Take Five: Madison School Board Candidate John Regan

MADISON, NJ - There are seats opening up on the Madison Board of Education and Patch caught up with the candidates ahead of the general election this November.

Questionnaires were sent out out to all candidates registered with the County Clerk's Office in the 2019 general election using the email addresses they went on file with. The responses will be posted on the site by those who submitted in the order in which they were received. They will also be included in an election preview wrap.

This Take Five features John Regan. His responses to the questions are below and unedited.

1. Why are you running for BOE?

Over the past year or so, there have been decisions made in the Madison School District that seemed to be made with little to no input or feedback from the stakeholders in the community. Although I may not have disagreed with all of those decisions, I felt that there needed to be better communication and transparency with the school board, the Borough, and the community. Throwing my hat in the ring was a chance for me to share my almost twenty years of teaching experience, and to provide thoughtful and collaborative decision making skills to the board.

2. What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your town, and how would you address it?

The biggest challenge facing the schools in Madison is financial. Meeting the needs of all students in their academic, athletic, and artistic pursuits, with a budget shortfall, means that tough decisions need to be made to meet those goals. With some collaboration, grit, and creativity, we as a board of education, along with the administration, can work hard and intelligently to come up with ideas to succeed. On the curriculum front, my background in public education will help the board and administration to make our schools even better than they currently are.

3. What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?

Honest, Thoughtful, and Witty

4. What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

My experience as a teacher and coach has greatly influenced my leadership qualities. However, serving on the board of education will not be a leadership position. Rather, it will be one of collaboration and planning. My time as an athlete in high school and college, along with coaching high school varsity sports, and teaching in a team model has prepared me to work towards objectives as a team player. I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I am ready and willing to listen to all those who are involved in helping all of the students in the Madison School District.

5. Tell me something about you, like hobbies or interests, that have nothing to do with your campaign.

My hobbies and interests include playing golf, fishing, music, gathering with friends, and watching sports. Mostly though, I enjoy being a father to my three children and spending lots of quality time with my family and watching my nieces and nephews grow.

Through their varied experiences in their many different school situations--be it public, private, or parochial--has also given me a broad perspective on how the education field needs to be nimble and able to adjust to the needs of the individual child. I’d like to say that my hobbies have “nothing to do” with my campaign, but I see it slightly differently--I am a teacher, father, coach, and role model in my community, so regardless of where I go, or what I am doing, I am mindful that I am a proud representative of the state of New Jersey’s educational system.

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