Meet The Candidate: Deepa Karthik For South Brunswick BOE

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Deepa Karthik is one among nine candidates running for a seat on the South Brunswick Board of Education. A senior program manager by profession, Karthik believes the current Board lacks "parental perspective" which hinders "judicious decision making."

With two children studying at the school district, Karthik said she is clued in to the "ground-reality " and if elected, would ensure parents’ ideas, feedback, and concerns "are not just heard but also followed through and responded to."

Read below to learn about Karthik and her platform for the upcoming elections.

Name: Deepa Karthik

Position Sought: Member, Board of Education, South Brunswick

Party Affiliation: Non-partisan

Family: Daughters, Aadya and Ananya; spouse, Karthik and mother Kumud.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education: MBA

Occupation: Sr. Program Manager- Business Insights and Analytics.

Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/YourKidsHere/

Why are you seeking elective office?

A School Board has to have due representation of parents whose children are currently students in the District. This will ensure students’ and parents’ needs and issues are duly considered in policy-making, curriculum and financial priorities by the Board. It is my understanding only two of the current nine board members have children in the District.

As a mother of two children studying in the District and as a professional, I can offer parental perspectives on needs and issues the community faces. Through such an office, I would have an opportunity to provide responsible direction to policy and programs in our schools.

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

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is the Board’s inability to keep with the times in handling the pressures and problems faced by parents and students. This has been caused by a significant number of members of the Board not having a ground-reality perspective. They are not parents of children in the District and hence, not wired to discussions in the social networks of active parents.

As a member of the Board, I will ensure parents’ ideas, feedback and concerns are not just heard but also followed through and responded to. My vote on any matter considered by the Board will always be viewed through the lens of how decisions can create value for families and students in the District.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a working mother with children in elementary and high school, I can relate to psychological, academic, and social issues that students face today. Apart from grade/school-level parent networks, I am also actively plugged into various other social and extra-curricular networks with fellow parents in the district.

I will bring to the Board what I have learned from my continued professional experience working with leading companies, managing multi-million-dollar financial budgets, diverse teams, and complex business and technology programs. This would add value to how we make decisions in the district to equip every student for their success.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the district.

As shared earlier, it is my understanding only two of the current Board of nine members have children studying in the South Brunswick school district. The lack of parental perspective prohibits judicious decision making on the Board as a real-time experience of being an active stakeholder is acutely missing.

I have attended numerous Board of Education meetings in the capacity of a parent/member of the community and noted multiple instances that highlight the need for a higher level of transparency as well as responsiveness to parents’ concerns.

We also have an academic problem in South Brunswick, which is reflected in our school rankings. Our school district is currently ranked 150th of 618 NJ school districts as of 2019 whereas the neighboring school districts are doing significantly better. As an example, from publicly available sources the South Brunswick High School is placed 128th out of 416 public high schools. By comparison, most of our neighboring towns are doing better with, Princeton High School at 88th, Montgomery High School at 41st, Monroe Township High School at 106th, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South at 95th and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North at 71st.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities also considers school ratings as an important indicator for parents and communities. School ratings indicate whether children are learning and making progress or struggling and need support.

While the decline in school performance and ratings impacts our children the most, there is also a broader socio-economic impact on our community. Families will start finding South Brunswick a less desirable community to raise their families. This has larger repercussions for businesses too.

The current incumbents running for the Board of Ed have been long-standing members of this body and it is their responsibility to make the larger community aware of the problems that are impacting the school system and to find viable solutions to maintain an upward trajectory. On this account, I think the current board has failed to meet the expectations of the community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Access to equitable educational programs, driving cultural sensitivity and inclusion, and implementing innovative teaching solutions are important issues for me. I believe in transparency and allowing flexible options for parents to interact with the Board of Education and ensure that no child is truly left behind in their search for education, at a level appropriate to each child.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a professional earlier in financial services and currently in the pharmaceuticals industry, my diverse experience at work has equipped me to balance financial budgets and complex situations with a stakeholder and solution mindset. I work daily with professionally and culturally diverse teams and achieve results with these teams having varied ideas, beliefs, and abilities.

I have participated in various volunteer projects over the years in this town, including efforts to work against the proposed Compressor station near the quarry on Rt 27. Such work is a testament to my potential and commitment to voluntary and community causes.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“Flourish where you are planted." This advice was shared with me during my early years and it has guided me during trying times. To understand that we are a mere speck in this great universe and we have a larger responsibility to give back to the world we live in, whatever way possible.

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

Our schools are the country’s future. Given most of the students are not adults, parents/guardians are their sole voice and I will be there to amplify that on the Board.

As a community, respect and inclusiveness are what make South Brunswick the great Township it is. A coming together of good citizens. Divisiveness has no place in our Town. I will be on the Board to find common ground that will progress the interests of students and collectively, our community. Elected to the opportunity, I commit to serve the community with honor and integrity.

In anticipation of the upcoming election, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns. We will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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