Brick Township School Board Election 2023: Gregory Cohen

BRICK, NJ — Election Day 2023 is near, and Brick Township voters will be choosing members for the Board of Education in addition to other candidates at the local, county and state levels.

There are two, three-year terms on the Brick Township Board of Education up for election, and four candidates for the two seats.

Patch sent a questionnaire to all of the candidates seeking their responses. Here are the replies from Gregory J. Cohen.

Your Name: Gregory J. Cohen

Age (as of Election Day): 60

Campaign Website: ourchildrenfirstboe.com

Family: Wife, Kim Cohen; 7 children, Tamara, educator; Katie, finance; Jessica Cohen, senior representative, Plymouth Rock; Sammie, U.S. Marine now pharmacy tech; Kyle, sergeant, U.S. Marines; Nicholas, store associate; Chase, senior at Brick Memorial High School

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for. No.

Education: Rutgers School of Government Studies; Atlantic School of Insurance

Occupation: Director Of transportation for the West Orange Public Schools (15 years of public school transportation experience; former bus driver for the Brick Township Schools). Owner, Gregory J. Cohen Insurance Agency (25-plus years selling and servicing life, property and casualty insurance.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: No public office but I was a past president of Pioneer Hose Fire Company. Vice president of the American Legion Riders

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am tired of there not being any transparency in our school district. The board does not answer the public's questions. We need to bring back parents' rights. I have lived in Brick for 48 years. I went through this school system as have all my children. I want to be sure that we put our children's needs first and give them the education they deserve.

What do you see as the role of the Board of Education?

I want to move us back on course by setting the policies and procedures that will put our children first. Bring back common sense and sanity to the Brick Board of Education. I see myself as someone who will answer questions, not avoid the people that elected me.

State funding has been cut consistently for the Brick Township Schools over the last 7 years. How would you address that?

We need to find ways to increase funding and continue to fight Trenton and the current funding formulas. We need to appoint a grant writer. Someone who knows how to go after all the state and federal grants that are available. There are bills in the legislature that have not moved forward to relieve some if not all of these funding issues. They have not moved forward. We need to lobby the legislature to move these bills out of committee and to a vote.

What do you believe is the most important issue for students and families in the Brick Township Schools?

The lack of transparency and the continued disregard for parents' rights. The current funding cuts are hurting our children and the district. We need to make funding decisions based on what is best for our students, parents, taxpayers not based on social issues. Parents need to have a true voice and be made aware of everything that is going on with their child.