By Dana Roberts • The Cardinal Contributing Writer
Get to Know a Doylestownian is a monthly feature in which a Doylestown resident or person of interest helps us get to know them better by finishing sentences we provide, in any way they see fit. For September, back-to-school month, we interviewed Tabitha Dell’Angelo, member of the Central Bucks School Board, Doylestown Borough resident, and mother of two children who attend school in the district. Read on to learn all about her, including her fun nickname, what it’s like to be on the School Board, and her favorite spot in town.
My full name is…Tabitha Dell’Angelo.
My nicknames are… Tabby, Tab, Taboo.
I grew up in… South Philadelphia and South Jersey.
My first job was… waitressing in a Bingo Hall at age 12.
I graduated from… Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, NJ, Rowan University for Special Education and University of Pennsylvania in Applied Psychology and Human Development.
I’ve lived in Doylestown… for 16 years.
My family includes… a lot of people, I am Italian! But my immediate family includes my husband, my two boys and my fur babies.
I met my husband… on-line! Aren’t we so 21st century? One of our first dates was to see the movie Shadow of a Vampire. Our mutual love of movies and Charles Nelson Reilly connected us right away.
Our favorite thing to do as a couple is… talk, travel, or just hang out. He really is my best friend.
Adopting our son from Thailand at age 6… was a whirlwind. We were matched with him when he was 4 years old. I got to visit him in Thailand twice while traveling for work. But we waited 2 years to bring him home. Now it feels like he was always part of our family.
Being the parent of teenagers is… such a gift but also anxiety producing.
We chose to settle in Doylestown because… we moved from Philly and really wanted to be in a place where we could walk places and know our neighbors.
Our house is… on a vibrant block with amazing neighbors. We are also close enough to school so our children can walk to school.
My full-time job is… professor of education at The College of New Jersey. I teach courses in Child & Adolescent Development, Research, Educational Foundations, and specialized courses on incorporating the arts and play into teaching to meet the needs of all students.
I decided to run for school board because… I saw an opportunity to use my background and knowledge to amplify the voices and needs of students and teachers in authentic ways.
The campaign process for school board was… a huge learning experience.
My school board term… started in November 2021 and lasts until November 2023.
The area I represent for school board is… Region 8, which includes Doylestown Borough and Doylestown Township 3 & 6.
Most people might not know that… the school board directors run by region but serve at large. Also, we are a collective, so majority rules.
If I could pick a song to play right before the school board meetings, it would be… either “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree or the theme song to the Benny Hill Show.
Being on school board requires… patience, a willingness to collaborate, acceptance that decisions will not always go your way, the ability to handle the feeling of letting people down but the resilience to keep working for what I believe is right, and between 5-20 hours of unpaid work per week that includes reading legislative briefs, policy, curriculum, emails, and participating in professional development webinars when I have time.
My favorite part of being on school board is… learning about the amazing work that many of our teachers are doing, the accomplishments of our students and meeting so many people from the community and hearing what is important to them.
The most challenging part of being on school board is… knowing when to step up and when to step back.
Being featured in major news publications and magazines because of the issues going on in the school board and in Central Bucks has been… a little bit unnerving. Being the center of attention is not the most comfortable spot for me.
After school board meetings… I usually try to watch a funny show to clear my head, take some deep breaths and try to get some sleep.
The TV shows I’m watching right now are… I Love That For You, Loot, Stranger Things, and Uncoupled. I am dying for The Great and the next season of The Great British Baking show to come back too.
Old favorite TV shows I always return to include… I Love Lucy, Arrested Development, and the old Looney Toons cartoons.
My favorite way to unwind is… watching great TV, playing card games with my kids, walking or running outside.
Right now, I’m reading… The Leavers by Lisa Ko and listening to A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum. I am usually reading one thing and listening to another at any given time.
My favorite books are… Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton and a new elementary novel called The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas. This list could just go on and on. If you want to do an entire issue of books, I’m in!
I typically wake up… at around 6:30 am and go to bed around 10:30 pm.
Our family’s go-to restaurant in town is… Lovebird in a pinch, Genevieve’s if we can spring for a special meal, and Native for coffee and yummy Thai breakfast.
My favorite place in Doylestown is… my front porch. I couldn’t possibly pick one store or park or spot.
Doylestown, for me, is… a community filled with loving kindness.
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