Longtime Math Teacher In Newark Announces Run For School Board

NEWARK, NJ — For Thomas Luna, the classroom has always been a place to channel his penchant for hard work. And that’s one of the reasons he’s looking to take the next step of his educational career as a member of the Newark Board of Education.

Luna – who has spent more than a decade teaching math at Rise Academy – is among the candidates to recently throw their hats into the ring for the upcoming school board contest. Three seats are up for grabs in the April 19 election.

In his launch video, Luna shared his experiences and laid out the “heart” of his campaign: “equity and community.” Learn more about his platform and qualifications here.

One slogan he’s rallying behind is “Hard Work For Newark” – something Luna says he learned firsthand from his parents. Growing up, his parents worked multiple jobs to keep the lights on. Taking a cue from their work ethic, Luna poured his energy into the only thing he could at the time, he said: school.

That dedication paid off when Luna became the first person in his family to graduate from college. After earning a degree in public administration and mathematics from Texas State University, he moved to New Jersey and started teaching.

Eventually, Luna began to branch out into community activism, especially education. He now serves as an organizer and co-chair of Newark for Educational Equity and Diversity (NEED), which advocates for local and state school issues.

Now, with more than a decade of teaching and organizing under his belt, Luna said he wants to “take his experience to the decision-making table” by getting elected to the Newark Board of Education.

Luna said his platform is broken down into six policy goals tied to equity and community.

“At the end of the day, if we aren’t talking about specific policy changes, then we are just talking,” Luna urged. “And the last thing kids, families, and teachers need is more talking. Our city needs action.”

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