Hillsborough School Board Election 2023: Cynthia DeCavalcante Nurse

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough's general election on Nov. 7 has four candidates running for three open seats for the Board of Education.

Cynthia "Cindy" DeCavalcante Nurse is running for one of the three, three-year seats. Opposing candidates include Cassandra Kragh, incumbent Paul Marini, and Pritpal S. Phanda.

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.

Cynthia "Cindy" DeCavalcante Nurse

Age: 49

Town of residence: Hillsborough

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: Husband and two daughters, both of which are in the high school

Education: BS In Education, MA in Education, Reading Specialist Certification, Supervisor Certification

Occupation: Teacher/Intervention Specialist

Previous or current elected appointed office: Board of Education Jan. 2021-Present

Campaign website: N/A

Why are you seeking election for the Hillsborough Board of Education?

My name is Cynthia DeCavalcante Nurse "Cindy Nurse" and I would be honored to serve on the Hillsborough Board of Education for a second term. I was looking back through my posts and reread why I originally ran for the school board (reposted below if interested). I can’t believe it has been three years.

In reflecting on the past three years, I truly believe I have made a positive difference and have upheld the platform I stood by. Early on, my encouragement of head administration to prioritize collaboration with the HEA has helped to build a more positive relationship. In our search for a new superintendent, I prioritized looking for candidates with a philosophy of open communication with staff and community members, experience in running a school district with high expectations, knowledge of and experience in the classroom, skills in problem-solving and fostering collaboration, and a person who believed in and would model “all hands on deck” for the success of the district. I believe we have found all these characteristics in Mr. Volpe. As I grew comfortable in my role as board member, my promotion of communication with the community, push for presentations at board meetings, and openness in asking questions and clarifications at the dais during meetings has helped to build trust in the board. And my pledge to remain true to myself and my beliefs based on my diverse and varied experiences as board member, teacher, tax payer, parent, and union member has been validated in the votes I cast. I have listened to community members’ comments and questions, sought out explanations, read and followed up with administration on community concerns that came through emails, and shared my feelings when casting difficult votes. I am hoping that my actions speak for themselves in the person I am, the continued positive direction I want us to go, and the representative I have been and will continue to be for you. I hope I can count on your vote so together we can make our district even stronger.

The referendum will go up for a vote in November. Are you in favor of this? Why or why not?

I am strongly in support of both questions. Class sizes, variety in course offerings, and personnel support for new initiatives (i.e. gifted and talented programming and intervention services) are important to student and staff success. The current BOE initiated the proposal for including the question on the ballot about additional staffing and we emphasized looking at needs in the classrooms and in the schools. I am happy with the collaboration I have witnessed in determining which staffing positions were prioritized across the district and look forward in helping to promote this proposal.

In regard to the security question, as a parent with children in the district, a fellow teacher in a neighboring district, an active member in my union, and a BOE member, student and staff safety is at the top of my list in importance. I have been an advocate for keeping schools closed while schools are being used as polling sites, have voiced my hope in restoring busing to those that lost it to make sure students arrive to school and home safely, and am in favor of initiatives that enhance safety for students and staff.

Transportation is a statewide issue. Do you feel transportation issues are being handled well by the Board? Why or why not? If not, how do you propose improving it?

The Board of Education’s role is very specific; we are a policy making body and are not permitted to take part in the day to day operations of the school district. In saying that, I do my best in speaking on behalf of the community as an elected official and advocate for what is best for the district and its stakeholders.

To answer the question about transportation, I think the district is doing the best they can while facing the reality of a bus driver shortage. This is a statewide issue, and I have seen it firsthand as I work in a neighboring district.

Combatting a shortage of any staff means offering incentives to draw potential employees to our district. Unfortunately, most often times this includes financial incentives. With the state continuously cutting out our district’s aid, this leaves the district very limited in what they can do, especially since there are staff shortages in many areas.

When the state recognizes its disservice to our district and starts to fairly fund Hillsborough, I would like to see bussing restored to servicing the areas we originally provided busses to before the state aid cuts impacted this.

Security at schools remains a high priority. Are you happy with the district's security plan for students and staff? If not, what would be your alternative?

The leadership within the Hillsborough School District works collaboratively with the local police department, has well-established safety protocol, and is a model in the decision to plan an in-service day on Election Day to ensure student and staff safety when buildings are open to the public. Any construction/remodeling involves discussion and planning to prioritize safety in its designs. And, the referendum question on November’s ballot requesting funding for security specific personnel depicts the proactive stance the district has taken in providing the safest environment possible for our students and staff.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled on the school board?

Although I understand the negative impacts of budget cuts on school districts in general, Mr. Volpe’s presentation of the state funding numbers and patterns for our county was very eye-opening. The continual loss of funding directly affects the success of our district and the people working so tirelessly in it. We should not be made accountable for our state’s shortcomings in providing equitable funds to school districts. No student should have to do without or have limited choices in preparing for college and career readiness. No employee should have to work harder or take on more responsibilities. No parent should have to pay for supplemental classes because we do not have the funds to hire enough staff to offer state mandated courses such as financial literacy for everyone during the school year. Unfortunately, this is the reality that our district must overcome.

The second prioritized concern for me is staff shortages. We have worked to entice substitutes to come to our district, which is a step in the right direction and has probably made inconsistent yet positive impacts. However, the more concerning piece of this for me is staff shortages. Our district, along with many other districts, has suffered from not enough qualified candidates to meet the demand of staffing positions. This causes a great deal of pain to our district in several ways. Positions are left unfilled which leads, in the best case scenario, to overages. (I say best case scenario because it is best for students but is taxing on teachers and can increase district spending.) If this is not an option, support staff are pulled to teach classes instead of providing services such as intervention to students. Class sizes are enhanced. Course offerings are limited. Buses are late. And, in worst case scenarios, lower caliber employees are hired and, at times, the necessity to pull other staff members such as ESL teachers, special education co-teachers, and teaching assistants may leave the district out of compliance.

Staff shortages also make retaining staff difficult. In this climate, the employee has the upper hand and some staff are leaving to go to other districts for a variety of reasons. For example, they are able to negotiate for themselves to increase their pay significantly by asking for more steps on the salary guide or they have heard of less demanding positions. Our district not only needs to work to seek out additional staff, but we must also start to plan on how to retain the valued staff we currently have.

As an educator with over 25 years experience teaching in three different districts and as a fellow member of the NJEA, NEA, and local association, I have firsthand experience of the negative impacts of staff and substitute shortages as mentioned above. However, in my first term as a Hillsborough BOE member, I have been able to learn the administrative structure of the district and have found that administratively we are very short-staffed. This is very concerning to me because our leaders need to be available to support our staff and students and work effectively to complete their job responsibilities.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I am unique in that my roles within the community, my profession, and my personal life allow me to view issues, concerns, questions, and ideas from a variety of vantage points. As a parent, I want the best for my kids, academically, socially, and emotionally. As a teacher with over 25 years of experience in a variety of grades and roles (classroom teacher, staff developer, Reading Recovery teacher, intervention specialist) I come with expertise in providing students with high quality instruction and high, yet achievable, goals and expectations. As a taxpayer I am looking for fiscal responsibility. As a long-standing member of the NJEA and a neighboring local education association, holding roles as a negotiations team member and the Grievance Chair, I have vast insight to what is fair, reasonable, contractual, and legal. This is helpful in continuing to build and keep positive relationships between the BOE and the HEA and HPSA.

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

I believe the comprehensive answers to the questions above has painted a picture of the person I am and my intentions. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.