Photo by Yael Katzwer
South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education candidates, from left, Elizabeth Baker, Maureen Jones, Godwin Molokwu and Donna Smith, discuss district issues at a Sept. 18 forum hosted by the Hilton Neighborhood Association.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE — The candidates running for the open seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education shared their opinions on several important issues Sept. 18 at a candidates’ forum hosted by the Hilton Neighborhood Association at the DeHart Community Center in Maplewood.
This year’s election on Nov. 4 will see four local residents on the ballot, vying for three open seats. The candidates are Elizabeth Baker, Maureen Jones and Godwin Molokwu, all of Maplewood, and Donna Smith of South Orange. Baker and Jones are running a joint campaign.
The three seats are being left vacant by departing BOE members First Vice President Sandra Karriem, Second Vice President Bill Gaudelli and Andrea Wren-Hardin.
While six locals originally threw their hats into the ring, Elissa Malespina of South Orange and Anthony Mazzocchi of Maplewood have withdrawn from the race.
The Sept. 18 forum, moderated by HNA President Carol Buchanan, featured opening statements, the candidates responding to questions they received prior to that evening, a question-and-answer session and closing statements.
Baker, a 12-year resident of Maplewood, is mother to two girls, one a Tuscan Elementary student and the other a seventh-grader at Maplewood Middle School. She served on the Tuscan Elementary School PTA Board from 2010 to 2012 and as the PTA’s science, technology, engineering and math co-chairwoman during the 2012-13 school year. In spring 2014, Baker served on the Schools Subcommittee of the Maplewood Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee, reviewing the school budget. Baker is an associate general counsel of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ in New York City, with experience in financial oversight, negotiations and governance.
“I am running to help our schools realize their promise and to help our district keep its promises,” Baker said in her opening statement. Baker stressed that while some children excel in the SOMA schools, there are obstacles, such as poor consistency, failed communication and low expectations. “Too often our district and schools do not listen to the community until it boils over in public comment at board meetings.”
Jones, a four-year resident of Maplewood, is an educator who works with special-needs children, specializing in speech and language pathology. She has worked with children from birth through age 12 in a variety of settings, including preschool programs, public schools, community health delivery and home-based services. With two daughters at Clinton Elementary School, Jones served as president of the school’s PTA last school year and as vice president for the 2012-2013 school year.
“We need to make sure every student gets what they need,” Jones said in her opening statement, telling the community that she understands the diverse needs of local children and the challenges they face, having immigrated to the United States from Haiti at age 7 and attended an English-speaking school when she did not speak English. “We must enable children to succeed by having consistently high expectations.”
Godwin Molokwu, a longtime South Orange resident, is a former teacher and currently practices as a medical doctor. Molokwu has four children and therefore has firsthand experience with the school district. He is a usual fixture at Board of Education meetings, sometimes speaking during the public-comment period to address issues he has seen.
“Most of the kids that graduate these days are not able to write,” Molokwu said during his opening statement, lamenting the current results from public education. Molokwu believes that if the SOMSD maintains its status quo, local children will be unable to compete on a global stage. “The future is no longer in our hands — it’s in theirs.”
Smith, a 24-year resident of South Orange, has been actively involved in the school community for more than 15 years, ranging from PTA volunteer to leadership roles on BOE committees. Smith spearheaded two parent groups, “Levels Can Work” and “Group for Objective Academic Leveling”; as a result, she was asked to participate on the district’s “Task Force on Excellence and Equity.” Smith’s three children attended schools in the district, from elementary school through Columbia High School, and her youngest is graduating from the high school in June 2014.
“I keep hearing, ‘My child is not being challenged enough,’” Smith said in her opening statement, referring to parents’ comments at recent forums held by the school district to gain input for selecting a new superintendent. Smith wants to see the district hiring good teachers and increasing the professional development offered. “We have to make sure programs address the needs of all children.”
When asked what qualities the candidates’ would like to see in a new superintendent, the candidates agreed that the new superintendent must be responsible, accessible and supportive.
Jones said she wants a superintendent who understands SOMA’s diversity and can use it as a strength. Jones wants someone who has a passion for learning and would work to establish trust with the community. “We need someone who can say no when the board asks for too much at once,” Jones said in regard to fiscal requests.
Molokwu stressed that the new superintendent needs to be someone with experience. “This is not a time to learn on the job,” he said. Mostly, Molokwu wants someone who will respond to emails and phone calls, and will listen to community concerns.
Smith is looking for a “visionary, someone who can hit the ground running.” Smith cited the many changes currently occurring in the school district, such as Common Core, the International Baccalaureate program in the middle schools, the PARCC exams for students, the Achieve NJ teacher evaluations and the recent turnover in administrative positions, and said that the district needs a good manager who “can take charge of all of these vast changes.”
