Joshua Gamse: Hillsborough School Board Write-In Candidate

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ —The Hillsborough Township School Board has four candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 2.

Joshua Gamse is running as a write-in candidate running. Licia Gaber-Baylis is also running as as a write-in candidate.

The other candidates on the ballot include:

• Allison Laning-Beder
• Krzysztof Golas
• Jason R. Albanese
• Krzysztof "Chris" Golas
• Elaine Jackson

All of the candidates are running for the three, three-year seats on the board.

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.

Joshua Gamse

Name: Joshua Gamse

Town of residence: Hillsborough

Position sought: Member of the Hillsborough Board of Education as a write-in candidate

Family: Married with two children (3rd and 6th grade)

Education:

• B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University
• PhD in Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Occupation: I have worked as a scientist in pharma for the past seven years. Prior to that, I was a professor of biology at Vanderbilt University.

Previous or current elected appointed office: none.

Why are you seeking to run for school board? As a parent of two school-age children, having a well-run and successful school system is an immediate concern to me. When we moved to New Jersey from Tennessee just before our older child started kindergarten, we were very happy that our children would be in a state with top-rated schools. In Nashville, we had seen what could happen in a school system that was poorly supported, and we don’t want that to happen here. By running for the school board, I can have a role in keeping Hillsborough schools excellent.

What is your stance on masks in schools? It is clear that the best way to prevent contracting COVID-19 is to layer as many types of protection as possible and practical. Vaccinations are one layer, but those are only currently available to the over-12 students. Social distancing and room ventilation are others. And masking is a simple, easy, and evidence-supported way to reduce both spreading and contracting COVID-19. Until the coronavirus pandemic has passed, and while medical professionals including the CDC are recommending it, masks should be worn in schools.

Should schools offer a virtual option? An asynchronous (self-study) option is useful for students who have to stay home for any reason, including illness, injury, or quarantine, and does not place an undue burden on the teachers. By contrast, a synchronous (live teaching) option is too much work for educators to support in addition to their teaching duties.

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

• We should retain the Transitional Primary (TP) option. From speaking to former Hillsborough students, this program was crucial to their academic success. From personal experience, both of our children (who are summer birthdays) benefited from the extra year to mature emotionally.
• Full day kindergarten should be added. Kindergarten should be a relaxed, easy introduction to the pace and requirements of being in school, and a full-day kindergarten lets this happen.
• The school district and the township council need to work together to make sure that growth of Hillsborough remains academically sustainable. By coordinating additional housing with additional school facilities, the fantastic schools of Hillsborough will continue their excellence. The schools are beginning to be overcrowded and infrastructure is showing its age, showing the consequences of population growth that is not matched with school facility growth.
• Kids learn best when they have enough sleep. This is especially true for the rapidly growing and changing adolescent mind. By adjusting school schedules to better fit the biological needs of students, we could improve learning without spending a dime.
• The REACH program is a great strength of the Hillsborough school district, and should be sustained and expanded. Similarly, the accelerated-track program in the intermediate, middle, and high schools should be maintained.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? I have lived in many different places: California, the United Kingdom, Florida, and Texas as a grade-school student and for college; Massachusetts and Maryland for graduate work, Tennessee as a professor, and now New Jersey. Through those travels, I have been exposed to many school districts and many styles of teaching. I’ve seen what works well, and what does not, and can draw from that experience to help the board. In addition, I am a scientist by training, so I believe in the power of evidence-based practices, and would bring that rigor to the board.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? I’m an Eagle Scout (Troop 600, Kingwood, TX). My last name is pronounced "GAM-zee". Although I have entered the running for school board late, and therefore face long odds, I want to spark a conversation about the importance of science for understanding our world. Monumental occurrences like the COVID pandemic and climate change can only be understood by citizens that are well-versed in science. We need our kids to be ready to face those challenges.