Meet Two Candidates Vying for One Seat on Cedar Grove Board of Education

On April 27, two candidates will face off for a three-year seat on the Cedar Grove Board of Education. Incumbent trustee Michael Grabas is seeking his second term on the board. His challenger is Christine Dye.

The candidates were given 500 words for a candidate statement and asked to provide biographical information.

The candidates' submissions are listed below in the order they will appear on the ballot.

1 A - Christine Dye, challenger.

Years in Township: 6

Family: Husband, Bill, three children: Will, 9, Ellie, 7, and Jack, 4.

Education: BS, Accounting, University of North Carolina, Charlotte. CPA license from State of North Carolina.

Occupation: Senior Finance Manager, Citrix Online

Groups/Organizations: President, Cedar Grove Junior Women's Club. President, Ridgewood Acres Neighborhood Association, Daisy co-leader at South End Elementary School for First Grade girls. 

Statement:

My name is Christine Dye and I am running for a seat on the Cedar Grove Board of Education because I care deeply about the quality of education in our town.

My husband and I moved our family to Cedar Grove more than six years ago because we were in search of a small town with a strong sense of community and a great school system. We have three children, ages 9, 7 and 4. Two of our children are students at South End and the youngest will enter kindergarten in September.

I am actively involved in the community. Among the organizations to which I volunteer my time are the Cedar Grove Junior Women’s Club, the South End FSA and the Girl Scouts.

My priorities lie in three key areas, the first being improved student performance.
It concerns me that our students are performing below the state average on certain standardized tests. I am aware that a new curriculum has been phased in over the past five years and I am hopeful that this roll out will provide a strong foundation for our students. If elected, I plan to compare our curriculum with other districts within our DFG to see where we may be able to improve even further. There may be ideas we can implement in our schools that will contribute to better results.

Secondly, I would like to promote increased community involvement by improving
communication amongst the Board, the community and the teachers. While I recognize that the Board has worked to improve its communication with parents, I believe we can take it a step further. I would like to try to establish some additional lines of communication for people who may not be able to attend Board meetings but would still like to be informed and educated. In this way, we can get more people involved and invested in the process.

Finally fiscal responsibility is a priority. Over the past 17 years I have built a successful career in finance.

My experience has provided me with the necessary tools to analyze financial data and contribute to sound fiscal decisions that would best serve the education community. I am not afraid to ask direct questions and think “outside of the box” when necessary.

I am proud of Cedar Grove and have a vested interest in making it better. I am excited about the opportunity to serve on the Board and make a difference.

2 A - Michael Grabas, incumbent.

Years in Township: 53

Education: Montclair State University

Occupation: Worked at Kings Supermarkets in Verona for 35 years.

Groups/Organizations: Shop steward, board member of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 1245. Chairman, Cedar Grove Veterans Committee. Member, Cedar Grove Lions, Cedar Grove Municipal Alliance. Volunteers at Lyons Veterans Hospital chaplain service.

Statement:

When I was offered the position of the vacant seat yeas ago on the board, I thought this would be a great opportunity to give back to the school system that has always taken care of our troops with letters and collections. It has become a learning experience because in the first term, you’re learning all the rules and regulations, but most of all, sitting back and analyzing the pros and cons of the school system, and listening to the needs of the students, teachers and parents.

There is room for improvement in our school system. In test scores, the buildings, our cable station and communication. As we start our next five-year program, we need to improve from our last five years and pinpoint the weaknesses of our students. We need to focus on our students test scores and improve them.  We can spend the next year trying to rip apart the meaning of the tests and what they really mean, or we can help improve our students’ education. 

Although the roofs and windows are being fixed, there are many more fixtures that need improvement. Never again should our schools have to wait years to be addressed, putting the safety of our students on the back burner. 

I would like to see an improvement in our cable station, and have it include events that are being held at our schools. The public should be able to see for themselves what is going on at the schools. Communication between student, teacher and parents needs to be addressed.

I believe if everyone works together with the student, he or she will improve. Education does not end at the school with he teacher but continues home with the parents. These children are our future and we need to invest in each and everyone with all our capabilities so they enter the world with the knowledge and skills needed to survive and make the world a better place.     

Can all the problems be answered a brief statement, the answer is no. But I know the children are our future to those who have children and to those who have not. That is why we need to focus on communicating with all our residents and not just target the families with children. I find it most interesting to listen not just to parents and resident without children but also to the students. They have a lot to say and they should be heard.

When people read about poor scores and buildings falling apart, they have to question, “Is the money being spent wisely?” That is why everyone needs to know the facts and be part of our school system. I believe in watching the budget, and will not be part of a rubber stamp board that says yes to everything. 

At many meetings I heard people say the board should think out the box, but thinking doesn't help solve the problem, walking out of the box and confronting the problem is the answer.