Manchester School Board Election: 2 Seats, 4 Candidates

MANCHESTER, NJ — If you haven't decided who to vote for Tuesday in the Manchester Township Board of Education election, take a moment to learn a little about the candidates.

There are two, three-year terms up for election on the school board. The four candidates are Jackie Bermudez, Gayle Mount, Daniel R. Staples, and Sarita Dodd.

The seats on the Board of Education are unpaid positions. Patrick Barry, a current member of the board, did not seek re-election.

THE CANDIDATES

Jackie Bermudez

Only Bermudez, 55, is an incumbent. She was appointed to the board in October 2009 to fill an unexpired term and is seeking her fourth term on the board. She and her husband have four children, all of whom have graduated from the Manchester schools. She works at ShopRite and for her brother's company, Rheometer Services in Eatontown.

In addition to her service as president of the Manchester school board, she is president of the Ocean County School Boards Association. She has no conflicts that prevent her from voting on district matters.

"As a board member I represent the students and the taxpayers," she said. "The board's purpose is to promote student achievement and at the same time ensure our district is being fiscally responsible. Our schools are the center of Manchester and as a school district is our job to prepare them to become active and contributing member of our community."

She said she wants to see that the board "continues to set goals that promote student achievement. We represent all our students, the college- and non-college bound. We as a district need to look for additional ways to encourage all of Manchester Township to become involved in our school district. I am proud of all our students and would love to share what makes our schools so great with every one of our citizens. We are all stakeholders in Manchester Schools and I will represent you as a parent and community member to the best of my ability."

Gayle Mount

Mount, 43, has been a special education teacher in Brick Township for 20 years. She is a 1995 graduate of Manchester Township High School and she has three children in the Manchester schools. She served on the board from July 2017 to December 2017 when Mary Walter stepped down. She has been a soccer coach in the Lakehurst-Manchester Soccer Association and is a member of the Manchester PTA and assists with the MTES Book Fairs and Holiday Shop. I am a class mom for my daughter's third grade class and I am always willing to volunteer in my children's classes at MTES. At Brick Township High School, she is the adviser for the Key Club, a community service organization.

Because she is a teacher in Brick Township and part of the New Jersey Education Association, she could not serve on the negotiations team. "I do not have any family employed on the BOE so I could vote/participate on all other topics," she said.

"I want to work with the other BOE members to make our schools even greater," she said. "The most important thing to me is school safety in this ever changing and crazy world. I want to work collaboratively with Chief Parker and the Manchester Police Department, School Resource Officers, Administration and all other school personal to ensure we keep our schools as safe as we can. Second, I want to see more focus, energy and programs to better aide our students living with dyslexia. I would like to see more teachers trained in multi-sensory reading programs so our struggling learners can find success earlier. My third goal is to see a BD (behavioral disabilities) program put into place for those students suffering socially and emotionally. I want to be sure all children are placed in their least-restrictive environments so ALL children can be successful learners in a safe and healthy learning environment with minimal distractions. If we have in-house BD programs it will be easier to transition students back into a least-restrictive environment once they learn ways to live with their social and emotional/behavioral issues."

Daniel R. Staples

Staples, 68, is retired from private industry; he was a retail manager in building material sales for 17 years, and the manager of a wholesale company for 32 years. He has lived in Manchester since 1988. His son, Dan Staples, is a teacher in the district and is president of the Manchester Township Education Association. His daughter-in-law is a teacher as well. Daniel R. Staples also has a bachelor's degree in social studies education.

Staples' slogan is "Trust but review" and said he is running because as a resident and a grandparent of two children in the schools, "I am interested in a complete educational experience and effective use of assets to that goal. Children are our future and they need to be prepared to meet all challenges." Staples did not submit a photo.

Sarita Dodd

Dodd, 52, is heavily involved with the Manchester PTA and served as its president for five years. She has run for the school board each of the past two years. She did not respond to requests for comment and information for this article but at a candidates' forum in 2018 said she believes the focus with education should start with the child’s abilities and grow with them, rather than starting with a state-mandated test and progressing toward that. Manchester has wonderful academics, but the education should address the "whole child," a Jersey Shore Online report on the forum said.

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