes, we’re working on accountability with our daughter and yes, she needs to experience the consequences of failing to listen when my wife and I tell her to put her things in her backpack. But tell that to those big tears rolling down her five-year-old cheeks at drop off. 😭

Hello Avon Grove friends and neighbors,

🏫 For those that had to send kiddos off to school this morning, don't you wish you could be a fly on the wall seeing how their first day back is going?! :) Or, are you simply enjoying the sounds (or lack there of) of an empty house?! 😉

🚌 This morning my wife and I put our two little girls (4th and kindergarten 😢) on the bus without even giving it a second thought that they have the innate freedom and opportunity to go to school. It's sobering to consider that many girls and women around the world do not have that same liberty.

🙌 So as we embark on this new school year, we are grateful to have access to education and to be part of a community that values it!

✅ After attending 'meet the teacher' events with the girls, I am reminded how much work our teachers and staff have put into creating an environment where our learners feel welcome. If you see a teacher, thank that teacher!

🤝 I look forward to continuing to meet and engage with you in the coming months around how we can work together as a community to go But for now - I can't wait to have the girls back home to hear about their first day!

🏗 It was great to see so many “beaming” faces 😁 at last night’s beam signing for the new high school.

👏Thank you to the administrators and staff for including the community in this way. It was fun to see kids and parents alike explain what aspect of the building they are excited about and — although as a Dad I can’t help but hope that time slows down before my own kids are old enough for high school - their enthusiasm was contagious!

My wife and I had the opportunity to host and hang out with about 50 staff and teenage StreetLeaders from UrbanPromise Wilmington last night. UrbanPromise is all about reaching children, raising leaders and restoring community 🙌

✅ The StreetLeader program is making a difference in the lives of teens in Wilmington by offering job training, leadership development, tutoring, employment, mentoring and college prep. The teenage StreetLeaders have the opportunity to gain a sense of confidence, independence, responsibility, accountability and teamwork.

🚸 The StreetLeaders play a pivotal role in caring for and mentoring the youth in the UrbanPromise summer camps - the children of Wilmington look up to them as role models at the camps and beyond.

📍 This organization and their impact is happening just 30 minutes from our community. It's a great organization to get involved with - check out their page if you are interested in learning more about the great work that they do in one of our neighboring communities.

Today we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I hope we show our gratitude every day and support those who serve or served on our behalf.

😁 A big thank you to all those who were able to support my campaign by putting a sign in the ground!

🥷 Swift like a ninja, I have been picking them up as I see them, but still have several more to collect. If you have one, please message me and I’ll stop on by to pick it up.

👏 Thanks again to everyone for your support!

📣 Well, we made it through May 18th! The unofficial results are in and it looks like all 4 candidates will be advancing to the General Election in November.

❤️ First and foremost, I couldn’t have made it this far without the support from my family - my wife and kiddos have been my rock during this campaign and I’m incredibly blessed to have had them at my side!

👏 A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me thus far - the support and encouragement from friends (new and old), family, neighbors and community members has been incredible!

🎉 Congrats to Singh & Belcher for Avon Grove School Board and Lynn Weber for School Board

🔗 Link to ChesCo Results: https://pennsylvania.totalvote.com/Chester/ResultsSW.aspx?type=SCD&cid=03&map=CTY

✅ please like and follow this page to stay in the loop 😃

It’s great to see so many neighbors and friends who are

⏱ Less than 3 hours to go - come on out if you haven’t had a chance yet. Polls close at 8 pm!

☀️ It’s a beautiful day to vote! ☀️

I will be splitting my time between the following polling locations today:

📍West Grove Fire Co. Station 32 on 1517 New London Road (London Britain Township’s Polling Place), and
📍Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (Franklin Township’s Polling Place)

👋Come on by to say hi! The polls are open until 8 pm - I’ll be out here all day!

