Panther Valley Superintendent David McAndrew Jr.’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the children in his district are well known locally.

On Thursday, his peers recognized his outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy on behalf of rural and small school districts statewide as he accepted the Rural Education Advocacy Award.

McAndrew received the award during the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small School Districts’ annual conference in Boalsburg.

McAndrew, who assumed the helm at Panther Valley in July 2020 amid a pandemic, also inherited the district’s involvement in a fair funding lawsuit, challenging how the state funds poor districts.

“His testimony during the Fair Funding Lawsuit was one of the key voices in pointing out the funding equity issues within the state,” wrote Robert Palazzo, elementary principal, in his letter nominating McAndrew for the award.

“It is an honor to be able to work aside him and support the work he does for our students and the greater community of schools within the PARSS network,” he wrote.

Palazzo pointed out Panther Valley’s GRIT, which McAndrew highlighted as a positive, not a negative, defining graduates and the community at large during his 2023 commencement speech.

“It means that you will not settle for less than the best. That you work hard and be proud of where you came from,” Palazzo wrote. “Some of our coaches even have it tattooed on their arm, because it has become a rallying cry for our sports teams.

“All rural schools need to show grit,” he wrote. “They are the underdog. Mr. McAndrew’s speech shows that these types of schools cannot be overlooked. There are great things happening in Panther Valley and other rural and small schools.”

Palazzo described McAndrew as a champion for rural and small schools who set up opportunities for state and federal legislators to visit, meet and discuss issues affecting Panther Valley, while showcasing the district’s achievements.

“Mr. McAndrew truly believes in the system of public education,” Palazzo wrote. “He stood on the stage and handed his own child his diploma this past June, he ties up the phone lines of local politicians to advocate for changes, and testified on behalf of thousands of students who have been provide an inequitable education.

“Mr. McAndrew demonstrates what it means to be an advocate,” he wrote.

McAndrew will receive a certificate and a Barnes and Noble gift card, and a traveling plaque with his name will be displayed at Panther Valley for the year.