Kristen Hickman: Clark School Board Candidate

CLARK, NJ — The Clark School Board has seven candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 2.

Kristen Hickman is one of the candidates running. The other candidates include:

• Scott Bohm - incumbent
• Robert Smoro - incumbent
• Dino Bencivenga - incumbent
• Erik Jacobsen (Stand For Students)
• Diana Caamano Gonzalez (Stand For Students)
• Corey McGuire (Stand For Students)

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

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

Kristen Hickman

Name: Kristen Hickman

Age: 40

Town of residence: Clark

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: I have 2 children (2nd and 3rd grade) enrolled in Frank K. Hehnly and a wonderful husband who is a vocational teacher.

Education: Undergraduate degree in Biology. Master's Work in Forensic Science, Master of Science in the Education of Science.

Occupation: Middle School teacher.

Previous or current elected appointed office: none.

Why are you seeking to run for school board? My husband and I moved to Clark knowing the wonderful reputation of the school district as we grew up in a neighboring town. Since my son started Hehnly, I started to feel as though the district did not give enough opportunity for parental input and ideas. This became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. While I know the lines of communication were open, I felt parent concerns and ideas were not met with openness. Therefore, I feel as a mother and educator, there are some aspects I could bring to the board to make Clark a better and more open school district. While all parent ideas cannot be met, I feel parents should still feel heard, and I have not gotten that feeling over the past few years.

Clark is currently behind in technology and I know money is always a factor, but I am also aware of opportunities to get grants to improve our programs. There are federal and private grants available for schools, and sometimes it just takes a little bit of searching to find it. As an educator, I have learned where to look for these grants. While I feel many on the board have done a great job, a new perspective can always be helpful. Our students deserve every opportunity to become successful and I can bring some new ideas to help that.

What is your stance on masks in schools? As a teacher, I see both sides. I feel as though parents should have a say and be able to make the decisions for their own children, but I also understand the law and the need for the board, Superintendent, administrators, and teachers to follow that law - as that is part of their job.

Should schools offer a virtual option? This is a tough question and is not a yes or no option. As a parent and educator, I feel virtual schooling is nowhere close to being as successful as in-person learning for many students. For those students who have medical issues or are unable to come to school for reasons of illness, there are protocols for that already instituted in the district. I feel there needs to be a back-up plan but it should not be the normal.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district? My greatest concern is offering technology opportunities to our students. With the hiring of the STEAM coordinator a few years ago, I would love to increase our STEAM resources so students are on par with neighboring districts. I also feel the turnover of teachers is quite high in the district. I feel there is a need to find out the cause of this and find ways to correct it. We need to keep quality teachers and administrators and find ways to help those teachers and administrators who are struggling become better. One bad apple can spoil the bunch in education.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? I am the mom of two elementary kids. My kids and their friends are the future of Clark. My time and investment for the board will be to support those kids who I will watch grow up and make Clark Schools the best it can be. We need people who are willing to foster inquiring minds, athletes in training, artists expressing their ideas and many more. Although not a teacher by schooling, I love educating and feel I can bring perspectives that may help get Clark a step ahead.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? Mama (and papa) bears come out when needed. Many have voiced their concerns and may feel as though they have not been heard. That needs to change. While I may not be able to promise the world of change that others offer (because that is not how it works) I would work hard to have parent concerns felt heard and if possible, explain choices that are made and why they are made more than what is currently done.