Bernards School Board Election 2022: Deborah Penner Smith

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards Township Board of Education general election on Nov. 8 has nine candidates running for four open seats.

Deborah E. Penner Smith is running on her own under the campaign slogan "Special Education Teacher" for a one-year unexpired seat.

Another group of candidates running under the campaign slogan "For Bernards Children" includes Csilla Csipak, Nimish Amin, Keith Molinari, and Lawrence Rascio.

And another group of candidates are running under the campaign slogan "Education For All" along with Guddia "Herpreet" Singh, Erica Blackman, and Suzanne Schafer-Skalski.

Are you running for office in Basking Ridge? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Basking Ridge Patch.

(All of the candidates were given the same questions)

Deborah E. Penner Smith

Age: 62

Town of residence: Bernards Township

Position sought: Board of Education, one year.

Family: I am married to Gary L. Smith. My two adult daughters, Catherine and Rachael live with us currently. Rachael graduated from Rutgers University this spring, with a BSN. She is currently employed at RWJ on their pediatric unit. Catherine graduated from Montclair State this spring with an MSN. She is currently employed at Atlantic Health on their pediatric unit.

Education:

• BA, Drew University, 1982, Major-- Psychology
• MSW, Rutgers University, 1986, Major—Case Work, double Minor-- Research and Alcohol Studies
• Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy, 1986-87

Occupation:

• special education teacher and Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner; clinical social worker
• Mental health credentials include – Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work
• NJDOE teaching certificates include — K-8 General Education, N-21 Special Education, Substance Awareness Coordinator, School Social Worker

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Campaign website: N/A

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

Now that I am retired from public school teaching, I have time to devote to community service.

School finances have been an issue raised recently. Do you feel the Board and administration are handling this properly? And why?

Allocation of funds is always a primary issue for Boards of Education, and inevitably, there
are disagreements about how money should be spent. I am not currently aware of any concern that would make me think that the Board had not allocated funds in a way that did not benefit the district as a whole.

How do you feel about the current sex-ed curriculum in the district?

I attended the BT Connect meeting at RHS on August 24. Based on the presentation by school
administrators comparing the Township’s new and revised health curricula, there appear to be a
few, small yet substantive changes suggested, supported by the substantial scientific research used to develop the State Curriculum.

After attending the meeting, it was my understanding that any parent will be afforded the opportunity to “opt” her/his child “out” of any health lesson with which s/he feels uncomfortable. This seems to me to be an equitable compromise for those families. I am sure there will be more dialogue surrounding the curriculum. I hope any discussion will be approached as openly as it was at the BT Connect meeting on the 24th of August.

On the 24th, some parents expressed concern about the content of certain classroom discourse. I believe if any parent is unclear about what is to transpire, or what has transpired during any lesson in any classroom, in any content area, the parent’s first contact should be with the classroom teacher, to discuss the concern or the issue at hand. My experience has been that most questions are best and adequately addressed in this manner.

Would you be in favor of a later school start time for students?

In a world without any other constraints, based on children’s sleep cycles, it would probably be
best to stagger start times on the 1⁄2 or 3⁄4 hour, with elementary students arriving at school first,
middle schools arriving second, and high schools last. Districts have struggled with this same
issue for decades, as school start times are often dictated by bussing issues and after-school sports and activities schedules.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

Our country faces chronic teacher shortages, significant drops in math and reading scores, and an
adolescent mental health crisis.

While none of these particular issues affects all districts equally, it seems to me that we, in
Bernards Township should make every attempt to understand national trends in these areas, as we are members of a greater whole.

What sets you apart from the other challenging candidates?

I was employed in many clinical settings before I began my teaching career, and I have 25 combined years of teaching and social work experience in the NJ public school system. As such, I am intimately acquainted with the many challenges parents, children, and teachers face on a daily basis. I have a life-long interest in educating and dealing with special education students. In addition, I have a significant background and training in Structured Literacy.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I am a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner; now that I am retired from full-time teaching, my private
practice is devoted almost exclusively to teaching children, adolescents, and adults with
dyslexia how to read.

On a personal note, I am an amateur dressage rider and a hot yoga practitioner. I also quilt, but
not very well. Truthfully, the dressage riding and the hot yoga practice could use some significant
improvement, too. However, as with most things, I consider myself to be a work in progress.