Kids First School Board Slate In Hoboken Announces Policies

HOBOKEN, NJ — In two months, eight candidates will face off for three spots on the Hoboken school board. The election is likely to be more heated than usual on the heels of a controversial $241M school plan for new buildings and renovations that was voted down in January.

Patch will post questions and answers from candidates next month.

(Got a letter about the election or any other Hoboken matter? Post it yourself on Patch any time! Follow the instructions for posting an article.)

Last month, one of the slates in the upcoming race — "Leadership That Listens" — officially unveiled their candidates and kicked off a listening tour. That slate includes a current board member and two potential newcomers to the board.

This month, the Kids First slate — Pavel Sokolov, Cindy Wiegand, and Donna Magen, all potential school board newcomers — released their policies.

Read about the candidates and policies below:

Kids First Slate

The slate wrote, "Our policy platform is centered around three core pillars designed to strengthen education in Hoboken. These pillars are (1) Transparency and Accountability; (2) Educational Excellence For All; and (3) Collaboration and Inclusion. We believe that these are the priorities to that will have the greatest impact on improving educational outcomes and build a stronger partnership between the community and BOE in caring for our children’s futures and for our tax dollars."

Here are shortened versions of their platform and bios:

Transparency & Accountability:
The failed January 25th Hoboken High School Bond exposed a serious deficit of transparency
between the BOE and community. The plan for the $241 million bond was discussed among the
Board for many months before bringing it to the community. Residents were informed only with
minimal time and information to consider the proposal and were not given an adequate chance to
participate in discussions about funding and priorities. Those of us who rallied together to Vote
No were a grassroots group of residents from across the political spectrum. We agree that all of
our kids deserve great education and enhanced facilities.
The Kids First team wants to put an end to backroom politics and secret meetings, instead
pushing for a Board of Education that openly communicates and engages with the public at all
times and explains its decision making. We want to foster a culture of openness and trust.

Educational Excellence For All:
Every child in Hoboken—regardless of which school they attend, where they live, or what their
family's financial situation is—deserves a top-notch education. Our teachers and support staff
must be provided with the necessary tools and resources to support them in their mission to
educate our children. We want Hoboken to be a city that attracts and maintains residents because
of its public schools. The Kids First team is committed to ensuring that Hoboken's kids are
provided education that prepares them for the future.

Collaboration & Inclusion:
The Kids First team will work to leverage all Hoboken has to offer as it seeks to make our schools the gold standard of education in Hudson County and New Jersey for all types of learners. Our community is blessed with a unique and diverse mix of individuals and educational
entities that can and should be utilized by the BOE to enhance students’ education and
development. We should share the unique and diverse expertise, knowledge and skills that each
program offers for the betterment of all students and families. We have multiple charter and
independent schools. We have local artists, entrepreneurs, and leading professionals in finance,
technology, media. We have universities and programs through the county, state and the
Hoboken Housing Authority. There is much the BOE can learn through genuine collaboration
and inclusion.
We pledge that, if elected, any member of our community that comes to a Board of Education
meeting or reaches out to us directly will be treated with respect and with a genuine openness to
hear feedback and ideas.
We the candidates and the wider Kids First team would like to thank Dr. Christine Johnson for
leading our district through the Covid-19 pandemic and for her years of administrative
excellence and skill. We look forward to working closely with her.

About the candidates (truncated):

Pavel Sokolov: Pavel Sokolov and his family immigrated from Russia in the early 90s, settling
in Edison NJ. He graduated from J.P. Stevens High School, Rutgers University with a degree in
Accounting, cum laude, and also earning a Masters in Taxation from Baruch College. Pavel hopes to use his skills and experience as a Certified Public Accountant to ensure that every
dollar of our budget is being used to positively impact Hoboken’s students. Pavel, a decade long
resident of Hoboken with his fiancée Angelika, is looking forward to raising his family in
Hoboken.

Donna Magen: Donna Magen grew up in Tenafly, NJ and is the daughter of Israeli immigrants
Gila and Shmulik Erlich. Her parents chose to move to Tenafly for her and her siblings due to its
impeccable K-12 public education. She graduated with honors from Tenafly HS and went on to
receive a B.S. in Communications Studies from New York University. She remained in New
York until she met her husband, Guy. Once they were ready to start a family, Hoboken was the
next step in their journey. She believes that Hoboken has the potential to become a beacon of
exemplary public education, and wants to be part of the change to make Hoboken less transitory.
She is a mom to two sons: Leo (2) and Ari (6) who will be entering kindergarten at Brandt. As a seasoned salesperson, Donna has negotiated contracts for large B2B accounts. She hopes to
utilize her negotiating skills to allow multiple voices to be heard across various agendas brought
to the table.

Cindy Wiegand: Born to immigrants, Cindy knows first-hand the importance of quality education. She is proud and fortunate to have attended a diverse public high school, which served as a springboard for her higher education and professional and personal development. Cindy completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley and received her Masters from University of
Pennsylvania. She believes deeply that every child should have access to a robust education and
that the entire community benefits from and is buoyed by strong public schools. She has been
involved with various education-related non-profits as an adult. Cindy's background is in consumer insights, with years of experience listening to people giving their candid opinions. She is an expert in turning a variety of feedback into actionable solutions,which will be invaluable as the BOE seeks to work with the Hoboken community.