📣 The primary election is tomorrow! I hope I’ve offered something different to this school board race:

📌 a self-funded candidate who is in the race for the right reasons (to rally our community in support of our kids)
📌 someone who isn't afraid to say what he believes in (I have answered your questions publicly on Facebook since my campaign started. Whether you’re talking to me on your doorstep, on Facebook or reading the FAQs on my web site, you’re getting a real-time, honest answer)
📌 someone who values integrity: as a man of faith, I am driven to be honest, transparent and to treat everyone with love, kindness and respect. I hold these principles in high regard and will do my best to incorporate them into my decision making as a board member
📌 expertise in finance and capital planning: this will serve us well as we invest in our district and drive transparency
📌 a people over politics approach: I've posted on my page who the other candidates are (repeated again below), and I've contacted them to offer to share their literature as I go door to door (not everyone accepted my offer and that is ok!)
📌 a leader who wants to restore T.R.U.S.T. (transparency, respect, unity, strength and togetherness) in the Avon Grove community so that we can roll up our sleeves and support our students, teachers and schools.

🗳 I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at the voting polls. I will be splitting my time between the following polling locations:

📍 West Grove Fire Co. Station 32 on 1517 New London Road (London Britain Township’s Polling Place), and
📍 Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (Franklin Township’s Polling Place)

🔔 As a reminder: I will be on both the Republican and Democratic ballots. I am a registered Republican and while many local Republicans have expressed their support, so have local Democrats who have worked alongside me in the community or taken the time to learn what I stand for. I am not reliant on a political organization or community group to represent what I stand for.

🐄 And yes, I have been asked why my name is on “the barn”.

🤔 For anyone scratching their heads over this question, there is a highly visible barn on Rt 896 that some people seem to feel strongly about one way or another. I am thankful to have my name on numerous barns and in various lawns across our community. I appreciate the support of farmers, the horse community and others in the AG (no pun intended 😉) industry - I am self funding my campaign 💲 and welcome anyone who wants to help spread the word that I’m in the race.

🌟 In defense of barns, my favorite person was born in a barn. I myself grew up mucking horse 🐴 stalls, which has given me a unique ability not only to work hard but also to recognize poo when I see it (thanks Mom!).

✅ Because I desperately believe our community needs more transparency and less politics, I have previously shared a link to all of the Region 1 candidates on my page (via posts and in comments) because I want voters to be well informed. I’ll share them here again:

➡️ ⭐️ Mike Woodin ⭐️
➡️ Bruce Belcher: Singh & Belcher for Avon Grove School Board
➡️ Ruchira Singh: Singh & Belcher for Avon Grove School Board
➡️ Lynn Weber (incumbent) – Lynn Weber; also tune into prior or future board meetings to see her in action: https://vimeo.com/showcase/board

👋 See you at the polls!

⭐We share a goal⭐: Providing the best opportunities for students to grow in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math while supporting their creativity and confidence through vibrant extracurriculars.

🗳 I'm running a SELF-FUNDED campaign as a passionate parent and community member. ❤️💛 My name will be on both the Republican and Democratic ballots on May 18.

✅ As School Board Director, I’ll build trust between school leadership and our community through:

📌 judicious listening
📌 better communication with local families as well as community members
📌 transparent decision-making
📌 promoting a spirit of respect and unity among the Board, administration, staff and community

💲 I’m experienced in finding the right balance for education and fiscal responsibility. Spending should be transparent and in line with a strategic plan that has clear rationale on how each budget item delivers the best education for our kids, which in turn helps our community.📚

I’m committed:

👂to listening to what our teachers and support staff need to deliver the best education for our students
🧱 to strategic investments in our buildings, prioritizing making them safe - adhering to current construction life safety codes and security protocol
🤝 to rallying parents/caregivers and the broader community to support our schools

Hello Everyone 👋,

📣 I have chosen to cancel this evening's event at Nichol Park so that it does not conflict with the School Board Special Curriculum Committee meeting that will be held at 6:00 p.m. According to the description in Tuesday's board meeting, tonight's meeting will be a presentation on expectations for the fall.

✅ If you are interested in attending the virtual board meeting, please find details here: https://www.avongrove.org/.

👍 I look forward to future conversations and opportunities to engage with you all!

