Election 2022: Shivi Prasad-Madhukar For Edison Board Of Education

EDISON, NJ – Incumbent Shivi Prasad-Madhukar is running for another term on the school board.

A policy analyst by profession, Prasad-Madhukar said the district currently has the plan to address classroom capacity and make infrastructure upgrades in all schools.

She is running on a slate alongside Manasi Mathur and Kevin Hayduk.

Below is Prasad-Madhukar'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: Shivi Prasad-Madhukar

Town of residence: Edison

Position sought: Edison Board of Education

Family: Married with three children

Education: Masters in Public Administration with specialization in Public Policy from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service

Occupation: Policy Analyst

Previous or current elected appointed office: Vice President, Edison Board of Education

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

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

My journey of getting involved in school board matters started when full-day kindergarten was taken away in 2011. This was the time when Edison received a fraction of the state funding it was entitled to. 2022 was the first year I got to lead the school board as Vice President. This is also the year that the full-day kindergarten program was restored. This is also the year Edison started receiving full funding from the state. Leadership matters. While issues remain, it’s fair to say what we achieved in the last six months, we have not achieved in the past six years. Other significant achievements include giving taxpayers a break by passing a true zero percent tax levy. Edison finally has a plan to address classroom capacity and infrastructure upgrades in all schools. There has been a historic investment in music program. All at No additional cost to taxpayers! How did we do it? We did it by streamlining resources, cutting waste, not hoarding taxpayer money and by working very hard. If we could get this done in six months, think of what can be achieved in three years. While my leadership has set the ball rolling on many long-standing issues affecting the district such as overcrowding, my goal is to see all plans to fruition and ensure they are executed well, and in a timely manner. I want to represent Edison school board for another term so I can oversee the implementation of these projects and so we do not derail mid-way. My ultimate objective is to work tirelessly to create a school system that is attentive and responsive; a board that gets the work done. So, we can be one of the best school districts in the state. That’s why I am running for the school board.

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

One of the areas where COVID-19 severely impacted students was mental health and wellbeing. Needless to say, learning is not optimal in any state of anxiety. Besides, ensuring that there are additional supports to children to share their concerns in a safe environment, I believe the next one year is really important to act on the data that has already been collected on where the learning loss has been highest. Besides remedial measures to bring children up to par based on established parameters, it is equally important to invest time and resources into creating mutual trust circles. More thought must be given to the importance of creating these safe circles, and opening up the dialog with students, parents, teachers where everyone feels nurtured and safe.

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

I feel this is a very personal subject and parents may feel differently about some topics as it pertains to their child. For this reason, it is extremely important for schools to share details on curriculum with parents so they can make an informed decision on whether they would like or not like their children to study these subjects in school. I believe, it's important to always go to the primary source of information. People should not have to google information. School districts need to be transparent. Besides emailing parents on what is going to be taught including information on how to unenroll, the information should also be available on the school website.

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

The biggest issue facing the school district is increasing school enrollment on one hand and lack of space to accommodate students on the other. There are two ways to tackle this. First, the district needs to have a plan for addressing classroom capacity. I am happy to say that this year the Edison Board of Education approved a plan to address overcrowding at no additional cost of taxpayers. We are adding 30 classrooms at JP Stevens - the most overcrowded school in the district. We are in fact adding classroom space in many other schools across our town at no additional cost to taxpayers, the blueprints for these are ready. Second, the Edison Board of Education also must make a concerted effort to ensure that students whose primary residence is outside Edison do not attend schools here.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

My involvement in the schools and community spans over a decade. I bring tremendous knowledge and experience. My passion for education is felt by most people I have interacted with. Coupled with my educational background, policy and budget knowledge, hard work, dedication, professionalism, integrity, persistence, the sky is the limit. I will not stop until the Edison Board of Education becomes one of the most respected entities in town.

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

I am running on Column 1 with Dr. Kevin Hajduk, who holds a doctorate in Education Policy and Manasi Mathur, who is a two-term PTO president both at elementary and middle school. Our team name is Stronger Brighter Futures. Partnership, collaboration and team work is key to the success of any entity. We have worked well creating these relationships during the past one year. One example is the partnership with the town that has resulted in the creation of an after-school special needs activity center. It is important to elect people who work well with others, people who focus on solutions, people you can trust, people who are respectful regardless of your opinion, people who rise by lifting others - because at the end of the day, we are representing children and children learn by example.

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