Election 2022: Gloucester Twp. BOE Candidate Matthew Elliott Wilson

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — In the 2022 general election, residents of South Jersey will be voting for state and local officials. Patch has asked candidates in contested races to answer profiles about their campaigns.

Here is the candidate profile for Matthew Elliott Wilson, running to retain a seat on the Gloucester Township Board of Education.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and Nov. 8 general election. Local candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact Michelle.Rotuno-Johnson@patch.com.

Name: Matthew Elliott Wilson

Age: 38

Town of residence: Gloucester Township, Erial area

Position sought: Gloucester Township Board of Education (K-8)

Family: Husband and two daughters, one who attends school in the district and one who will eventually.

Education: MBA, Villanova University; BA, DeSales University

Occupation: I lead healthcare strategy for a national IT solutions corporation

What previous or current elected/appointed offices have you held?

I am currently a sitting member of the Gloucester Township Board of Education. I've served on the BOE since January 2020.

Why are you seeking to run for the school board?

I place great value on the public education system and firmly believe that communities thrive when schools thrive. I'm proud of the work in this district over the last three years and remain excited to continue that success. There are plenty of challenges to face in the largest K-8 district in the state and I am eager to put in the work to solve them. Furthermore, my oldest daughter attends school in this district and my youngest will one day as well. I want to contribute to their future by continuously improving their learning environment.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

Aside from my past experience serving on multiple non-profit governance boards, I bring with me a career in healthcare leadership and strategy that applies to so much of what the school board manages. Coming from a healthcare background, I'm familiar leading in an industry focused on the well-being of others with extensive governmental oversight with a long tradition of union relationships. I also have a heightened focus on goal setting to set a course toward building a district for the future. On a personal note, I believe it is important to have members of the school board who have children in the district.

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

The Murphy administration did not actually put forth sex ed curriculum earlier this year. The administration laid out a set of updated standards (like any other knowledge area) to be met by the individual school districts. The curriculum is developed at the school district level. As the current year's curriculum committee chair for our district's BOE, I was able to be part of the process by which the district's leaders developed that curriculum. I believe our district created a well-balanced (if slightly conservative) approach to meeting those standards. Furthermore, I was glad for the administration's efforts to solicit feedback from parents in the district prior to creating that curriculum.

Obviously, this topic is a sensitive one with wide-ranging opinions about content, methods, and responsibility. This is why having a public education system is so important. Not every student will have the benefit of receiving non-biased, factual information on this subject outside of school. Creating this, or any, curriculum is an opportunity to provide a baseline for all students rooted in positivity, acceptance, and inclusiveness. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, it is important to respect parents' wishes to opt their child out of this curriculum when they do so.

What is the most important issue in your district and how do you intend to address it?

The highest priority for me this school year and those to come is making up the losses in student achievement and outcomes so impacted by the pandemic. For two years, school was disrupted to the point that it's been difficult to even assess how students are performing, let alone take definitive steps to support them. It is critical, as we begin to return to normalcy in schooling, that we closely monitor student achievement metrics district-wide and at a personal level to ensure we're catching and supporting those students who continue to struggle.

Supporting those students will come in many forms. Some students may need additional special services support, others may need additional guidance counselor support. Still others will need outlets our district provides through art, music, computers, gym, and similar programs Our district should be prepared to provide whatever support is necessary to help our students achieve their potential.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in your school district that have not been discussed already and how would you tackle these?

Our district faces many of the same issues other districts do. Staff shortages continue to be a challenge across all roles in the district. Thus it is important to listen to feedback from our district's staff about their experience and challenges. Our students are not able to achieve if our teachers, aides, counselors, bus drivers, custodial staff, kitchen staff, and administrative staff are overwhelmed. I think we have opportunities to look at our service contracts and technology investments to ensure we're getting the maximum value for our district. I also think we have the obligation to ensure that all students in our district have a consistent experience while ensuring equitable access to achievement. This entire year, I've been working with the administration and the other members of the board to develop district goals around this issue and the others listed above.

We have a wonderful school district. This month alone, our own Glendora Elementary won a National Blue Ribbon award from the US Education Department (one of 9 schools in NJ and the only in south Jersey). I want to work toward all 11 of the schools in our district hit that same high bar.

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

If you would like more information about me, please visit my website at http://www.wilsonforboe.com. There, you'll find out more about my background, a bit about me personally, and my priorities as a school board member. My campaign is entirely independent and non-partisan and will remain singularly focused on working for this district. If you have any questions, please email wilsonforboe@gmail.com.