I'm running for the Board of Education because I feel strongly about the importance of exceptional, comprehensive education that benefits both our students and our greater community. Having a premier school system attracts educationally-minded families and produces civically-minded young people. Instead of a collaborative environment with a shared focus on educational outcomes, Board Meetings have become a contentious experience: both with the attendees and within the Board itself. I want to work with, not against, my fellow board members and involve the community to build a partnership for everyone – those with and without children in the school system.

My educational background (graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with a degree in economics), my professional experience teaching and tutoring high schoolers (from students struggling with Algebra to those looking for a perfect 800 on the Math SAT), and my on-going commitment to the community (Co-President of the Montgomery Elementary Schools PTA; Co-President of the Montgomery Middle School PTO; secretary of the Montgomery Basketball Association; scheduler for the Montgomery Youth Lacrosse Club; and appointed voting member from Rocky Hill for the Montgomery and Rocky Hill Municipal Alliance) all recommend me for this position. But really, I believe my most fundamental qualification for this role is my temperament. It takes dedication to sit on this Board of Education and listen to the variety of concerns from very passionate stakeholders – students, parents, community members. I am intimately familiar with the relentless time and energy commitments required to deliver a great experience for kids: interfacing with parents and the broader community, coordinating logistics to manage organizations, and quantifying details of financial stewardship and fundraising. And I am willing and able to make that commitment to this school district and to this community.

The Montgomery Board of Education isn’t operating effectively, which is hurting students, staff, and the community. As an attendee at board meetings, I see board members argue unproductively about curriculum and the budget; I am sure there are other unresolved issues out of the public view. While it is natural for members of a board of education to have differing opinions, the disagreements I see are not indicative of a board that is working toward mutually acceptable agreements. This does not help our students or our community. I want to help the Montgomery board work in a more collaborative and productive manner, have a more unified voice, and be a body that respects the expertise of the staff, while ensuring our children get the best education for their future.

I am a former high school teacher and school librarian, now an Associate Director of Government Relations at the NJEA, where I advocate for students, staff, and schools. Because of this experience, I understand how schools work. I worked in a large comprehensive school system (bigger than MTSD) and in a vocational school district. I understand student needs across the spectrum, from the least to the most able of students. I know the rules and regulations that apply to schools, as well as the limitations under which they operate. I understand the role that everyone plays in a school system: students, parents, ESPs, teachers and educational services staff, administrators, and the Board of Education members.

My employment at NJEA is an asset, not a detriment, as my work experience equips me to be an extremely effective board member, for I will arrive in the role with a comprehensive understanding of school district operations and limitations. While I would recuse myself from MTEA negotiations and deliberations, as per School Ethics Commission advisory opinions, on balance, my knowledge of student needs and issues facing public education will help serve the students and residents of Montgomery/Rocky Hill.

My qualifications are rooted in a balanced perspective; combining my professional experience with my personal commitment as a parent.

Professionally, I've spent over 20 years at Johnson & Johnson, where I'm a Finance Director. I've managed multi-million dollar budgets and executed strategic plans. I'll bring this disciplined approach to the school board to help ensure our resources are strategically aligned with our educational goals, allowing us to build on our tradition of academic excellence.

Personally, I see the direct impact of the district’s policies through my own children. This insight gives me a unique understanding of the dedication of our excellent teachers and the needs of our students.

Ultimately, I am uniquely qualified to serve because I offer a perspective that is both dedicated to building on our academic strengths and personally invested in our community. I am committed to preserving our high standards while ensuring a bright future for Montgomery's schools. This means I'll bring both a professional's expertise in financial management and a parent's understanding of our students' day-to-day realities. My goal is to work collaboratively with the board, administrators, and the community to make smart decisions that support our teachers and provide every student with the tools they need to succeed.

My number one priority for my term on the Board of Education will be more impactful, transparent communication with families and the community. Our Board of Education has made improved communication a district goal, but unfortunately, we continue to fall short.

