Local Teacher Enters Freeholder Race

Contact: Melissa Tomlinson
Email: tomlinson4acfreeholder@gmail.com

For Immediate Release, March 20, 2017

A new contender will announce their intention to join the Atlantic County Freeholder race this year. On Tuesday March 21, Melissa Tomlinson will speak during the public comments section of the Atlantic County Freeholder Board Meeting concerning the failings of the current board members and announce her candidacy for the position of Freeholder-At-Large on the Green Party Ticket. Tomlinson is no stranger to politics and ran a campaign for freeholder in 2014. She gained local notoriety as being the teacher Chris Christie was caught on camera losing his temper and yelling at back in 2013. She has been growing increasingly frustrated with the political “business as usual” she sees coming from both the Democrats and Republicans in South Jersey: “Maintaining the status quo has not benefited the people of Atlantic County. We need to face the reality that we live in an unique area that needs some new solutions to the issues that are affecting our communities.”

Melissa Tomlinson has been a special education teacher at Buena Regional Middle School for 9 years. She is one of the directors of Badass Teachers Association, a coalition partner of 15 Now NJ, a member of South Jersey Women for Progressive Change, and a member of the Green Party of Atlantic County. Her advocacy work during the past few years has offered her the experience to explore alternative solutions and collaborate with community organizations that are invested in addressing the systemic issues that hinder the development of economic opportunity and social growth.

A staunch believer in the right to an equitable public education system, Tomlinson understands the need for current investment in new programs that will create a stronger base for future growth in the economies of this area. Communities and schools must join together in the process of analyzing the needs of the residents and creating programs that will meet those needs, in the present and the future. Residents in our county are facing economic hard times and relief must be provided. But not only is it our responsibility to ease the burden in our communities, it is our duty to create programs and opportunities so that we will never face this issue again. We can not allow homes to be foreclosed upon, our children to live in poverty, our infrastructure to deteriorate, or our communities to crumble.

Melissa Tomlinson is the Freeholder-At-Large we need to bring creative, effective solutions to our county.

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