Monday, April 8, 2013
Candidates Forum
Thursday, April 11, 2013
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Lord Stirling Community School
101 Redmond St.
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Lord Stirling Community School
101 Redmond St.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
April 2013 School Board Election -- Benito Ortiz
What motivates you to seek this office/another term in this office?
My commitment is to ensure that students receive a high-quality education, generating productive young adults who are focused on making positive contributions to our society. Also as a current appointed Board of Education member, my goal is to continue the processes and completion of various curriculum programs/construction initiatives during my tenure.
What will be your top priorities as a School Board member/in a new term on the School Board? The New Brunswick Board of Education has always made school safety one of our top priorities; furthermore, we understand that a safe environment is one that is conducive to learning. Therefore, our students, teachers, and administrators can focus on education without distracting environmental factors that inhibit each party’s ability to perform at their best. Moreover, curricula are an integral component in preparing our students for their professional goals; therefore, we seek to provide innovative educational tools to enhance each student’s skill set.
How will you seek to foster parent involvement in New Brunswick Public Schools? In returning to the New Brunswick Board of Education, I will continue to encourage parent-based organizations, parent activities, and engagement in their students’ academic experience. In addition, I believe we, as a community, need to provide innovative, multi-faceted approaches that appeal to the parents and families that reside around our community schools.
How will you ensure that students who are immigrants themselves or whose parents are immigrants receive equal and high-quality educational opportunities? During my tenure as a Board member, I have witnessed (first-hand) the influx of immigrants into our public school system. Over the years, we recognize a transient pattern; however, we as a public education system are obligated to provide an equitable academic experience that meets the needs of every student. Our overarching goal is to prepare each and every New Brunswick Public School alumni for success.
How will you ensure that the School District supports struggling students who are in danger of falling through the cracks? As a Board member, my colleagues and I have established several initiatives that address students with challenges in particular subject areas. We understand there is a need to continue to support successful programs, as well as collaborate with community stakeholders to enhance or establish additional efforts in and out of school that meet the intrinsic needs of our student population.
In addition to parents, how will you engage other stakeholders in the New Brunswick Public Schools, such as city residents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, and community institutions? As previously mentioned, we have partnered with several community based organizations, student organizations, and others in an effort to address the diverse needs of the student body and their families. We will continue to support effective programs, while encouraging new ideas and approaches that address the evolving challenges that our students face in and out of the classroom.
April 2013 School Board Elections -- Sean Monahan
What motivates you to seek this office/another term in this office? It’s clear that education is the pathway to a good job in America. I will work to make sure that all children in New Brunswick are given every opportunity to succeed and have a good life.
For the past fifteen years a top priority in my life has been public service. In the past I have served as a volunteer EMT, a manager at a group home for adults suffering from autism, and as a lecturer at Rutgers University. I have also volunteered as a community organizer in New Brunswick on issues of public safety, the equitable sharing of resources and government transparency.
I am also a proud New Brunswick homeowner and the owner of a small business that I chose to start in our city. Most of all, I'm a hard worker who believes that when good people work together we can overcome any challenge. I will fight for the children in New Brunswick and I will work with anyone else who is willing to do the same.
What will be your top priorities as a School Board member/in a new term on the
School Board? I’m very concerned about the violence in our community. Some of the most important people to help stop this violence are the teachers and the social workers in our schools. I will ensure that they have all the support they need and that we have a sufficient number of social workers, including those who speak Spanish, helping New Brunswick’s kids. I will work with them to develop smart anti-violence strategies.
Technology is rapidly changing what is expected from the American workforce. To prepare our children for the jobs of the future, we need to reinvigorate science and math teaching in our schools. There are numerous free and low cost technologies, such as open source programming languages, databases and electronics platforms that we could be teaching young people today to prepare them for these jobs. As someone who works with these technologies in my business, I will develop both a curriculum and after-school activities that provide access to these powerful new tools.
