Park Q and A, 9/9/1999

*Council for America My Country*
*Seminar*	"To Empower to Practise Good Citizenship"

965 Clover Court, Blue Bell, PA 19422

T: (610) 277-0149

F: (610) 277-3992

E:camc@icasinc.org

Im Ja P. Choi	Director for Community Relations	Tae Shik Kwon	Deputy Director for Community Relations
Jenny Chung	Director for Voter Registration	Jae Jin Ma	Treasurer
Don Kim	Secretary (215) 542 - 1000	Young K. Park	Counselor
Il Hwan Kim	Director for Outreach	Ae Sook Yoon	Director for Ageing & Elder Care
Sang Joo Kim	Chairman

[Editor's note: The following is the text of the Q & A session with Young K. Park, a Republican candidate for Board of Education, Wissahickon School District, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, at the CAMC Seminar on September 9, 1999. sjk]

CAMC	:	Why are you running for the school board?
Park	:	I have been the beneficiary of good public education. Good education is the key for a better future. I cannot think of a single element that will have a greater impact on our children and our future. Without good education, our children cannot compete in this rapidly changing world. Without good education, we cannot maintain the prosperity of our community. As a member of the community, I always wanted to contribute to better education for our children. Our community is a diversified group of people, culture, and language. Likewise, our student body is becoming more diversified. This is a positive change and our community must encourage diversity because it will teach everyone the values and skills that are indispensable in the next century. I can bring diversity, values and skills to the school board, the teachers, the parents, and the students based on my experience and background.
CAMC	:	What will you do, if elected to the school board?
Park	:	I will be new to the school board, school system, administrators, teachers, and the student body. As a new comer, I will do my best to quickly find out the needs of every party involved. The most important element is providing the best education to our children at a reasonable cost. First, we must have good teachers. In order to have good teachers, we must provide quality working environment for the teachers. Otherwise, we would not be able to hire and maintain good teachers. Second, we must have a physical plant that is conducive to teaching and learning. Third, we must have reasonable school taxes, otherwise, this community will lose taxpayers to other communities. Without maintaining strong taxpayers in this community, we cannot provide good public education. Fourth, we must have qualified professional administrators. The administrators are the ones who manage day to day school activities. They are the first line managers. Juggling the above-mentioned issues is not an easy task, however, we must deal with those issues, because they are indispensable elements of providing good education.
CAMC	:	Why should this community support you in the November election, presuming you solicit its help?
Park	:	The community needs a good school board. The school board is responsible for the education of our children. Our children are the community's most important asset. We must elect the board members who are committed to provide the best education to our children. We need the board members who can identify and deal with the issues essential to providing good public education. As I mentioned in my answer to question 2, the board members have to be mindful of the issues concerning pubic education. The students, teachers, physical plants, administrators, and costs are essential elements of providing good education to our children. The board must come up with long-term objectives and strategies to sustain and improve our public education. As a product of the public school system, and as a businessman running a private law practice, I am well aware of the challenges facing the school board.
CAMC	:	Why should this community not support your opponent?
Park	:	The reasons to support my candidacy should answer this question. I will once again highlight the reasons to support me.
CAMC	:	What commitment do you offer to the community for its support?
Park	:	I will do my best to provide good education to our children. As I mentioned earlier, I will be a newcomer to the school board. There will be many issues about which I must learn. I promise to spend the time and effort necessary to quickly identify the concerns challenging the school board. I will make decisions only after serious contemplation of all the issues and the interests of the involved parties. I will make a decision of conscience based on my best judgment in line with the objectives of the school board. Every decision I make will have a direct consequence to my own family, because my own child will be attending the school system in a few years. You can be assured that I will not be making any decision lightly or for the interest of a single party involved.