Election 2024: Anna Braun For East Brunswick Board Of Education

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Retired East Brunswick School District teacher, Anna Braun, has thrown her hat in the ring this election. She is seeking a one-year term on the East Brunswick Board of Education.

A teacher at heart, Braun says she knows firsthand the struggles of East Brunswick staff and wants to help the district grow in excellence.

Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5

Name: Anna Braun

Age: 61

Town of residence: East Brunswick

Education: Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership

Occupation: Retired East Brunswick Public School music teacher

1. Why are you seeking a seat on the BOE?

I retired from the East Brunswick Public School system three years ago having taught at Irwin, Hammarskjold and Churchill, and in the past 10 years witnessed ineffective curriculum roll-outs, poor staff morale, and wasted spending. I was motivated to run for a seat on the BOE in the wake of the April 2024 budget forum when the entire elementary Band and Orchestra program was slated to be eliminated. Having worked with the EB Orchestra program for 34 years, I knew that the upper administration was looking at the program as a budget line item and not as a vital component of the instrumental music program. The Superintendent tried to explain that cutting the program wouldn’t have a great impact on students even though 70 percent of all fourth graders participated in the program. His plan of starting students at the upper elementary level is not possible due to scheduling and staffing. When I exposed the half-truths being presented to the community about a program I had intimate knowledge of, I wondered what other questionable educational decisions were being made. I am running for a seat on the BOE to ensure our schools are being run effectively, efficiently, and with fiscal responsibility.

2. What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I am not a politician and have no desire to use a position on the BOE as a stepping stone to other elected offices. I am at heart a teacher and hold a Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership. My perspective as a retired EBPS staff member, my expertise in K-12 education, and my status as a retired tax-paying senior citizen are unique among current board members or candidates. I know firsthand the struggles our East Brunswick staff are facing because I lived it. Having started at Hammarskjold in 1987, I watched our district grow in excellence, achieve Blue Ribbon status, and become one of the top districts in the area and the state. We were once the envy of other districts and those of us who worked here under the previous administration were proud and honored to say we worked in the East Brunswick schools. It makes me sad to see our district in decline as a result of poor educational leadership, starting at the top of the administrative pyramid. The BOE has one employee, the Superintendent. And they need members who are willing to speak up and hold him accountable for making sound educational judgments.

3. What according to you is the biggest issue facing the school district?

We must expedite a solution to the overcrowding at Churchill. I worked at Churchill for a decade where, in addition to my teaching duties, I had cafeteria and hall duty, and I know how congested certain areas of the building become during the changing of classes, during lunch periods, and at dismissal time. The common areas of the building, such as hallways, the cafeteria, and media center, were not expanded. By adding another 700 students to increase the enrollment to almost 2000 students, the administration has added to the number of buses, parents, and walkers navigating the existing parking lots. With only 26 minutes for lunch, students don’t have time to purchase lunch and eat it. This is particularly alarming for students on free or reduced-price lunches who depend on the schools to provide a significant portion of their nutritional needs. With all of the concern over mental health, keeping teens in an overcrowded, stressful environment is unacceptable. The grade reorganization, which was announced in December 2021, was rushed and should not have happened until a bond referendum to rebuild or renovate EBHS was ready to be brought to the community. The original plan assumed a referendum would be passed by the voters in March 2024, but that hasn’t happened. Not only hasn’t a referendum been brought to the community, but we don’t know what the plan is to move the project along because it has not been communicated to the community. The temporary classroom units (TCUs) installed and leased at Churchill at costs approaching $10M were only approved for usage for five years. We are already in the third year of the TCUs with no idea what the next step will be. Major educational decisions being made by our Superintendent and Business Administrator (who are not K-12 educators themselves) must be examined closely and not simply rubber-stamped for approval.

4. Are you happy with the way the district has handled state aid cuts? What would be your approach?

There is no question that we are in a dire situation and there is not going to be a simple answer to solve budget issues. When we faced a severe budget crisis in 2009 due to unprecedented cuts in state funding by Governor Chris Christie, Superintendent Dr. JoAnn Magistro reopened her existing contract, renegotiated it, and voluntarily took a pay freeze, as did the rest of the administration. Even with that, we lost a number of staff members, including my husband whose job teaching music to students with special needs was cut. In contrast, since February, the current Superintendent has twice reopened his current contract, renegotiated a raise, and proposed an extension. Instead of a pay freeze, this newest proposed contract would provide a 2.75 percent increase per year. The cost of living increase for 2025 for seniors relying on Social Security will be 2.5 percent. I am appalled that the current board and the Superintendent are willing to ask for a contract increase when we have already been told to anticipate state aid cuts again. Presumably, the taxpayers can anticipate being asked to pay for a bond referendum to renovate or rebuild EBHS as the current solution of TCUs at Churchill is only temporary. While the Superintendent at the October 10th BOE meeting announced a delay in the vote on his new contract until after the new Board is seated in January, it is tone deaf to the needs of the community to push for a raise for the third time. We don’t know how the incumbents feel about the new contract since the public hearing was delayed and a final vote was not taken. However, it is necessary for the majority of the board to approve a proposed contract before it is sent to the County Superintendent, which has been done twice this year during closed-session meetings.