How will you seek to foster parent involvement in New Brunswick Public Schools? Every parent in our city wants their children to succeed at school. Many are working long hours to put food on the table and keep a roof overhead, especially in tough economic times. These families need extra support from the school system and I will explore the possibility of making school liaisons available to meet with parents after regular school hours to improve communication and help parents and teachers work together as a team. I also want to make mentors available to help kids with their homework.
Televising school board meetings on public access television and the Internet would be a great start to getting more parental and community involvement in the school system.
How will you ensure that students who are immigrants themselves or whose parents are immigrants receive equal and high-quality educational opportunities? I want to strengthen New Brunswick's bilingual education, especially in the early years, so that children who do not speak English at home will have the same opportunities as others.
I will also explore the possibility of dual-language education so that class could be taught in English as well as Spanish. Studies show that being able to speak two languages enhances cognitive function throughout your life. Moreover, being able to speak English and Spanish well is a skill that is very valuable in the business world.
It's also important that we recognize, honor and preserve the cultural background of all of New Brunswick's diverse communities. Diversity is an asset that should be embraced in our school system.
How will you ensure that the School District supports struggling students who are in danger of falling through the cracks? Too many New Brunswick high school students are not completing their education.
The school district should develop student retention strategies that address the fundamental causes behind why so many students leave before getting their diploma. Issues such as financial needs, teen pregnancy, bullying and a lack of engagement in the subject matter have to be addressed.
The school district should develop student retention strategies that address the fundamental causes behind why so many students leave before getting their diploma. Issues such as financial needs, teen pregnancy, bullying and a lack of engagement in the subject matter have to be addressed.
We must make sure that our kids understand the value their education will have in the long run and we need to make learning useful, relevant, and enjoyable. We should focus on cultivating critical thinking, and not just the memorization of facts or teaching to the test.
We need to address the problem of social promotion and intervene to get kids back on track at the first sign of trouble before they fall behind, offering extra help in basic skills education and summer classes when necessary. We also must encourage students who have left school early to earn their GED through the adult school and help them get vocational and/or college training.
In addition to parents, how will you engage other stakeholders in the New Brunswick Public Schools, such as city residents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, and community institutions? I would facilitate the expansion of mentoring programs. Our city has such a tremendous resource in Rutgers University. Rutgers students have firsthand experience getting into college, and could help New Brunswick's children accomplish the exact same thing.
New Brunswick also benefits from a vibrant theatre and arts district, two major hospitals and two major healthcare corporations and numerous public service organizations. The school board should regularly meet with these stakeholders to find out how each of them can contribute in their own ways.
I will seek grants from big companies to provide the latest technologies New Brunswick students at no cost to the taxpayer. I would also like to see New Brunswick students working with our city's arts institutions, and the creation of big brother and big sister mentoring programs that will enable New Brunswick school alumni to give back to their community through mentoring.
April 2013 School Board Election -- Patricia Sadowski
What motivates you to seek this office/another term in this office? I am motivated to seek another term because I would like to see the completion of Redshaw Elementary School, and the renovation of Paul Robeson Community School. I would also like to be a part of the solution behind increasing the graduation rate.
How will you seek to foster parent involvement in New Brunswick Public Schools? We have an excellent bilingual parents council. I would encourage parents to join and also get involved in the children’s school PTA. The high school also has a Zebra Booster Club and PTO. We also offer programs in our different schools such as math and literacy nights for parents, family fun nights, and dinner dances.
How will you ensure that students who are immigrants themselves or whose parents are immigrants receive equal and high-quality educational opportunities?
All of our students are entitled to equal and high quality educational opportunities. High quality academic programs are available to all students in all our schools. We have family and student liaisons, and school counselors in all our buildings who are available to speak with students and parents who need their services. There are times when students and families can call any of the administrators and request assistance. There are also parent teacher conference times available. Our staff members are always available when requested.
How will you ensure that the School District supports struggling students who are in danger of falling through the cracks? We ensure that the school district supports struggling students by identifying students with our administrative support staff and with our teachers. We are never satisfied and are always looking for programs that ensure our students success. Using technology and test scores to support our students. We run after school tutoring programs within our schools and with the YSS after school programs.
