Thank You

When I sat in the hallway outside the Essex County Clerk’s Office in July, trying to think of a three-word slogan for my Board of Education run, the words “Transparency, Accountability, Dignity” quickly came to mind.

Creativity

The rewriting of curricula presents a clear opportunity to bring true innovation to our schools and develop a forward-looking vision for a 21st century student body.

Overcrowding

Twenty-eight percent. A whopping 28 percent of students in South Orange and Maplewood do not attend their “zoned” schools, according to the district’s own figures.

Safety

One of the issues that led me to run for the Board of Education was student safety, particularly the way that our children were subjected to traumatic lockdown drills and the complete lack of transparency around them for parents.

Facilities

Our children deserve a safe and healthy learning environment. For far too long, our district has neglected routine maintenance and repairs that have only gotten worse with time, and driven up the costs for future generations.

Diversity

The Black Parents Workshop, Inc., provided a questionnaire to all of the candidates for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education in the November 6, 2018 election. These are my responses in full as submitted.

Special Education

Here are my responses to the South Orange/Maplewood Special Education Parent Advisory Committee, or SEPAC SOMA.

Why I’m Running

Let’s move SOMSD forward with three things in mind: Transparency. Accountability. Dignity.

Transparency

Whether the issue has to do with budget priorities, staffing decisions or changes in direction within the district, clear, complete and timely communication is absolutely essential.

Accountability

The single most important decision to be made by the Board of Education will be the selection of the next superintendent — a role that will have a profound, far-reaching effect on an entire generation of students in the South Orange-Maplewood School District.