Brick Candidate Profile: David Fischer

Profiles of the candidates for the Brick Township Board of Education are being presented for informational purposes.

Responses are unedited.

Candidate’s Name: David Fischer (Line 8E on the Ballot)

Employer/Job: Since 1991, I have been Self Employed in sales. I also work part time as a substitute teacher for the Freehold Regional High School System.

How long have you lived in Brick? I have lived in Brick since 2006 and I have lived in NJ since 1983.

Have you ever held elected office or served as an appointee to any government board (where and when)?

I was appointed by Mayor Ducey to the Brick Historical Preservation Commission (I would have to resign from the BHPC when elected to the Brick School Board). I have never held an elected office.

1. With all the concerns that Brick students are not keeping pace academically with their peers, what do you feel is the best course of action to help them improve?

The Brick school academics need to be addressed on a continuing basis. We must work from the early grades to help the students understand the value of an education. It is not too early in the elementary schools to bring in speakers to engage the students in the wonders of learning that are yet to come. In the middle schools we need to have speakers from various colleges visit and talk with students about the many opportunities available to them and then show that it is a simple matter to focus on what they want to achieve and promote work with the advisors in the school to guide them to the correct courses.

In the High Schools, we need to implement a college-course credit program. This would allow students to take high school classes and receive college credit. Many schools in the State have implemented this type of program with great success. It is simple to implement as it only requires a teacher with a Masters or Doctorate and the cooperation of a local college.

Most important, the administrators should work with all of the teachers, especially those with many years of experience, in the implementation of curriculum and the policies that guide the academic growth of our schools. Our greatest educational resource is our experienced educators and to ignore them when implementing education polices would be a disservice to our students and a tremendous waste of experience.

2. Governor Christie has said he wants to drop the state’s support of Common Core. Do you feel this will help or hurt the goal of improving students’ preparation for college and the working world?

Common Core, while an idealistic concept, does not work with the many varied teaching challenges or with all of the learning styles that educators encounter on a day to day basis. If Common Core had stayed with a framework of the concepts that should be taught for each subject and at what learning level then it would have been a good idea. Instead, it sought to force the concept of “one size fits all education” and did not allow for regional and local differences in what should be taught. The well-researched and proven concept that students learned at different speeds and through varied methodologies was tossed to the side by the common core curriculum.

Schools, in trying to conform to all the testing and regulations and penalties associated with Common Core, had to discontinue offering many of the subjects in the schools that assured a well-rounded education. Bringing curriculum control back to the educators that know their students is the best solution to this misguided Common Core program. The ultimate losers under Common Core are the students on whom the politicians chose to experiment.

3. It’s no secret that residents of Brick (like so many towns) believe we are spending too much in taxes to support the schools. How do you propose to balance the voters’ desire for no increases with the needs of students and the buildings and grounds where they are educated? What is your top priority?

My top priority, and indeed the top priority for anyone who serves on the Board of Education, Is to ensure that the students receive everything they need to learn in safe and worry-free environment. Every effort must be made to ensure that the infrastructure of the schools is properly maintained and that educational materials are continually updated to the latest standards. To this end, I would strive to work within the budget that is available as long as this high standard can be maintained. I would only look to increase the budget after a thorough investigation into the reasons and needs. If the investigation shows that it would improve the learning environment for the students and there is nothing that may be cut safely, then I would support increasing the budget for this improvement. However, I would also investigate completely all current budget items to insure that there is not a non-essential item that could be cut to protect the budget.

4. Why (in 75 words or fewer) are you the best candidate for the school board?

I consider my background in education and business qualifies me to represent the students and taxpayers of our community. I have managed small to multi-million dollar retail stores. I have a BA in History from Montclair State. I do not owe any political favors. My only interest in serving on the BOE is to ensure that our students are afforded a well-rounded education and that our Educators, children, community and taxpayers’ interests are not overlooked.