Brick School Board Candidate: Walt Campbell

BRICK, NJ — There are six candidates vying for two seats on the Brick Township Board of Education — seats being vacated by incumbents Karyn Cusanelli and George White.

We are profiling each of the six candidates. Responses are in their own words, with edits for grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Walt Campbell, 74, has lived in Brick Township for 30 years. He and his wife have been married for 52 years and have three children and six grandchildren, with four of those grandchildren being students in the district.

He is a retired science teacher and taught for 38 years in Manasquan, where he also coached wrestling and football.

"I am very proud of the vocational program I implemented there, where students learned commercial and residential facilities maintenance and repair," Campbell said.

He has a bachelor's degree from what is now Rowan University, where he double-majored in biological and physical sciences. He has more than 30 credits from Rutgers, Seton Hall, and The College of New Jersey. Campbell was previously appointed to the Brick Board of Education, serving from June 2010 to December 2011. During that time, he served as chair of the facilities committee and member of the curriculum and instruction committee. "We were able to complete extensive facilities work without burdening our residents with tax increases or an expensive referendum! It can be done!" he said.

What do you feel is the most important quality you would bring to the Board of Education?

The most important quality I would bring to the BOE is my integrity. Unlike some current board members and candidates, I would never give false statements to the public! I strongly feel the public deserves transparency from the board. It is insulting to the collective intelligence of our residents to make ridiculous claims like those that have been put out by partisan politicians. I would strive to make sure all board members receive the same information and that the public receives agendas, corresponding documents, and other materials in a timely way. Public involvement in the budget process is also a must.

If you are elected to the Brick Township Board of Education, will you have any conflicts that will force you to abstain from voting? If so, what are they?

I do not have any family members working in the district or any conflicts.

Property taxes are a huge concern, but there is also significant concern about the state of the facilities, which have been neglected or shortchanged for decades. How would you balance the need to address critical issues with the concern over property taxes?

My extensive knowledge and experience with our district facilities is one of the greatest assets I can bring to our district. During the 1 ½ years I spent as a board member I served on the facilities committee and remained involved as a citizen volunteer for several years. Using my past experience as a facilities manager (my summer employment during my teaching career), I was able to work with my fellow board members and professionals to see such district upgrades as new science labs, track, gym locker rooms, electrical upgrades, and many, many other projects.With a district as large as ours, there is always more work to be completed! The most important capital project is the continuation of the HVAC upgrades that began when I was last on the board. Ultimately, all of our schools should be air-conditioned and better, automated controls need to be put in place throughout the district. When students are physically comfortable, the learning environment is a better one. Replacing old systems and regulating temperatures with automated controls will be healthier for our students and staff, more energy efficient, and would have long-term benefit to the district. Many of these projects can be done using grants and Energy Savings Improvement Programs (ESIPs), rather than just burdening taxpayers with tax increases and costly referendums.

There has been much discussion about teacher salaries at recent board meetings. What do you propose to balance the need to manage costs while maintaining experience?

Experience does not always equal excellence. While the experience of some teachers may make them the best applicant for a position, there are also newer teachers who are the best candidate because of their more current education and training in the field. Some areas of teaching, such as advanced sciences and world languages, have fewer qualified applicants and may require higher salaries to obtain the best candidates. Other areas will see hundreds of applicants from which to choose. A higher price does not always guarantee a higher quality teacher. The enthusiasm and knowledge of many newer teachers can greatly benefit our schools, and they deserve an opportunity to make an impact on students.

What in your view is the most important thing that can be done to improve student achievement, and how would you prefer to see that measured?

The most important thing that can be done to improve student achievement is prioritizing a comprehensive reading program throughout our district that stresses reading comprehension! A student who has good reading comprehension can excel in all subjects, just as one who struggles with it can face challenges in all subjects. We need to identify students who are having reading comprehension issues and help get them on track as early as possible. The improvement can be measured through their performance in all subjects, and it will also lead to improvements in their standardized and course testing.