Hoboken School Board Profiles: Donna Magen Q&A

HOBOKEN, NJ — A lot's at stake in this year's Hoboken school board election. More than 3,000 students attend the local public schools.

[RELATED: School Board Slates Trade Barbs After 'Extremists' Campaign Mailer]

We asked some serious questions, some offbeat, but it's important for readers to notice whether the candidates rephrased the question and purposely declined to answer. Do they have vague ideas, or thoughts and plans?

Running for three seats on the board this Nov. 8 are:

• The "Leadership That Listens" slate, consisting of incumbent Alejandro (Alex) De La Torre Jr. along with Leslie Norwood and Antonio Graña;
• "Kids First" consisting of Pavel Sokolov, Donna Magen, and Cindy Wiegand, and
• Independent John Madigan (a former board member) and
• Independent Patricia Waiters (a former candidate).

Do you have questions? You can post letters about the election for free, any time, here at Patch using these instructions.

Below is Donna Magen's profile and her answers to the questions about the schools.

(NOTE: Magen also said this week that she regrets calling parents "sheep" in a Facebook thread last year. See more about her views on COVID precautions here.)

NAME: Donna Magen
CAMPAIGN WEBSITE (if applicable): http://facebook.com/HobokensKi...
AGE: 37
FAMILY INFORMATION AND WHERE ATTENDING SCHOOL (be as specific or non-
specific as you want)
Married with 2 boys aged 6 (attending Brandt Elementary School) and 2.
OCCUPATION:
E-commerce sales for a large hospitality group
OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME:
DOES ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY WORK IN GOVT OR POLITICS? WHERE?
VOLUNTEER WORK, COMMUNITY POSITIONS:
N/A
OTHER EXPERIENCE AND ELECTED OFFICES:
N/A

Questions about your stances in the upcoming Hoboken school board race:

What is the best thing about the Hoboken public schools, and what do you believe should be
improved?

As a mother of young children just beginning their academic journey, I was pleased with the
early education experience. In prek my child was engaged and learning; I was excited to see him
progress to kindergarten within the public school. The natural bridge between prek and
kindergarten was very apparent. I understand it easier in the younger grades but where I think we
need to improve is to mimic that continuity in the upper grades. There will always be families
who leave for the lifestyle and space of the suburbs but we shouldn’t lose families due to lack of
confidence in our public school system. The reality however is we continue to lose families
solely due to school confidence or they stay and pay exorbitant tuition for private high school.
We should aspire to be the opposite, a community people do not want to leave (even for more
space) because the education offered in Hoboken is progressive and top notch.

What makes you uniquely qualified to serve on the board?

I believe I represent a growing group of parents who want to know more about their children’s
education. Curriculum changes have made headlines in recent months and tensions are high.
Resident taxes fund the changes in staffing and programs being offered. It is the responsibility of the BoE to be transparent and empathetic to parents’ concerns. Transparency and communication
is something I would prioritize and be personally committed to should I be elected.

If you had to vote for 3 candidates out of the current field, NOT counting yourself, which 3
would you choose, and why?

I would vote Pavel Sakolov and Cindy Weigand. We are running on a shared slate because we
have common beliefs, values and goals as it relates to education. Pavel has experience lobbying
Trenton and would be a steward of fiscal responsibility. I appreciate that Cindy is a charter
parent and could represent the charter community on the board to help us forge a more unified
district. Cindy also has three young girls and is personally committed to our educational system.
The third candidate I would support is Patricia Waiters. She has always advocated for students
from the Hoboken Housing Authority, which is a demographic that is often under-represented in
decision making.

Did you support the $241M Hoboken school plan, up for referendum vote in Jan? If/when it's
introduced again, what do you think should change, if anything?
I did not support the $241M HS plan. I believe that the way in which it was almost hidden from
the community is representative of the overall approach of the current board, where decisions are
made in isolation without community involvement. I also think that the plan focused mainly on
props, not academics. I absolutely support updating facilities and adding more sophisticated
resources. What I expect however is more transparency with the community and more creative
problem solving. The number one investment, should be in academics.

What is your political affiliation, if you're willing to say? Even though local school board races are non-partisan, do you think political party matters for a Hoboken school board member?

I do not think political party has any place in a school board election or on the board in general.
A school board is meant to steer the ship for the learners of the community, not push a political
agenda. Therefore, political affiliation is a non-issue in my opinion. All that matters for the BoE
is a commitment to action, providing the best possible education for all kids of Hoboken and a
commitment to fiscal responsibility to our tax payers. I want to be part of a board and community
that advocates for education with values of fairness, equity and transparency.

During the referendum period, many brought up the fact that 8 percent of Hoboken High School
students were considered proficient in math by the state. While there is often wiggle room and
extenuating circumstances with test scores, 8 percent is lower than other area high schools, such
as Union City and West New York. Do you think this is a matter for concern, and if so, what
should be done? https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/new-jersey/districts/hoboken-public-
school-district-106754

Yes, I do think this is a matter for concern and an even more dire one considering the loss of
learning brought on by the pandemic. Test scores are only one factor but they are absolutely an
indicator of overall outcomes We have the resources to impact change. We have an incredibly
high budget and need to allocate resources differently. We have a highly educated community where we can create high impact after school and tutoring, We can call upon our community for
volunteers leveraging our retirees and our local Stevens University students. We can also create
partnerships with Hudson County colleges. We simply need to reach out and put these programs
in place. This is what our slate hopes to achieve, partnership with the community so that we can
help all of the kids catch up and thrive.

The U.S. Census estimates that there are approximately 3,456 kids age 5-14 living in Hoboken,
but the population of the three elementary schools and middle school is under 2,000. Do you
think the district should try to draw more students from the local population, and how? Do you
think it should find ways to help integrate students from public, public charter, and private
schools into activities?

I think the only way for us to get to that enrollment level is by engaging with the entire
community. I love the idea of charter, district, and private schools sharing resources and
allowing all children to do sports, art, and theatre together. Right now, there is such division
between district and charter parents. This constant separation of schools has only perpetuated the
cycle of families leaving town or opting to pay for private high school. If we work together, not
only as a school district, but also as a community, we will improve academic outcomes and
ensure more families see our high school as a desired destination and the first choice for their
kids.

Should the first snow day of the year be a traditional day off, or remote learning?

I would vote for a traditional snow day. We all watched the great “remote learning” experiment
for 2 years, and there is nothing that compares to being in a classroom environment. Let the kids
play in the snow with their friends and be outside in nature. We should not forget how important
play and social interactions are for them. Especially coming out of a period of such isolation.