Election 2022: Manasi Mathur For Edison Board of Education

EDISON, NJ — PTO Mom Manasi Mathur is seeking a seat on the Edison Board of Education.

A marketing and branding strategist by profession, Mathur believes that her stint in the PTO will help her build consensus among all stakeholders. She is running on a slate alongside Shivi Prasad Madhukar and Kevin Hayduk.

Below is Mathur’s candidate profile.

(All candidates were given the same questions. Answers are candidates' own.)

Editor's Note: Patch sent out the questionnaire to each candidate's email address provided by the County clerk's office. All responses received will be published between now and Nov. 8 general election. Local candidates who did not receive the questionnaire from Patch can contact sarah.salvadore@patch.com.

Name: Manasi Mathur

Age: 45

Town of residence: Edison

Position sought: Edison Board of Education

Family: 1 child

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English Literature

Occupation: Marketing and Branding Strategist

Previous or current elected appointed office: Edison Township Human Relations Committee -Appointment

Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085446774401

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

I am a long-term Edison resident and raising a family here, with my prior experience of PTO I believe I can be valuable in bringing parents, teacher-student, and board to collaborate and function as one team, the school system can work more efficiently with the inclusion of all stakeholders.

COVID-19 resulted in learning loss for many students. What will you do to ensure students bounce back?

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on learning. Furthermore, students and educators both continue to deal with social and emotional health challenges. Pandemic-related learning gaps may take more than a single academic year to close, but with some effort and the right tools, it is possible to overcome these gaps. If elected I would like to ensure that our staff gets resources to identify learning gaps as well as tools to fill those gaps with individualized learning. I would see that we invest in mental health programs to ensure social-emotional recovery. The lessons from this pandemic should not be forgotten. The board should implement a pandemic policy and plan to ensure that we are better prepared to deal with such disruptions in the future.

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

It is vital that the district have two important components as part of the sex education curriculum:

1. Transparency: parents receive the entire sex education curriculum.
2. Parental choice: Parents can make an informed choice.

There may be certain topics that some families may find in conflict with their values and they should be able to take their children out of those specific topics and allow for learning of other topics that they are comfortable with. We must respect and provide the ability for parents to make an informed choice that works for their children and families.

What according to you is the biggest issue facing the school district currently? How do you plan to tackle it?

The biggest issue that our school district face today is school capacity. We have already started in the right direction this year to address this issue by implementing a building improvement plan. I believe that we need to improve not only the infrastructure of the buildings but also increase the capacity of various programs to have adequate amount opportunities for students in various extracurricular activities and advanced placement programs. We can tackle this by applying for more State and Federal Aid, cutting wasteful spending, and utilizing our savings.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I have a strong commitment to our schools and have been volunteering in our schools for over a decade. I am a two-term PTO president and believe my experience in collaborating with students, staff and parents allow me to listen and understand diverse points of views and build consensus among all stakeholders.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I am running with Shivi Prasad Madhukar and Dr. Kevin Hayduk on column1. As a PTO Mom, I have seen our district's issues of overcapacity. Like many parents, I am happy that the following accomplishments were made under the current leadership: historic investment in classrooms and our music program and bringing the Full-day Kindergarten program back to our schools after a decade. I am very proud to be part of the "Stronger Brighter Futures" team in column 1. I am a committed PTO volunteer and parent who is ready to work hard for the Edison community and ensure the district progresses forward.

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