Newark School Board Has 2 New Members: Vinhas, Anderson Sworn In

NEWARK, NJ — The Newark Board of Education swore in two new members at their Thursday meeting: Helena Vinhas and Kanileah Anderson.

The board selected Anderson and Vinhas to replace two outgoing members. The board’s former president, Asia Norton, who resigned in September to take a job as a law clerk for the State Superior Court of Essex County. Another former board member, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, was recently elected to the Essex County Board of Commissioners.

Vinhas and Anderson took their new seats on Thursday. They will serve until the local school board election in April.

Anderson is a social worker and community advocate who has rallied around education issues, supporting the rights of students with disabilities through advocacy for her daughter who attended Newark schools, Chalkbeat Newark reported.

Anderson referenced her grandmother’s previous appointment to the board to fill a vacancy in 1987.

“So you know, it’s in our bloodline,” she said Thursday.

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Vinhas – a local business owner –has served as vice president of the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women for more than eight years. She is a member and volunteer with the Science Park Parent-Teacher Student Organization.

The new board member said the appointment left her “honored and humbled.”

“As a lifelong Newark resident and mother of two daughters in the Newark public schools, I believe that nothing is more important for the future of our city and society than the education of our children,” she said.

“My home community suffers greatly with the issues of school overcrowding, and the lack of sufficient foreign language teachers to serve our immigrant rich community,” Vinhas added. “I will do my best to advocate for these issues and many others to try and make our schools the best they can be.”

East Ward Councilman Michael Silva said Vinhas’ appointment marks the first time in nearly a decade that a resident of the ward has been on the board of education.

“I know she will do an outstanding job,” Silva said of the Ironbound resident.

Vinhas also got a round of applause from New Jersey Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, who represents Newark in the 29th Legislative District.

“It is great to see another Portuguese female enter the public service space,” the assemblywoman said. “I wish Helena all the best and I look forward in working with her.”

THOMAS LUNA

The board’s appointments on Thursday came after its members declined to swear in Thomas Luna, a charter school teacher who was unanimously chosen to join the board in October.

Luna will be eligible to run in the April 16 election; he has previously run twice for a seat on the board.

• See Related: Newark School Board Picks New Member To Replace Asia Norton
• See Related: Longtime Math Teacher In Newark Announces Run For School Board

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