Baker said she is looking for the “total package” — someone who is an educational leader, a manager, fiscally wise and a collaborator. She wants someone who will build an effective team of administrators and teachers through professional development and support. “Professional development is something that should be woven into the everyday fabric of our schools,” Baker said.
Buchanan then asked the candidates what steps they would take if elected to involve more fully parents of color and parents who are foreign-born and have limited English proficiency.
Jones answered that information needs to be sent home in multiple languages and that, when parents attend one-on-one meetings regarding their child, there needs to be a translator present. “Seeing information in their language makes them more comfortable and more likely to participate,” Jones said.
Molokwu agreed that the schools cannot send material home in English when the parents do not speak English. “Cultural sensitivity is very important,” Molokwu said. “If we understand other cultures, we can bridge the gap.” Molokwu said that the district needs to ensure that staff and faculty members are trained in cultural sensitivity.
Baker echoed Molokwu’s sentiments that cultural competency training must be provided for all district employees, saying that “diversity presents challenges, missed opportunities and misunderstandings.” She cautioned that school leaders need to be extra careful to remain consistent in their policies and she supports the creation of a parent ombudsman.
Smith said she would work on communicating with these parents through various means of outreach, such as utilizing community and parent-created groups, such as the Community Coalition on Race and the recently formed Parents of Children of African Descent. “The best thing about our community is that people are up to the challenge,” Smith said.
Asking the first budget question of the night, Buchanan asked the candidates what their funding priorities are should the budget need to be slashed.
Smith was quick to point out that the BOE does not determine cuts, but merely approves or rejects the administration’s proposals.Nevertheless, she said she would do her best to maintain high educational standards and to continue hiring good teachers. One of the most costly expenses for any school district is special education, often due to schools needing to send children out-of-district; Smith suggested the district focus on helping children earlier on in their academic careers in the hope of preventing some of them from being classified. “We need to deliver the right education in-district whenever possible to keep costs down,” Smith said.
Jones agreed with Smith that local children need to be educated in-district and that perhaps the SOMSD can become a district to which other districts send their children. “We need to keep cuts out of the classroom,” Jones said.
Baker’s answer focused more on how the district can raise revenue. She wants to work with other districts and government leaders to increase the district’s currently “inadequate” state funding. “We can’t take anymore cuts,” Baker said. She also wants to evaluate the current district health care plan; while she acknowledges that the health care plan needs to be top-notch, Baker does not believe health care should be the second largest expenditure in the budget.
Molokwu agreed that the SOMSD needs more state funding, but cautioned that outsourcing is not the answer. “It’s a big risk; it can be a disaster,” he said, citing his personal observations when a hospital at which he worked outsourced services. “Teachers should be paid more and administrators less,” he said.
When the candidates were asked what changes they would like to see in the district, Baker responded: “communication, communication, communication,” with which the other candidates agreed.
“Basic information needs to be transparent and easy to access,” Baker said, cautioning against relying on email communication. “Email is not a substitute for old-fashioned, hands-on communication,” she said, calling current communications from the district too mysterious. “If it wasn’t so upsetting, it would be comic.”
“Communication opens doors to a lot of things,” Molokwu said, also saying that children need to be taught to think rather than just take tests and that the district needs to stop unnecessary spending.
Jones stressed that communication also needs to be improved between teachers and administrators. “As new programs are being implemented, teachers need to know and be supported throughout the process,” she said.
Smith added that with the implementation of the PARCC exams and the Achieve NJ teacher evaluation system, teachers are facing “a tremendous amount of pressure” and need to be kept in the loop and supported. Smith would also like to see increased access to honors and AP classes for all students.
Buchanan’s final question asked candidates for their opinions on tenure, public employee unions and merit pay.
While Jones supports tenure, she believes it needs to be looked at closely to ensure it is being used properly. Molokwu called tenure “great,” lauding anything that protects teachers and gives them due process in disciplinary matters. Smith said that the new tenure laws are good and that the district needs to make sure procedures are fair and consistent.
Jones does not support merit pay in the school district because “teachers already work full throttle and it would demoralize them and make them cynical.” Molokwu called merit pay a “disgrace” as he believes administrators will receive bonuses rather than teachers; “administrators get paid for doing nothing, for running a failed school,” Molokwu said, saying that, on the other hand, teachers should be eligible for merit pay. Smith said that merit pay should not be considered until all current changes in the district are fully implemented.
Baker, the only candidate to address unions in any detail, said that collective bargaining to protect employee rights is important and is “not the enemy.” She stressed, however, that there needs to be dialog between the district and unions. “Labor relations are every day, not just at contract time,” she said. “Find commonalities and you will find agreement and a path forward.”
During the question-and-answer session, candidates were asked about many things, such as Common Core, school meals and leveling. To hear their answers on these issues first-hand, attend the forum hosted by the League of Women Voters schedule for Oct. 13.