Bridgewater-Raritan School Board Election 2022: Emily Calistri

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education general election on Nov. 8 has seven candidates running for four open seats.

Emily Calistri is running under the campaign slogan "Protecting Our Future" for one of the three, three-year full-term seats representing Bridgewater.

Opposing candidates include Saad Toor, Steven Singer, Sally Bartlett, Lynne Hurley, Lanfang "Lucy" li, and June Wang.

There is also one, one-year unexpired seat representing Raritan open. There are no candidates for that seat at the moment.

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

(All of the candidates were given the same questions)

Emily Calistri

Age: 38, turning 39 in October

Town of residence: Bridgewater

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: I am married and have 2 sons. Thomas is 8 and Christopher is 5.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. Special Education Certificate

Occupation: Real Estate Agent

Previous or current elected appointed office: No previous or current elected offices.

Campaign website: N/A

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

I am running for the board of education because I believe we need fair minded people who will look out for the best interests of the children. I also feel that my education background will help me better understand the inner workings of schools. My slogan, "Protecting Our Future" says a lot about why I’m running because I believe we need to physically protect the safety of our children and we need to make sure we raise strong children who are prepared when they leave us in 12th grade.

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

Security is an important issue that is rightfully at the forefront of discussions. As a mother in the district, I am so grateful for the service of retired and active law enforcement officers that are looking after the safety of our children in these unprecedented times. I believe the town and the school district need to work together to make sure our children are as safe as possible.

A referendum is in the works looking to focus on fixing school building infrastructure and adding full-day kindergarten. How do you feel about this?

From what I understand the referendum is two questions. The first question will address security and school infrastructure and will have no impact on taxes. The second question will address full day kindergarten and the expansion of the middle school. I commend the board and the district for finally putting this decades old question on the ballot for the public to decide. This question will not only address the issue of full day kindergarten but will also enhance the Middle School. The Middle School enhancement will benefit the educational experience of children who are in district that will have already missed the opportunity for full day kindergarten. This will also reconfigure the schools so that we have a true middle school from 6th-8th grade. It really comes down to the taxpayers making the decision.

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

I think we need to make sure the district and the town are collaborating to best serve our children. An important concern that needs to be addressed is helping the students make up what they lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many students are lagging behind academically because of lost time in school.

What sets you apart from the other challenging candidates?

I think what sets me apart is that I listen to others without being closed minded. I feel so many people can’t listen to others in order to make informed, rational decisions. We all should have the same goal in mind, so listening and working together is extremely important. I also think being a teacher for years helps because I understand the inner workings of schools.

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

I want people in town to know that I am running for Board of Education because I want what is best for our children. I am not running for any personal agenda. I feel the goal of the Board of Education should be to look out for what our children need in order to be as successful as possible in school and in life. We need to make sure we reach all students, not just the highest and lowest ranked. People tend to forget about the middle; we need to make sure all students are being recognized and challenged.