Take Five: Cranford School Board Candidate Nicole Kessler

CRANFORD, NJ — There are seats opening up on the Cranford Board of Education and Patch caught up with the candidates ahead of the general election this November.

Questionnaires were sent out out to all candidates registered with the County Clerk's Office in the 2019 general election using the email addresses they went on file with. The responses will be posted on the site by those who submitted in the order in which they were received. They will also be included in an election preview wrap.

This Take Five features Nicole Kessler. Her responses to the questions are below and unedited.

1. Why are you running for BOE?

Please visit www.votenicoleforboe.com for lots of good information about who I am, and what I
stand for.

But in a nutshell, four years ago, I first ran for the BOE because there was a superintendent vacancy. As a principal at the time, I knew just how critical the person selected for that position would be for our town and children. Having a superintendent like Dr. Rubin, who cares deeply about the student experience as well as academics, was incredibly important to me. I volunteered as a rec soccer coach at the time, but I knew that using my experience as a career educator to volunteer for the BOE could have a much larger impact. (I loved coaching, and I went back to helping out again this year).

I am running again because I have learned over these past four years just how important this work is for our children and how critical it is to have people who care deeply about every child in this town driving that decision-making. As the chair of the Curriculum Committee, I have been able to collaborate on everything from infusing more social-emotional learning into our curriculum to bringing in hands-on FOSS kits in science to the elementary schools. Together, we have expanded the elective offerings at the high school and removed barriers to entry for certain classes. These things impact the everyday experience of our children. While I am proud of what we have accomplished, there is still more work to be done.

Last year, the board confronted an issue on many people’s minds: The fact that Cranford, unlike many districts of its size and standing, does not offer full-day kindergarten. As a board, we began the “reimagining” process of trying to figure out how we can bring full-day kindergarten to our town alongside other positive changes, such as career academies at the high school and much-needed improvements to our infrastructure. The goal was to do this in a way that maximizes educational value while minimizing the impact on already-burdened taxpayers -- no easy feat. After approximately 20 public meetings and a town-wide survey, we have additional information about the desires of the community and we hope to continue the work, in collaboration with the Steering Committee, to figure out next steps.

2. What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your town, and how will you address it?

I think our challenge will always be how to meet the needs of every child we serve and give them the experience they deserve. We have made great strides in this, but there is always work to be done. Our kids need to be physically and emotionally safe. We have an incredible partnership with the Cranford Police Department and have added School Resource Officers and other safety structures, but we can always do more. We have added two guidance counselors and a District Coordinator of Climate and Culture. We have brought in Mental Health First Aid training as well as training on how to create a more inclusive environment for all children, but we can do more. We are using data and technology to drive individualized instruction more than ever, but we can do more. My mantra is “you don’t have to be sick to get better” and I am thankful to work with fellow BOE members, teachers and administrators who clearly feel the same way.

3. What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?

That’s tough! I asked a few people.
My boss said “bold, an advocate and kid-focused”
My educator friend said “committed, inclusive and forward-thinking”
My son said “smart, kind and funny”.
I won’t share what my husband said...

4. What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

I’ve been a teacher, a principal and a public school district administrator. I’ve spent 4 years on the board already. With me, you get someone who is ready on Day 1 - no learning curve. I also am the mother of three children in our schools, so I am heavily invested in the school district’s success.
I also oversee special education for 11 schools in my daily job with KIPP New Jersey schools, which keeps the needs of all of our children front and center in my decision-making.

This background has been vital during my time on the BOE. It allows me to easily sift through the often complex educational landscape and to make common-sense decisions for the good of the district. My career as an educator is particularly useful in my work as the chair of the Curriculum Committee and the Personnel Committee. I bring my background in special education when, on behalf of the Cranford BOE, I serve on the board of directors to the Union County Educational Services Commission and of course in many discussions we have about the need for an inclusive environment for all children. I understand the need to meet the needs of all learners and I have experience utilizing many strategies to do so, which is helpful as we implement a tiered system of support based on the use of data. I’ve done consulting on the creation of master schedules, enabling me to understand both the pros and the cons of a block schedule when we supported the high school as it made the transition in 2017. As a principal, I employed a wide variety of communication tools to keep parents informed: email blasts filled with tales from classes; an active school Facebook page; live Twitter chats; and the utilization of Kahoot as a fun way to gain information and engage adults on Back to School Night. I know what excellent communication with parents can look like -- and I want to help the district continue to improve in this area.

There are countless other ways where my experience as an educator, my analytic nature and my willingness to be bold has had an impact. Whether it has been supporting the administration in difficult decisions from a place of understanding, allocating resources to best meet the needs of every child, advocating in executive session for what I believe to be best for an individual child, or pushing for a higher bar of excellence, I am confident that my experience and perspective has benefited -- and will continue to benefit -- the board immensely.

5. Tell me something about you, like hobbies or interests, that have nothing to do with the campaign.

These days, my free time is spent cheering on youth sports teams, driving to dance practice, trying to get my three kids to practice their instruments, losing in Monopoly and rooting for our favorite acts on America’s Got Talent. Service is important to my husband and to me; he, too, is an educator in Newark. I’ve coached both daughters in soccer in town and I enjoy watching my husband Matt coach basketball with the PAL program. He also served as a manager for travel soccer. I love traveling, rocking the karaoke mic, and talking about great books with anyone who is willing. I started a Facebook book group a few years ago that has over 300 members and is a great place to get ideas for new reads, if people are interested. You will often see my husband and me supporting good causes in town -- recently at the Jaycees’ event and less recently in blond wigs bringing spirit and joy (though unfortunately not enough winning answers) to the CFEE fundraiser. It is truly an honor and privilege to serve the Cranford community and hope to be able to continue to do so on the Cranford Board of Education.

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