Election 2022: Cherry Hill BOE Candidates Nick Gaudio And Jennifer Sharman

CHERRY HILL, NJ — In the 2022 general election, residents of South Jersey will be voting for state and local officials. Patch has asked candidates in contested races to answer profiles about their campaigns.

Here is the candidate profile for Nick Gaudio and Jen Sharman, running for the Cherry Hill Board of Education.

Note that some voting locations have changed for the special election on October 6 in Cherry Hill.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and Nov. 8 general election. Local candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact Michelle.Rotuno-Johnson@patch.com.

Name: Nick Gaudio / Jen Sharman (Reestablish Family Values)

Age: 41 (Nick), 49 (Jen)

Town of residence: Cherry Hill, NJ (both)

Position sought: Cherry Hill BOE (3 year positions)

Family: Nick: Widowed with 2 daughters (12 and 9); now in a loving relationship with a warm-hearted mother of 2 sons (11 and 6). Jen: Married to a loving Marine veteran since 2015 when they became a beautiful blended family of four children, comprised of her two sons (19 and 17) and his daughter (24) and son (21).

Education/Occupation: Nick has been a Systems/Security Engineer for over 20 years. He received his BS and MS in Computer Engineering from Villanova University and obtained his Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. Jen has been a Registered Nurse for over 25 years. She received her nursing education through Jefferson Frankford Hospital and her BS in Healthcare Administration through Pierce College.

What previous or current elected/appointed offices have you held?

Nick is the Vice President of an engineering labor association and a board member on a condominium association Board of Directors. Jen is the Advancement Chair for a local Scout troop.

Why are you seeking to run for the school board?

Over the past few years, we have witnessed and experienced a depreciation of respect throughout the education system for the freedom of parents/guardians to instill their family values in their children. Various personnel within the state and district insinuate that students need to be reeducated on their personal morals and values. The education system creates family conflict by accusing caring and involved parents/guardians of being unsupportive of their children’s developmental needs, mentally and physically. We want to reestablish the rights of parents/guardians as partners in the education of our children.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

We are focused on the importance of all diverse individual family values being respected and embraced by the educational system. We do not believe that the school district should be solely responsible for molding our children’s morals and values.

What is your stance on the bond referendum that is before Cherry Hill School District voters?

While we acknowledge the necessity for improvements and repairs in our aging school buildings, we feel that the timing of an almost $400 million bond referendum during a recession is insensitive to the financial burden that will be placed on the residents of Cherry Hill.

Would you have voted to transfer the teachers from Cherry Hill East to Cherry Hill West?

We believe that teachers perform best when they are given the freedom to establish a consistent routine and rapport with the students and faculty in their school. By forcing the relocation of teachers to different schools and grade levels, the district is creating an atmosphere of inconsistency and lack of trust for both students and faculty. The transfer of the teachers compounded with the unprecedented lack of consistency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbates the negative emotional and academic effects on teachers and students.

What is your stance on the sexual education curriculum that Gov. Murphy put forth earlier this year?

As we stated in response to an earlier question, we have witnessed and experienced a depreciation of respect throughout the education system for the freedom of parents/guardians to instill their family values in their children.

What is the most important issue in your district and how do you intend to address it?

The biggest issue in our school district is the lack of inclusion of both parent/guardian and student input into major decisions in curriculum, budget, and health. While the BOE has made great strides towards including student voice, it lacks the balance of family input from parents/guardians. As BOE members, we plan to maintain an open-door policy for communication with parents/guardians and to advocate for their concerns and input on a level equal to that of the students.