Hi Everyone 👋,

As I’ve done in prior posts, I want to share what I stand for, in response to recent frequently asked questions:

❓ Are you affiliated with any local community advocacy groups?

✅ As far as I know, I am the only Region 1 candidate who is self-funded. I did this intentionally because I am neither reliant on nor influenced by any third party. To be direct: if you rely on Parents 4 PA Schools or Avon Grove Community for Strong Schools to form your opinion on school board candidates, I would instead encourage you to look at the communications I have shared to date, contact me with any questions and do the same for all candidates. Be sure to inquire not only what we candidates stand for, but also what guides our decision making. I make decisions based on careful listening, my own professional and volunteer experience, my personal integrity (as a father, neighbor and man of faith) and the fact that my three kids are impacted by the decisions at hand.

❓ How will you tackle Avon Grove’s challenges?

✅ As School Board Director I’ll listen to the challenges and opportunities that our teachers and staff identify, and help ensure the Board/administration are united in addressing them. I will also listen to the perspectives of our parents/caregivers and community members, then work with the Board and administrators to ensure that our buildings, curricula, extra curricular programs, staff, technology and other resources all come together to prepare our students to apply their abilities in a positive way.

❓ Do you support parents writing the curriculum?

✅ I do not believe parents should write the curriculum, however, I believe that parents should be offered a voice when developing the curriculum and should have transparency about what is in it.

❓ Do you support building the new high school and investing money into our schools?

✅ I am excited about the opportunities our new high school will bring to students and I definitely support strategic investment in our facilities, with a focus on adhering to current construction life safety standards and security protocol. Check out my prior posts on why my background aligns well in this area.

👏 If you made it this far into my post, thank you! I hope it provides transparency into who I am. I look forward to working with anyone who wants to build on our district’s strengths and contribute to our bright future.

👋 Thanks for the great conversations this week. To follow on my recent posts, here are my views on two additional FAQs:

❓: Which political party are you affiliated with and will you only represent the views of that party?

✅: I am a registered Republican, but I am running a self funded campaign as a passionate parent and community member. My name will be on both the Republican and Democratic ballots on May 18th. While many local Republicans have expressed their support, so have local Democrats who have worked alongside me in the community or taken the time to learn what I stand for. I am not reliant on a political organization or community group to represent what I stand for. I will make decisions for our schools based on the fact that I have actual skin in the game (my 3 children have a cumulative 35 years of AG schooling to go 😲) and I believe well-equipped youth are the bedrock of our future.

❓: How will you balance investment in our schools versus the needs of neighbors with fixed incomes?

✅: In my professional life, I play an integral role in UD's short and long range capital planning efforts for all new buildings and major renovation projects to ensure success for University students. I’m EXPERIENCED in finding the right balance for education and fiscal responsibility.

I believe spending should be TRANSPARENT and in line with a strategic plan that has clear rationale on how each budget item delivers the best EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS, which in turn helps our community.

🏫 Buildings matter, but not as much as the people ❤️💛 in them. I’m committed:

✔️ to listening to what our teachers and support staff need to deliver the best education for our students
✔️ to prioritizing investments in making our buildings safe, adhering to current construction life safety codes and security protocol. My loved ones -- and yours -- are in these buildings
✔️ to rallying parents/caregivers and the broader community to support our schools

🔔 As a reminder, next week is Teacher Appreciation Week 👏! If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’re stronger when we work together and that is why STRENGTH 💪 and TOGETHERNESS 🤝 are key pillars of my T.R.U.S.T. platform.

Hi Everyone 👋,

I hope you'll join me TOMORROW 8-10 am at the BigYellowMug at 125 Saginaw Rd ☕️🥤or May 6 at Nichol Park, the next stops on my Listening Tour 👂.

🏡 I'll have yard signs and both English & Spanish handouts

⭐ I'm thrilled my web site is now available in Spanish - just click the "English" button at the bottom and translate instantly: https://woodinagsd.com/

🗓 The Primary Election is 20 days away: I hope to earn your vote on May 18th