April 2013 School Board Election -- Martin Arocho
What motivates you to seek this office/another term in this office? My motivation is to help the community, especially the children of New Brunswick. Knowing that the graduation rate is very low and the drop-out rate is too high, I want to bring positive changes to our schools and advocate for the children of our community.
What will be your top priorities as a School Board member/in a new term on the School Board? There are a few priorities that need to be addressed. However, the top priorities are the low graduation rate and the high drop-out rate. We need to find out why this is so and find ways that can ameliorate the situation.
How will you seek to foster parent involvement in New Brunswick Public Schools? This has been an ongoing issue in New Brunswick. I do think that working more closely with the school PTO’s can help. We need to be creative and flexible to work with the diverse needs of parents. I do believe that parents want to be involved in their children’s education but many times there are other barriers that interfere. Such barriers include work schedules and language barriers.
How will you ensure that students who are immigrants themselves or whose parents are immigrants receive equal and high-quality educational opportunities? It is the constitutional right of ALL children, no matter their immigrant status to receive an equal education. If discrimination is taking place in any of the New Brunswick Public Schools, then we have a serious problem. As board members, we have an obligation to ensure that these rights are afforded.
How will you ensure that the School District supports struggling students who are in danger of falling through the cracks? The best way to ensure this as board members would be to get monitoring reports on student academic achievement by school. In this manner, we as board members can assess the effectiveness of current programs or implement new programs. We also need to ensure that students receive the proper remediation when they begin to struggle. Social promotion is not a solution.
In addition to parents, how will you engage other stakeholders in the New Brunswick Public Schools, such as city residents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, and community institutions? I think we as board members have a large influence in engaging stakeholders. It is our responsibility to bring positive visibility about New Brunswick public schools. We can begin doing so by including stakeholders in school activities so that they can see the great work being done in the schools by students and staff.
April 2013 School Board Election -- John Krenos
What motivates you to seek this office/another term in this office? Candidates Pat Sadowski, Bennie Ortiz and I wish to continue serving the students and parents of New Brunswick as newly elected members of the Board of Education. We are committed to maintaining and strengthening effective programs the current appointed board instituted. I came to New Jersey in 1973 to join Rutgers as a faculty member. My many roles at Rutgers include professor, researcher, educator, student adviser, and administrator in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. My interest in curriculum development and programs with Rutgers and other community groups is a driving force in my desire to run.
What will be your top priorities as a School Board member/in a new term on the School Board? My priorities in addition to curricular ones are in stressing academic rigor, in enhancing student achievement through more academic coaching programs for students in need, in offering a greater range of summer opportunities, and in improving outreach to parents including more timely announcements and newsletters on our web site. I recently helped evaluate the proposed national core curriculum in the sciences. New Jersey is part of a consortium of states that will formulate and implement a new national science curriculum with uniform national assessments. I believe my continued participation in the national effort as a board member will directly benefit the students in New Brunswick.
How will you seek to foster parent involvement in New Brunswick Public Schools? Parents need to feel comfortable attending board and PTO/PTA meetings and perhaps be encouraged to talk to one another before district personnel arrive at these meetings. At board meetings, there should be a way to have more timely translations of the proceedings in real time or perhaps at the very least a meeting summary in Spanish when the board enters its closed session. There is precious little information about PTO/PTA activities on individual school web sites, Roosevelt being the lone exception. I feel that each board member should be assigned to attend one school PTO/PTA meeting each month perhaps remaining with the same school all year.
How will you ensure that students who are immigrants themselves or whose parents are immigrants receive equal and high-quality educational opportunities? New Brunswick schools have high mobility rates typically 20-25%, and immigration is one important reason. Mobility is a measure of how many students are transferring in and out of a school. Mobility is of concern because higher mobility tends to correlate with lower achievement. We have recently patterned our Newcomers program after a successful one developed by Newark schools. Of course, as often happens, older students transferring in may test into a grade level appropriate for younger students. They may eventually reach the age limit. Our Adult Education Center/High School is critical for students exceeding the maximum high school age of 21.
