Meet Darby Malvey, Cherry Hill Board Of Education General Election Candidate

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The ballot season is in full swing in the Garden State, and Patch has asked local candidates aiming to win a seat on the Cherry Hill Board of Education to share their thoughts before the General Election on Nov. 3.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all contested candidates via the email addresses listed for their campaign. The responses received will be published between now and the general election. Contact edward.callahan@patch.com with any questions regarding coverage.

Name: Darby Malvey

Age: 39

Town of residence: Cherry Hill

Position sought: Cherry Hill Board of Education

Party affiliation: N/A

Family: My husband and I have a 6-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son

Education: BA English, University of Delaware; Masters of Library and Information Science, Rutgers University

Occupation: Librarian

Previous or current elected or appointed office: None

Why are you seeking office?

I believe we need solution-oriented, forward-thinking individuals with real classroom and community experience making decisions about what happens in our schools.

With young kids of my own in the district, I have an interest not just in what's going on today, but in how decisions made today will impact our students and staff for years to come. And as a former school librarian who currently works with libraries at a statewide level, I have a real understanding of the issues surrounding education, technology, and budget that our schools currently face.

I believe I can bring valuable perspective and help make wise choices that support all of Cherry Hill's students and staff.

What additional measures would you suggest to build on one or two things that are done right now within the district?

I really enjoyed the recent Technology Forum hosted by the board and administration. I'd love to see that expanded upon, so that our community members have the opportunity to provide input, voice concerns, and share thoughts with their neighbors.

With some tweaks to the format and expansion to a wider variety of topics, forums could be a valuable tool for communication and collaboration moving forward.

In keeping with the communication theme, I'd suggest additional measures for clear, concise, easy-to-comprehend communication across the district.

Existing newsletters, emails, and social media communication are a good start - but in a district this size, I feel strongly that there needs to be real intentionality around ensuring that communication efforts are timely, free of jargon, and not a one-way street.

Every member of the Cherry Hill community should be able to understand and make use of information shared by the district, and I'd suggest building out further opportunities for individuals to seek clarification or ask questions when needed.

If you were to start your own board or commission, what would it be for and why? What issues would you want to address, or areas would you want to highlight?

N/A

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

• 1. As a parent with young children in the district, I'm on the sidelines at soccer games, in the waiting room at dance classes, and volunteering with the PTA at school events. I'm on the text threads about who can help get neighborhood kids to school during a two-hour delay and whether anybody understands how to read the latest test scores.
• I'm actively part of the community of young families shaping Cherry Hill schools today, and I'm actively listening to and learning about their challenges, successes, and concerns in real time.
• 2. As an information professional and certified media specialist with years of work in both public and school libraries, I have the expertise, experience, and skills to tackle the most pressing issues our schools face today: technology and AI, instructional best practices, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, funding advocacy, and equitable access.
• I believe my professional background leaves me uniquely situated to think critically and make difficult decisions about these issues, while never losing sight of the fact that Board members are public servants - a role I've held throughout the entirety of my career.
• 3. As an employee of an independent nonprofit with no family ties to the district, I have no conflicts of interest that might affect my Board service. I'm able to fully participate in all Board business and do all the work required of a Board member to truly represent Cherry Hill families.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence that you can handle this job?

I'm not a stranger to the work of volunteer Boards, and over the course of my career, I've served on the Executive Boards of both the New Jersey Library Association and the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, and have served as the President of NJLA's Children's Services Section and the Co-President of the NJASL Tri-County School Librarians Group.

With additional work on these organizations' initiatives like the Joint Task Force on School Libraries and the NJ Rapid Response Team, I've demonstrated time and again that I'm committed to doing the work, showing up for my communities, and fully engaging with the issues that need addressing.

I'd also point to my work at the statewide level with regard to educational policy, where I participated in the successful advocacy campaign that saw the passage of the Information Literacy Student Learning Standards Bill.

Since then, I've worked closely with statewide partners, including the NJDOE to help devise strategies that will prepare schools and communities for the implementation of those standards. I feel comfortable and confident in my ability to fight for the funding and fair treatment our schools need and deserve.

What's a motto you live your life by?

You can always find a way to leave something better than you found it.

What does it mean to you to represent the district?

I recognize that while the Board’s role is not to manage the day-to-day operations of the schools or the district, it is important for Board members to remember that on the way to achieving the big-picture goals, it’s the small stuff that makes meaning for our school community every day.

I also recognize that, more than anything else, a position on the Board is a responsibility to the community. One that requires significant time and effort, a willingness to listen and learn, an understanding of the issues in modern education, and the ability to ask hard questions and make difficult choices. It’s a responsibility I’m asking the public to allow me to take on, and one I seek not because I wish to make change for myself or my own kids, but because I want to be part of making sure that every student, every staff member, and every family is getting what they need to thrive in Cherry Hill Public Schools.

I believe that I have the perspective required to thoughtfully examine the issues that come before the Board, the experience necessary to ask relevant questions and recognize quality answers, and the skills needed to complete the work this community entrusts to the Board of Education.

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