Stacey Friedlander: Bridgewater-Raritan School Board Candidate

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School Board has seven candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 2.

Stacey Friedlander is one of the candidates running. The other candidates include:

• Ashish "A.J." Joshi - incumbent
• Jennifer Loughran
• Hiral Desai
• Richard Myers
• Kimberly Lucci
• Fabiola Folino

All of the candidates are running for the three, three-year seats on the board.

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.

Stacey Friedlander

Name: Stacey Friedlander

Age: 44

Town of residence: Bridgewater

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: Married 15 years to husband Michael, Two boys - Jack 13, Max 8

Education: BA in Political Science at Syracuse University, Post Grad Teaching Certificate from Kean University in SPED K-12 and Regular Education K-8

Occupation: Support Specialist at Law Offices of David Harper.

Previous or current elected appointed office: President, Sisterhood of Temple Sholom

Why are you seeking to run for school board? Over the past 10 years, I have been an outspoken advocate for the students of our school district and I want to expand this role. In 2013, a group of concerned parents and I lobbied for full day kindergarten, and while we have not yet achieved its implementation, the district has adopted it as a long term goal. Through countless hours of research, brainstorming, and collaboration with the district, I was able to gain insights on the complexities of our school district that will allow me to work effectively with all parties at the table: the administration, the staff and faculty, the parents, and the Board.

The mental health of our students is a particular focus for me. In 2018, following the deaths of local students by suicide, a small group of parents and I worked hard to bring a support program, Start With Hello, to our district to teach empathy and empower students to end social isolation. With the Superintendent at the time, the program was officially incorporated into our Guidance curriculum in 2019. I will be working very hard to ensure that the district continues to provide the necessary resources and programming.

I have long felt invested in the success of our school district. We moved here for the schools and I have invested countless hours sitting in or listening in to Board of Education meetings so that I could better understand the workings, decision making processes and role of the Board of Education. I also have the unique perspective of someone who has worked both in and out of public education, having been a Special Education K-8 educator for 16 years. I have been a part of the Technology Committee, and currently am participating on the Dress Code Action Team.

I hope that, if elected, I can work to improve the community relations between the parents and the Board of Education. Coming off a very tumultuous year, there needs to be healing. We need to restore respect, empathy and trust. I’d like to see continued live streaming of meetings, regardless of COVID. Parents of young children, those who work, and many others cannot attend live in-person meetings and feel shut out of the process. In today’s world, we need to move to more access and make sure input from the community is accessible, live. I’d also like to see more awareness and education of the role of the Board of Education so that the community can understand these roles and work together, with the Administration, to properly voice opinions, concerns and ideas to the proper channels and make Board of Education meetings more efficient.

I have invested myself deeply here in our community. Whether it be my involvement in my synagogue as our Sisterhood President, or volunteering my time with the Jewish Federation, JCC and Camp Ruach, I find using my free time to help causes that help our community and are rewarding. This past year, in response to the needs of our community during COVID, I helped Co-found and create the non-profit The Mask Squad. Following the success of that, I helped organize and set up The Vaccine Angels and then merged the two organizations together to form The Volunteer Squad. Both of these helped thousands in our community and beyond. Having these experiences has helped me to see what an amazing and wonderful community we have and what can happen when we are all on the same team and want to see each other succeed. I’d like to see our District succeed and continue to be an excellent and desirable place to live and go to school.

What is your stance on masks in schools? I want to see our students back in school, and parents able to focus on their careers and employment. Whatever mitigation we need to do to reduce risk and the spread, should be done. If the current health guidance from the medical experts deem that masks are necessary, especially in the time of new variants, for the prevention and spread of COVID, then we need to do our part. COVID is not gone. Until it is, it’s crucial to mitigate its spread

Should schools offer a virtual option? The problem with offering a virtual option is logistics. Should it be done, yes. How it’s done is complicated. As of today, Governor Murphy has said that all students should be returning to their classrooms full time. However, there are students with medical conditions that affect themselves or immediate family members that cannot risk exposure. We also will have instances where a staff member or student may test positive and must quarantine at home. These situations are going to pop up.

I would hope that our district is aware of the demand for virtual needs and is preparing for that possibility. Our teachers struggled to teach hybrid and although it was necessary, it wasn't ideal. I support the call to the NJ State Department of Education to create, implement and support a state led virtual academy initiative. This is already done in 34 other states. New Jersey is consistently ranked as having the top schools and educational value in the nation, it makes sense that we add this in the future.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district? We are still struggling to improve upgrades to HVAC systems in our buildings. If COVID taught us anything, it demonstrated how badly we need upgrades.

Communication between the BOE and Superintendent is often a bone of contention with parents. I’d like to see more frequent updates and transparent communication regarding district committee reports, as well as holding more in-person Town Halls or informal meetings between Superintendent and community.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? I’ve been actively engaged and involved with school district related issues and committees for the past 10 years. I’ve already advocated and worked with the school district on two important issues: Full Day Kindergarten and mental health initiatives. I’m proud that one became a district goal and the other (Start With Hello) was implemented and put into action. Because of my involvement, I’ve had years to educate myself on the policies and procedures involved with being a Board of Education member.

I also offer a unique perspective as being the only candidate with educational experience. I was an educator for 16 years which gives me the knowledge and perspective necessary to relate to both educators and parents.

My commitment to our community is also evident in how strongly I felt in the development and management of both The Mask Squad and Vaccine Angels this past year.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? Although I’ve lived out of state and am known as a world traveler, I’m a Jersey Girl - born and raised! I grew up and was educated in the public schools within Union County. After graduating from high school, I attended Syracuse University where I majored in Political Science and Environmental Policy. After graduation, I spent two years working at the Council On Environmental Quality at the White House and the USDA Farm Agency. I was initially interested in earning a teaching degree in science, but decided to earn my certificate and degree in Elementary K-4 and Special Education K-12. I spent 16 years teaching, in two different districts here in New Jersey. I moved to Bridgewater in 2011.

After the birth of my second child, I had to make some changes to meet the needs of my family's changing schedules and made the painful decision to leave full-time teaching. I highly enjoyed serving as a substitute teacher both in our district schools and at Blaustein Early Childhood Center. Currently, I’m lucky to have found a fantastic part time job that has allowed me the flexibility to be available for my family, and I have been with my current job for the past four years where I work as a support specialist for a local law firm.

I’m happy to be a Bridgewater resident, but also a parent of BRRSD students. I believe in our school district and want to ensure we continue to always strive for the best.