How will you ensure that the School District supports struggling students who are in danger of falling through the cracks? Students struggle for a myriad of reasons. One is the mobility issue mentioned above, others involve peer pressure. Our district has many programs that try to help; we are always trying to find new and more effective ones. Our summer school offerings, after class instruction, newcomer programs, adult education, and credit recovery are a few examples.
In addition to parents, how will you engage other stakeholders in the New Brunswick Public Schools, such as city residents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, and community institutions? An important need for our district is to maintain a diverse school board that is a microcosm of the city, board members able to reach out and communicate with many groups. Our current board is made up of a broad spectrum of individuals representing many constituencies in the city. We have developed and participated in programs that include residents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, and community institutions including churches, New Brunswick Tomorrow, J&J, Rutgers including UMDNJ, Civic League, St. Peters Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, Middlesex County College, PRAB, and NBEA among many. We need a balanced board with experienced and dedicated members, thus this is an election of major importance.
April 2013 School Board Election -- Stephanie Rivera
What motivates you to seek this office/another term in this office?
I am heavily involved in engagements surrounding education and education policy, especially in urban communities since I am pursuing a Political Science and Teaching Degree. I have been a volunteer mentor at the New Brunswick High School for over a year, which is one of the key components that have inspired me to pursue this particular position. I see the injustices and struggles they endure, and they deserve board members who will fight for the changes and improvements they deserve.
What will be your top priorities as a School Board member/in a new term on the School Board? First, I want to increase involvement of parents, students, and all community members to assure they have a say in what happens to their schools. Second, I want to use my connection to Rutgers to increase the number of after and in-school programs and resources that are available to New Brunswick students. With this, I want to assure all students have easy access to the needs to help them excel during and following their K-12 Education.
How will you seek to foster parent involvement in New Brunswick Public Schools? I would like to hold public forums and meetings aside from monthly school board meetings to give parents and community members the opportunity to voice their concerns, and assure the problems they are facing are being addressed in both a proper and timely manner. I understand that parents have busy schedules and may not be able to attend set meeting times, which is why I will be more than willing to provide additional contact information so that I am as accessible as possible to the community.
How will you ensure that students who are immigrants themselves or whose parents are immigrants receive equal and high-quality educational opportunities? Echoing what I stated in question number 2, I will work hard to ensure both documented and undocumented immigrants know what high-quality educational opportunities are available to them. I would like to hold public events for immigrant families where current immigrant college students and\or alumnus talk about their experience, and provide answers to questions immigrant families may have. Some examples of what these events would cover are: How to find\apply to scholarship opportunities, how to apply for Equal Opportunity Fund, and other financial aid opportunities. I would also work to build a stronger relationship with organizations such as the Rutgers Center for Latino Arts and Culture who do empowering work with immigrants in New Jersey.
How will you ensure that the School District supports struggling students who are in danger of falling through the cracks? The biggest priority once a student is found seriously struggling is to provide necessary and appropriate attention to the student, and assure he\she is not being ignored. If one is not already in place, there should be a group of skilled staff members at each school whom the student would appropriately be addressed by. The student should be able to confide in this staff, and the staff would be able to direct\provide him\her the necessary resources to have his\her needs addressed to get the student back on track. The staff would then be responsible for following up with the student on a continuous basis to assure he\she is continuously improving until having staff support is found no longer needed.
In addition to parents, how will you engage other stakeholders in the New Brunswick Public Schools, such as city residents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, and community institutions?
As already mentioned, I would like to hold town-hall meetings for community members. If requested and found popular by other community members, I will work to the best of my ability to not only hold general townhall meetings, but meetings specified to each group e.g. townhall for students, townhall for staff, townhall for parents. Even further, I would like to work with community-focused Rutgers organizations to hold events in the community to build stronger ties among residents, alumni, teachers, staff, and all of those whom reside in New Brunswick.
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