Watchung Hills School Board Election 2022: Lisa A. DiMaggio

WARREN, NJ — Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education general election on Nov. 8 has seven candidates running for three open seats.

Lisa A. DiMaggio is running for one of the three, three-year full-term seats on the school board. Opposing candidates include Robert B. Morrison, Frank Dwyer, James Angelo Giacchi, Dominic DiBarri, William Mayerchak, and Peter Z. Holczinger.

All of the candidates are vying for seats representing Warren Township on the Board.

Are you running for office in Warren? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Warren Patch.

(All of the candidates were given the same questions)

Lisa A. DiMaggio

Age: 44

Town of residence: Warren

Position sought: WHRHS BOE member

Family: John and I have been married for 19 years now. We have a son, John, who is currently a senior at WHRHS and a daughter AnnMarie who is a freshman. Our family pet is Oreo, she is a Shorkie.

Education: I am a proud graduate of WHRHS class of 1996. I earned my BA in Spanish from Wagner College, Staten Island NY in May 2000. I earned my MAT (Masters in the Art of Teaching) from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck NJ in February 2006. I hold three New Jersey Department of Education Certificates/ Licenses: Teacher of Spanish, Teacher of ESL, and a Supervisor Certification.

Occupation: Since 2005 I have been a teacher at Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, before that I taught (and earned tenure) as a teacher at Rumson Fair-Haven Regional High School.

Previous or current elected appointed office: I am currently serving my last term as a BOE member for the Warren Township Public School District.

Campaign website: n/a

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

After months of deliberation, both on my own and countless conversations with John and the kids, this seems like the next logical step in my extensive public service career, both as a parent and community member. My service to the Warren Township Public Schools will end in December after nine years. Those years in conjunction with my 21 years as a public school teacher have given me an abundance of experience unlike that of any of the other candidates.

How do you feel about the current sex-ed curriculum in the district?

I have read the most updated curriculum posted on the district website. My husband and I are well aware of the recent updates mandated by the NJDOE. That being said, if we decide to exercise our parental “opt-out” rights for either of our children for specific lessons, then that is our prerogative.

Moreover, as a parent, teacher, and BOE member, I encourage all parents to familiarize themselves with all curricula documents across subject areas and to question topics, literary resources, digital resources and media outlets that are listed in said documents.

Finally, on a personal note, I would like to share that as a parent, I have questioned subject area supervisors and teachers about content covered and resources used in past classes. It is critical to John and I that our children know that we care about what they are learning and what they are exposed to in school. However, I would be remiss if I did not mention that we followed the established district protocol throughout the process and we complied with the district’s chain of command for communication.

Would you be in favor of a later school start time for students?

The simple answer is yes. I have read extensively about the adolescent brain and the evidence is straightforward; all the experts seem to agree that physiologically, an early start time for high school students is not optimal. Here is one book that was truly eye-opening for me, as a parent and educator. (The Teenage Brain A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances E. Jensen, MD. )

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

I could foresee an increased student population as a future challenge to the district.

What sets you apart from the other challenging candidates?

1. I have two children currently attending WHRHS.
2. I am the only public school teacher.
3. I am a veteran BOE member. (I am very well acquainted with proper protocol at the local level and NJSBA policy and procedure.)
4. I am a WHRHS graduate.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I would like to share the following: As a parent, teacher and BOE member, an ongoing concern of mine has been how we can better support the educational experience of our average/ mainstream students. We do an excellent job challenging our Honors/ AP population and we advocate and support our Special Education population as well, however, I have always said, “what about our average kid, how can we motivate and support him/her/they”?