Meet The Cherry Hill School Board Candidate: John Papeika

CHERRY HILL, NJ — When voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections, they will be asked to choose three people from a field of five to serve on the Cherry Hill Public School District's Board of Education.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to give voters information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation. Below are the responses from candidate John Papeika.

Previous elective office, if any

None

Does anyone in your family work for the school district or in politics?

My wife, Jennifer, works for the School District of Philadelphia as a kindergarten teacher.

Education

• MS in Human Resources from Holy Family University
• BA in Management Marketing from Holy Family University
• Certified Professional of Food Safety by National Environmental Health Association

Occupation

Manager of Retail Safety & Regulatory Compliance

Why are you seeking a seat on the school board?

Students, parents, teachers, and staff have been through a lot during the last six months. Schools have had to reinvent the way to educate. I feel that as a member of the Cherry Hill School board, I can help assist our schools set goals to navigate the new ways and to provide the best education while keeping the needs of all residents in mind.

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Short term — opening safely as soon as possible. As a board member we need to set this goal and encourage the administration to make the plan and give them any support that we can to get it done. Long term — Transparency. Residents need to know what is going on in the district as it is happening. The goal should be open communication on all levels so that trust between parents, residents, and administration can be rebuilt.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve on the school board seat?

I have two young children who are just entering the district and will be involved for at least the next 20 years. Any actions made will directly impact my family.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My platform is “Challenge. Support. Educate.” An area that I feel is often overlooked is students with disabilities. We need to support our students with IEPs by giving them the tools they need to succeed. This includes supporting the teachers and families in the student’s learning plan. Often these students do not get the support they should, leaving families struggling to fill the gaps.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective on the school board?

In my professional life, I have successfully operated multi-million-dollar operations. In those operations, the day-to-day business included many of the same things that a school board does: managing budgets, setting goals, and working with people. While we cannot treat a school like a business, we can apply some of the management principles to help success.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am aware that I may not always have the answers. With that in mind, I am willing to look for the advice and opinion of others. We will not always have the same opinion, but at the end of the day we will be able to come to an agreement that is in the best interest of the children.

The best advice ever shared with me was

Do what is right, not what is easy.