Meet The Moorestown School Board Candidates: Val Gallagher

MOORESTOWN, NJ — When voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections, they will be asked to choose three people from a field of six to serve on the Moorestown Public School District's Board of Education.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to give voters information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation. Below are the responses from candidate Val Gallagher.

Previous elective office, if any

I was not in politics previously other than being on the economic development committee when I lived in Mullica Hill many years ago.

Does anyone in your family work for the school district or in politics?

No one in my family works in politics or in the school district.

Occupation

I am a full time real estate agent with Weichert Realtors in Moorestown.

Why are you seeking a seat on the school board?

I moved a lot as a child, went to 6 different schools from kindergarten to my senior year in high school, and was fortunate to spend the majority of the school years in private school. I never imagined moving to Moorestown let alone setting down roots in the community. My younger son is in 3rd grade and I feel it's important to play a bigger role in different aspects of being able to vote and have a say in the direction of the school system.

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I personally feel the single biggest issue today is getting the children back to school, in person, full time five days a week ... safely. I know this isn't necessarily an easy feat, yet it is a necessary one. I would like to have roundtable discussions with administration, teachers AND parents. I feel that if there is a will there is a way. We already know almost 3/4 of the parents who completed the survey opted for in person learning. We also know more than 130 kids have left the district for other full time schooling options. I want to look at the space in the schools to determine what areas can be used to accommodate the end goal. If parents and students want to continue remote learning, then by all means that certainly needs to be an option.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve on the school board seat?

I feel that I bring a "don't take no" for an answer to the mix of current candidates and a new and fresh approach. I am not politically aligned with one or the other side and quite frankly, the school board shouldn't be about politics. I am tenacious and work to be successful in all things I do. I may not have all the answers, yet I work with others, both on and off the board, to get them.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am a huge fan of emotional intelligence, and I would love to see curriculum created to teach it to students starting in kindergarten and continue through high school. I personally believe it will help with bullying, judgement, and racial tension, among other things. Additionally, in order to discuss racial equality, we need staff who can relate to what happens to people of color. I would endorse an initiative to recruit and attract teachers and other staff who are of color and engage them in the deeper education of what can be done to ease those tensions. Quite frankly, we needed to have these conversations decades ago.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective on the school board?

No, I am not an educator, at least not in the traditional sense. I educate my children on being good humans and to respect their peers and adults. I believe being a parent with a child in the school, is one of the most important qualifications because of the passion I hold to ensure my child has the best education and opportunities possible. I never considered running for school board in the past, yet I don't believe in sitting back to complain and not take action. I believe the current board has done some great things, yet it's time for some fresh new perspectives. I have built and sold a multimillion company and I have negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars. My negotiation skills will come in handy while serving on the board.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I would like voters to know that you only see one side of someone on social media. I have never been the person who backs down from challenging situations. I have been the person who speaks up for others, especially if they aren't able to speak up for themselves. I would encourage anyone interested in learning more about me, especially as a person, to call me. Emotions and tensions have been very high and sometimes what we are attempting to convey on social media does not come across the right way. I have always been much better face to face or on the phone than in print. I care about our community. I care about the teachers and I care about the administration. I care about the parents and obviously the children. We owe it to everyone to incorporate new ideas and an approach to “anything is possible” to resolve some of the issues at hand.

The best advice ever shared with me was

The best advice ever shared with me was when I was told that while everyone else is pulling back or quits, keep going. It’s the perseverance that will carry you to the goal and beyond.