Hillsborough School Board Election 2022: Joel E. Davis

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough Township Board of Education general election on Nov. 8 has six candidates running for four open seats.

Joel E. Davis, who is running under the slogan "Respecting Parents" is vying for one of the three, three-year full-term seats on the school board. Opposing candidates include Jean Trujillo, Thomas J. Zobele, Joshua Gamse, and Danny Lee.

There is also one, two-year unexpired seat up for grabs with Jane M. Staats running as the lone candidate.

Are you running for office in Hillsborough? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Hillsborough Patch.

(All of the candidates were given the same questions)

Joel E. Davis

Age: 73

Town of residence: Hillsborough

Position sought: Board of Education 3-year term

Family: Married, 5 adult children (2 step-children), 11 grand-children (2 adopted)

Education:

BA English/Education – College of NJ (certified secondary teacher)

MS Christian Counseling – Cairn University
MBA (incomplete) – Rider University
Various computer science, programming, systems training

Occupation:

Executive Director, Fellowship Deaconry Ministries (until November 2022)
Pastor, The Loft Wesleyan Church, Readington, NJ
Previously, VP Finance, Pillar College
Adjunct Instructor, Pillar College
President, Joel Davis Associates

Previous or current elected appointed office:

Member, Task Force to draft a new “Policy on Religion” (2000)
Hillsborough Youth Commission (2006 – 2008)

Campaign website: www.JoelDavis4sb.Com

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

My campaign slogan is “Respecting Parents”. I am troubled by what we have seen. Parent groups are rising up all around the country. People are concerned that the education system is accelerating down paths that should not fall within the purview of the public schools, and that even undermine the sanctity of the parent/child relationship. We see how deep, legitimate concerns become exacerbated when local boards of education adopt positions that are adversarial to parents and families, sometimes “stonewalling” instead of engaging. We have seen our government, at very high levels, lambast parents, even using words like “terrorist” and “extremist”, to discredit guardians and family members who simply love their children. Many are angry over feeling ignored, or worse, being trampled upon by a juggernaut of highly questionable cultural changes that are being imposed upon them by fiat.

The school board is intended to provide an interface between the people of the community and education professionals. Members of the school board must maintain a perspective that both fosters and encourages creative and effective education, and respects the traditions and fabric of the community.

I am stepping into the fray for the sake of our community, families, children and, yes, even teachers. “Respecting Parents” does not mean disrespecting teachers and administrators.

School finances have been an issue raised recently. Do you feel the Board and administration are handling this properly? And why?

The difficulties of the last few years have been unfortunate. As a board member I would adapt an approach I have implemented elsewhere, with the acronym O.A.T.S. All matters having to do with finances must be governed with Orderliness, Accountability, Transparency and Sacred-trust. “Sacred-trust” refers to an ever-present awareness that all funds are community funds, mostly paid as taxes by people who live in Hillsborough. The schools must remain accountable to the community in performance, achievement and in finances.

How do you feel about the current sex-ed curriculum in the district?

The “Respecting Parents” theme is central to this issue. It is true that the schools have an enormous impact on the children who have been entrusted into their care, and so there must be some understanding that the schools serve at the pleasure of the community. When the government and the schools take it upon themselves to “fundamentally change” society by teaching students to distrust their own families and parents, no one should be surprised if there is a visceral reaction from the community.

Within that construct, if there are individual students who are challenged by gender identity issues, there must be some means in place to help those students deal with and understand their own situation. Nevertheless, it is ill-advised and unacceptable to begin to coach children as young as kindergarten that they might be the wrong gender, or in some way may not match up with their obvious sex. This sows confusion, and is disorienting.

Finally, if gender and “trans” issues must be discussed at school, or addressed in other ways, then equal emphasis has to be placed on the “trans-regret” narratives that are now more rapidly emerging. There is a growing community of now-twenty-something (and older) people who deeply regret that, as teens, they were permitted, or in some cases encouraged, to undertake irreversible, life-changing treatments. Those stories must be discussed if anyone is to lay claim to intellectual honesty.

Would you be in favor of a later school start time for students?

I would favor examining later start times to determine first if our facilities can accommodate the schedule. Still, radically altering school start times may prove to be unacceptably disruptive to families where work schedules have been established largely around school start times. We know, as well, that adequate sleep is fundamentally important to the health and well being of children, which may be a factor in favor of later start times. There may be no “one size fits all” solution. I attended high school in Queens, in the NYC public school system: The school I attended ran on four sessions to accommodate the student population. I will be brought up to speed regarding what previous boards have already learned and make a determination.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

Hillsborough has enjoyed high achievement academically, as well as a robust athletics program. Budget limitations are always an issue, yet we always want to be attentive to “quality of life” programs including drama, music and the arts. In the “other issues” category we find the topic of Homeschooling, and how the district can interact with, and serve, the Homeschooling community. It may be a sad testimony to the growing discomfort families are feeling, but the Homeschooling community has been increasing, and more rapidly in recent years. Support groups and enrichment programs for Homeschooling families are available in every county. Whereas years ago the typical Homeschool demographic was white, suburban and Christian, that is no longer the case. More and more families, with varying demographic profiles, are choosing to at least experiment with Homeschooling. Do we know why more families are choosing to go down the Homeschool path? I think the school board should care to know.

What sets you apart from the other challenging candidates?

Things that set me apart as a candidate for school board include: My age (which I believe suggests experience), my training as a teacher, my life-long involvement with education both in administration and the classroom, plus my years of experience with implementing and developing systems, and my thesis of “respect” for all parties: I believe these are benefits I bring to the board. Finally, my perspective that the board needs to provide an interface between the school and the community is key to helping the school function at the highest levels of achievement and efficiency, while maintaining, even cultivating, the support of the community socially and financially.

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

Years ago, when religious holidays were being expunged from the school calendar, the argument was, “even if one child is offended,” it is better to stop recognizing holidays that not everyone observes. Today, many people feel as though the opposite is now true: What we now hear feels like, “This is what we are doing, and we don’t care if you are offended.” Many people feel as though the notion “Respecting Parents” is forgotten. No wonder some communities are rising up against their school boards.

In Hillsborough we have a diverse faith community, with significant populations including Jewish, Hindu, Islamic and Christian (including Protestant and Catholic) and other traditions. Within each of those communities, core beliefs surrounding family, parents, children and a healthy community are significant, and even sacred. Traditional family dynamics, and a desire and hope for a loving environment, lay at the core of most in this community whether of a faith perspective or not. The school board must be the interface that helps the schools progress, while preserving respect for what the community expects.

Many in our community are offended by policies at school that encourage our students to reject the values of their families, or that undermine family relationships. Introducing students as young as age 7 or 8 years to questions about their own sexual or gender identity is out of place, in my view. Regarding gender and “trans” issues, if the schools present only one view - the positive and encouraging view - then they are, in fact, promoting those ideas. If it is so urgent in our society that a massive shift in emphasis must be made immediately; if we cannot wait for community “buy in” to support these programs and curricula; then we must be careful to freely and liberally share all sides of the story - the good and the bad experiences - the transformation successes and the transformation disasters - if we are to avoid the appearance of directing children toward a predetermined outcome in spite of community support.

“Respecting Parents” is not to be confused with disrespecting teachers, or the school system. My hope is precisely to mitigate against an adversarial and combative atmosphere. The children who use, and the families who pay for, the schools are the “interest groups” the school board must consider first, but without an optimistic and motivated school staff the schools cannot fulfill the mission well. The school board must provide that interface.