Families don't feel like their voices are being heard, or that they even have an effective way to communicate their concerns with the board. The public comment section at board meetings feels ineffectual, and lackluster attendance at those meetings is representative of that disconnect. Emails to the board are acknowledged but never addressed, and until the meeting agenda is published, there is no confirmation of the email's receipt.

There needs to be better opportunities for engagement with the community and communications from Board Members. Single-issue forums would go a long way for parents to feel like board decisions are a collaborative process, and judicial style opinions after particularly consequential votes would establish a rapport with the stakeholders the elected Board Members represent.

Montgomery needs to improve its board operations and grow community engagement to ensure that our students continue to get the best education they can.

Our board isn’t operating effectively, which is hurting the students, the staff, and the community. The board’s disagreements are not indicative of a board that is working toward consensus and does not help our students or our community. I am a consensus builder, and I will help the Montgomery board work in a more collaborative and productive manner, have a more unified voice, and be a body that respects the expertise of the staff.

Many residents feel disconnected from the board. Community engagement plays a vital role in a district’s success. It builds trust between the school and the community, improves student achievement and sense of belonging, develops family-school relationships, and enhances the district’s reputation. Improving communication between the board and the community and having occasional forums will help create a better sense of community engagement for all members of the community: parents, students, residents without children in school, and the staff.

My goal is simple: to keep our schools strong by working together. This means focusing on what our students need to succeed, giving our excellent teachers the tools they deserve, and building a stronger relationship between our schools and our entire community. I'm committed to being fiscally responsible and transparent with every decision we make.

Montgomery schools are regarded by many as being some of the best in the state. To maintain this status, we must move from unproductive meetings and tangents to meaningful execution and action. I will bring a disciplined approach to the board, partnering with school administrators to ensure our priorities are not just discussed but are effectively implemented. My focus will be on getting things done for our students, teachers, and community, without micromanaging the day-to-day operations.

I do not believe the first step to evaluating the budget involves looking line by line with an eye to strip it to the bone. Our school district is exceptional, statewide and nationally, and crafting a budget focused only on efficiency is not the way to maintain that excellence.

The first step to evaluating components of the school budget should be working with the administrators to hear where they feel constrained and where they identify programs that aren’t being utilized effectively.

Furthermore, if the Board of Education is known as exclusively fiscally conservative, faculty will never bother to dream big, think of ways that they, with Board support, could be even more impactful in their classrooms and curriculum. Those ideas will die without being presented, without giving the Board the opportunity to see what flexibility or compromises could bring them to life.

The budget as a whole – investing in education – needs to be protected if the district prioritizes remaining exceptional.

The Trump administration has threatened cuts to states. The district won’t know our actual amount of state funding until just before the tentative budget has to be finalized. With this uncertainty, the board’s job is to keep our students and their education as the primary factor when making any budget decisions. All financial decisions need to be weighed in terms of their benefit or harm to students and their education and should result from a strategic plan that looks at the long- and short-term needs of the district. This strategic plan needs to be developed with input from parents and students, staff, and residents without children in the schools, and will guide the board as it makes financial decisions.

I believe the conversation on budget priorities begins not with the numbers, but with what we as a community value. This includes a commitment to academic excellence, personal growth, and the overall well-being of our students, ensuring they become responsible adults.

Montgomery has one of the best school districts in New Jersey, and I believe we're already headed in the right direction. We have a strong core, and any changes should be small, purposeful recalibrations that build on our existing strengths.

My strategy for a fiscally responsible budget centers on collaboration and accountability. I would propose a "start, stop, continue" exercise with our teachers, administrators, and parents. This open dialogue would help us identify which programs are most effective and potential opportunities for improvement.

By taking this approach, we can meet the community's expectation of fiscal responsibility and ensure our resources are strategically used to support our students and our schools.

In today’s political climate, it often feels the disagreements about policies are a chasm that cannot be bridged, when in reality, parents are disagreeing on how to achieve the same goal: a well-rounded, supportive, exceptional education for their children. I believe even the terminology “both sides” works to keep us apart by assuming mutually exclusive opposition.