5. There were discussions about expanding the high school either by building a new one or renovating the existing one. What are your thoughts on this?

In 2004, I was invited to be on ad hoc committees by Superintendent JoAnn Magistro to examine making renovations to a number of buildings throughout the district. It was decided to do an expansion/renovation project in two phases. The first referendum brought to the voters would be for extensive renovations to Lawrence Brook, Central School, and Hammarskjold, which was approved by the community. Like EBHS, Hammarskjold had been added onto throughout the years. The architect was able to incorporate the newest wing into the plans for the new Hammarskjold. Before a second referendum could be formulated, which would have addressed renovations to EBHS, Memorial School was badly damaged by a fire and it was determined it needed to be rebuilt. Similar to the way the new Hammarskjold was built, I would like to know if plans were explored to save any of the newer sections of EBHS, such as the two-story portion at the front of the building. The building of new Hammarskjold had little to no disruption to the student’s learning environment since it was built in an athletic field adjacent to the newest wing which was being incorporated into the new building. Once the new building was completed, everything was moved into the building over the summer, the old building was demolished, and parking lots were placed where the old building had been. Renovations to older buildings run into issues with the remediation of lead and asbestos, which will need to be factored into renovation costs. The older wings of EBHS were not built to support a second floor, so there will need to be demolition and rebuilding whichever direction the plans take to keep the building’s footprint at an appropriate size. I do not believe given the current economy, budget shortfalls, and public outcry about a building project approaching half a billion dollars that the community would be willing to support building a new EBHS with the plans that have been presented to date. I wish the Superintendent was approaching a solution to the overcrowding at CJHS and a construction project at the high school with the same intensity he has demonstrated with the renegotiation of his existing contract.

6. What other aspects need to be improved in the school district?

Within the first 90 days of appointment to the BOE, my first priority will be to present to the community a solid plan for the high school. Churchill can’t remain as it is. Secondly, the repercussions and underlying tensions from the yearbook fiasco have not adequately been addressed. The community was promised professional development for teachers, yet there was none offered over the summer. This promised training will not take place until November. This lack of follow-through on the part of the Superintendent is unacceptable, which leads to my third priority. An action plan with measurable goals must be set for the Superintendent and he must be held accountable for meeting those expectations, similar to the way teachers are evaluated and held responsible for the educational progress of their students and communication with parents. I will push for teacher climate surveys to address the poor staff morale employees are reporting. As a former EBPS teacher, I experienced the top-down business model of leadership where staff are left out of major policy changes. With the expertise of over a thousand educators at their disposal, the Central Office is wasting a valuable resource by not including staff in important decisions, since those at the building level are closest to the students and know what the problems are and what is needed to fix them. Our staff has done an amazing job of holding things together. However, cracks are forming in the facade and our school district is reaching a breaking point. We should all be working together for the good of our students. Collaboration and cooperation between the upper administration and build-level staff must be improved. Documentation will include staff surveys conducted by the Central Office, district-wide committees that include staff in the early planning process, and meetings that include building administrators and BOE members. I would initiate round table discussions where staff can bring their concerns to BOE members without fear of retribution or retaliation.

7. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I was recently asked why I talk more about teachers than I do about students. I thought it was an odd question, but then I realized the person asking this question wouldn’t know how career educators think about their jobs. We never stop thinking about our students. Even when not “at work” teachers are planning the next lesson or unit, pondering the needs of individual students, looking for inspiration for creative and innovative lessons, reading the latest research, studying new pedagogical theories, taking night classes, and so on. Weekends, summer vacations, holidays or snow days – a good teacher is always thinking about how to improve their craft because they never stop thinking about their students. Another question I have been asked is given how vocal I have been, what kind of working relationship will I have with current board members? If I am chosen by the voters as their representative on the Board, it means that my message of positive change has been heard. I am not the type of person who would be willing to vote in lock step just for the sake of maintaining the appearance of a board consensus. Each board member brings different experiences, has different areas of expertise, and a different level of knowledge about financial matters and K12 educational practice. I hope the board will be a safe place where we can respectfully share our diverse viewpoints and have the freedom to vote as our conscience dictates.