Random Thoughts

 

In this section of the website, I want to share certain things about about me that don't seem to fit into one of the other headings.  

 

I recognize that I am a layperson on a Board of Education.  When I got on the Board I knew little about how a school district is run.  I did know, however, that public education should not be a "one size fits all proposition" and that's the approach I witnessed from the administrators then in charget.  So I decided to get involved and I am glad I did.

 

Now nine and a half years later I know much more than I knew in 2005 but I remain a layperson.  What does this mean and why is it relevant to my candidacy?  I'll explain with a not-so-hypothetical hypothetical.  I have no doubt that our students will be better off with full day kindergarten.  However implementation can take several forms and I expect a few will be discussed.  One will be a plan to add FDK at each K-4 school.  Another might be to reconfigure our elementary schools, perhaps into three buildings teaching grades K-1 and four buildings covering grades 2-4.  One question I will have for our professional educators is whether they believe that the possible educational gains of locating our youngest students in a few buildings outweighs the fact that our students will then have to attend three schools instead of two before completing K-6.  This is not a question for a layperson.  I firmly believe that Board members must understand this distinction and rely on our wonderful educators for guidance on these questions.  

 

In a n0n-hypothetical situation, not long ago a few Board members decided that they thought it best to rely on a few "anonymous" letters instead on the opinions of top administrators, principals, and supervisors on a personnel matter.  As stated earlier, being initmately involved in staff personnel matters is beyond the purview of board members.  That doesn't leave Board members without a voice.  By hiring and reviewing our Superindent we do have ultimate say.  We just shouldn't be making decisions best made by him or her.

 

Being a well-educated Board member is very important to me.  The New Jersey School Boards Association provides wonderful classes to help keep Board members up to date on new issues and to futher educate them generally on best practices.  I am fairly certain that I am the only Board member (with the possible exceptoin of Al Smith, former Raritan respresntative to the Board) on our Board to have earned sufficient credits from the NJSBA to qualify as a "Master Boardsman."  Last year I called for a motion to require all members of our Board to take at least one class each year above what's required so that we'd have a better educated (and therefore better functioning) Board.  The motion was defeated as several voiced the view that the miminum that's required is sufficient.  In my view if we are going to look to our Administrators, teachers, bus drivers, and other staff to go beyond what's minimally required and be the best they can be, which we do, then Board members should make the same commitment.  We should set examples for those we lead.  That's how I am as a parent and as a Board member.

 

In the same vein, I am a very visible Board member.  I attend numerous events and enjoy doing so.  You will find me in Trenton watching our girls field hockey team compete, in Newark watching our hockey players, and at Basilone Field watching our football players.  I go to Carnegie Hall and Rutgers to watch our wonderful musicians perform and am a regular at all plays.  I gladly accept the invitations of our Chinese community to celebrate the Chinese new year with them each year and attend Town Council meetings when the proceedings may affect the Distirct.  And I love participating in the Celebrity Chef competitoin at Hillside each year and - in typical Evan fashion - go out of my way to do my best, making steak one year, fresh waffle ice cream sandwiches another, and homemade mac n cheese a third (no Kraft for me!).  It's just the way I am.

 

Earlier this year a parent in the commuity addressing the Board.  He and I had never met and I had not heard of his story.  His daughter had passed away from a heroin overdose about a year ago, a few months after she had graduated from B-R.  She was a freshman in college.  He and his wife had underwritten an anti-drug program and he wanted to tell the Board about it.  I was moved to tears.  His daughter could have been mine or anyone else's daughter.  I attended the program.  And I instroduced him to Mayor Hayes to help him get his message across to a bigger audience and I learned from Mayor Hayes about the extent of the heroin problem in Somerset County.  Soon after his program was presented at our high school, the Bridgewater Police Chief brought a great anti-drug proram to BRHS.  I have urged our Administration to beef up its anti-drug curricula.  Heroin kills.  Our kids need to know that unequivocably. 

 

Finally, I am a huge music fan.  A few years ago I'd heard that Joe Bonamassa, the number one blues rock artist in the world for years' running, had a "Blues in the Schools" program.  With a tour date coming up in Morristown in a few months, I reached out to his managment team and, with Dr. Schilder's and Dr. Riccobono's blessings, arranged for Mr. Bonamassa to come to BRHS and give his assembly for our students.  It was a huge it and I got to rub elbows with my favorite guitar god.  A true win win.  And another example of me going the extra mile for our District.