Toms River School Board Election 2020: Michele Williams

TOMS RIVER, NJ — When voters go to the polls Nov. 3, they will be asked to choose three people to serve on the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

There are nine people seeking those three seats, which are three-year terms on the board.

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.

Here are the answers from Michele Williams, who is running under the Children First slogan. Her running mates are Rachel Remelgado and Daynne Glover.

Previous elective office, if any:

I am currently a board member, completing the final year of my term, elected November 2017.

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

No one in my family works in the school district, allowing me no restrictions in any voting /approval process. No one in my family is involved in politics.

Education

Bachelor's, Elementary Education, Jersey City State College; Master's, Educational Leadership, Administration, Supervision, Seton Hall University; Master's, Theological, Liturgical & Pastoral Studies, LaSalle University; NJ Teacher Certification, K-8; NJ Certification Principal and Supervisor

Occupation

Retired Principal, St. Joseph Grade School, 2003-2017

Why are you seeking a seat on the school board?

I was first elected to the school board almost three years ago. I think it is important to have an experienced board member return among the three new board members as the district is facing many new challenges. While the governor and state legislature have cut nearly $70 million in state aid to our district, the school board has worked to maintain our high standards of education. This year will be especially challenging as we will be dealing with the obstacles of COVID-19.

I am also proud that we have kept politics out of our schools. The school board has both Republicans and Democrats, and we all work together to do what's best for the students and taxpayers. Additionally, I believe that my 40-plus years of educational experience, including 14 years as the principal of St. Joseph, is an asset and resource to the board.

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

All our pressing issues lead back to finances. I fully back the lawsuit filed by our administration which requires the state to uphold their funding obligation to our district. Among other things, this lawsuit requests the full disclosure of the S2 formula, which is the governor's "secret formula" that will cumulatively cut $100 million from the Toms River school budget by 2025.

When our children finally return to the classroom, there will be those who have suffered educational delays and losses. This will need to be addressed. Utilizing my educational background as educator and principal, I can lead this conversation among board members proposing strategies that can be offered to our administration.

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

I am the only person running this year who is a current member of the Toms River school board. Though our school district has lost $70 million in state aid cumulatively since 2009, we continue to maintain the high standard of education that our children deserve. Despite these cuts last year we achieved the distinction of being among 373 school districts in the US and Canada to simultaneously achieve increases in access to Advanced Placement courses for a broader number of students and also maintain the rate at which our AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP exam.

I bring over 40 years of experience as an educator and an administrator in addition to the three years of board knowledge and experience. As a member I serve as the chair of the insurance committee, and as a member of the personnel and curriculum committees. I also have the honor of representing our board at the county and state level as delegate.

My running mates, Rachel and Daynne, are highly educated, professional women like myself, and we are also mothers! We know that our school district must partner with parents. We understand the need for equity and excellence in education for all children. We acknowledge it will require all members of our community, as stakeholders, to join together to make this a reality. This process is NOT a political competition; rather, it is a collaboration!

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The continued implementation of Social Emotional Learning embedded into the curriculum is critical on all levels, and other supports that lead to the social emotional maturity of our students must be a major consideration such as a school counselor and learning disabilities teacher in each school. They will also enormously support the work, productivity and emotional support of every classroom teacher! We need to recognize that the pandemic has caused and will continue to cause disruption in the educational growth of our children. SEL implementation and related personnel will greatly support emotional recovery for all.

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

As principal I brought many innovations to St. Joseph Grade School which demonstrates my ability to be fiscally efficient whole providing the children and staff with the resources/environment needed. It is important to note that I had no tax dollars to accomplish these, only tuition, parish support, and creative alternate revenue sources! This list of improvements at St. Joseph's listed below includes only those items I am most proud of and that directly relate to being an effective school board member:

Air-conditioned 2 school buildings & installed ceiling fans in all classrooms
Keyless entries on all exit doors
Modernized the phone system
Installed phones in system
Complete wireless connectivity
Smartboards in every classroom
BYO-I pad program, Grades 6-8
All teachers issued an I pad and laptop
Performing Arts Curriculum, Grade 6: Dance, Grade 7: Declamation/Speech, Grade 8: Drama
Social Emotional Learning embedded into the weekly curriculum all grades
Full-time school counselor

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

In addition to my service on the school board, I am a current board member of Ocean's Harbor House, Central Ocean Rotary of Toms River, and the Communities That Care, RJW Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery.

For my spiritual growth and support I am a parishioner of St. Justin the Martyr Parish, formerly employed there as Director of Religious Education, 1993-1999, and I am an associate member to the SIsters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, NJ.

Well before my lifetime of service to the Catholic Church as teacher, vice principal, Director of Religious Education and principal, I was deeply interested in civics and a desire to make life better for all. I spent many after school hours in the Jersey City Projects tutoring children, obtaining signatures to support the rights of all to own homes, and supporting all the emerging efforts at that time for women's equal rights. This is a lifelong passion of mine to be of service and retirement hasn't changed that in me!

The best advice ever shared with me was:

While attending Seton Hall Graduate school one of our professors explained that as humans we will inevitably screw up as a principal, so prepare for it. Build up an emotional bank account with your teachers, your parents and your students , and they will still trust you, love you and forgive you when the inevitable happens. I have successfully applied this great advise in my career and in my personal life.