I think the Board of Education should proactively host round table discussions about topics of concern to give parents the chance to express themselves learn more about other perspectives. Currently the only opportunity available to do so is during the highly charged public comment section at Board Meetings, which isn't conducive to respectful dialogue. If the Board of Education facilitates collaboration, parents will feel more engaged in the decision-making process and know that resolutions have taken them into account.

When there is disagreement about a policy, it is important to gather information. The first step is to understand why a policy exists. Some policies exist because of mandates with very little wiggle room, while others have greater leeway. It is also important to find out how the policy impacts various groups within the school community and get feedback from those affected. Armed with this information, the board can consider the parents’ views, understand why they’ve taken their position, and make policy decisions. While one group of parents might not like the ultimate decision, a process where everyone is heard is helpful.

As an elected representative, I believe the Board of Education is the voice of the Montgomery community. Therefore, my first step in addressing policy concerns is to listen and understand the root cause of any misunderstanding or disagreement.

Some policies are enacted to ensure compliance with state and federal laws. A lack of compliance can expose the district to lawsuits, fines, a loss of funding, and government intervention. I would only consider changing policies that are not legally mandated.

When the board has full control over a policy, I would approach the issue with the same rationale I use at home: rules are in place for a reason, but they can be changed for the right one. This would involve a full review of the pros, cons, financial impact, and any indirect consequences of the rule change. After a thorough review and input from all parties, the board would make a final decision.

Transparency and clear communication are key. I would ensure the community understands why the board reached its decision. While policies should be reviewed from time to time, constantly revisiting past decisions is counterproductive and takes away from issues that require our attention.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency, and as such, the school already has an established policy for interactions with law enforcement (District Regulation/Policy 9320). The State of New Jersey has also provided guidance for school protocols for immigration enforcement to ensure appropriate judicial procedures are followed and designated school administrators are involved, including the opportunity to consult with district legal counsel. The school should act in a manner consistent with the rule of law and district policy.

The school’s job is to ensure that all students can attend public school safely and that their rights are not violated. The NJ Department of Education issued guidance on January 22, 2025, about the role of the school when interacting with ICE. (https://www.nj.gov/education/security/studentrights/) As per that guidance, schools need to ensure that ICE agents who come to a school have an appropriate judicial warrant. Without this warrant, ICE agents should not be allowed to enter. In order to protect students and staff, the school district needs to train the staff appropriately.

The role of schools when interacting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a matter of strict policy in New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has provided clear guidance to all school districts on this topic, and these policies are in place to be followed to the letter.

I believe our district currently has exceptional academic, vocational, and fine arts offerings. However, we risk stagnating if we rest on our laurels and fail to provide new courses and pilot innovative projects. With this in mind, I believe we need to work with administration to get feedback on additional offerings that would benefit the students and the school.

In my roles as Co-President of the PTA (grades pre-K through 4) and of the PTO (grades 5 through 8), I review faculty grant requests for materials or programs that the school is unable to fund. It is often disappointing for us, and for teachers, that after a year of in-classroom implementation with demonstrable benefits, there is no space in the budget to support a proven initiative.

I would recommend closer collaboration with administration and parent associations as the budget is developed to understand new programs or programs previously funded by other sources that should be funded at the district level.

The district has a robust selection of course offerings at all levels and excellent practical and fine arts programs. However, we need more sections of some courses so that students can take the classes they want.

Based on the fact that Montgomery schools are already top-ranked in New Jersey, I believe our academic, vocational, and fine arts programs are headed in the right direction. The issues we face are not systemic failures that require a complete overhaul, but rather opportunities for continuous improvement. I don't believe any single person should make broad curriculum decisions. My approach is rooted in collaboration and problem-solving. I would gather feedback from various stakeholders—including educators, parents, and both current and past students—to identify which areas of the academic program, vocational and fine arts offerings need to be revisited. Connecting this back to the topic of priorities and budget I would hope that a start, stop, continue exercise would be a holistic tool to identify potential enhancements to the academic, vocational and fine arts offerings.