School Board Profiles: Nancy Reeves

Editor's note: Due to the large number of candidates in this year's school board election, we'll run a pair of candidate profiles each day for the next four days. Each candidate was asked to provide a biography and answer a set of questions.

On Monday, we'll provide a final wrap-up of the school budget and provide links to all candidate profiles.

Nancy Reeves has resided in the Greenfields section of West Deptford for 10 years with her husband, Tim, and her two children, Caitlin, 9, who attends Greenfields Elementary and Collin, 7, who attends Oakview Elementary. Her husband has been a West Deptford resident for 38 years.

Reeves earned a B.A. in sociology from West Chester University and earned a M.A. in urban studies from Temple University. Currently, Nancy is a college professor teaching sociology at various colleges and universities, including Drexel University and Rowan University. She has been teaching for nine years.

Nancy is also a first-grade religious education teacher for Infant Jesus Parish and is a Girl Scout leader. She is currently the room parent coordinator for Oakview Elementary and a room parent for her son’s classroom as well. In her spare time, she enjoys acting and spending quality time with her family.  

Children are the future and so we must, as parents and educators, play an active role in seeing that their educational path is challenging and is preparing them to be the leaders of tomorrow. Together we can work to see that the educational goals set forth by the school administrators are being met and that we are making the right decisions in the best interest of our students. 

As a college professor, I see the importance of a good education early on in one’s life. What our children learn now will enable them to be successful adults, both academically and personally. I hope to be a part of this decision making process so that we can make our school district be the best it can be.

What’s your main reason for running this year?

I am running this year because I would like to be a part of the decision-making process as it pertains to the West Deptford school district. I believe in the saying, “Be the change you want to see in the world."

If elected, what, if any, changes would you look to make?

If elected, I would take into account all sides of the issue at hand, in order to ensure that the best decisions are being made for our students. I want the parents and residents of West Deptford to know that we, as board members, value their input, because after all, "it takes a village to raise a child."

What do you think you bring to the board, in terms of experience and viewpoint?

I have been teaching for nine years and, as such, I have been a witness to the problems that many college students face. Many of them are not adequately prepared for the challenges that a higher education presents. I believe that this reason for this, in some cases, can be traced back to their earlier educational experiences. I am also the leader of a Girl Scout Troop and as such, I have experience with handling conflict as well as finding creative ways to come to a consensus regarding certain issues.

What do you think is the most important issue facing the West Deptford school district?

Gov. Christie has made some cuts in the educational field, and I feel the issue that is most concerning not only to the West Deptford school district, but every school district in New Jersey, is how to handle these cuts and how best to utilize the money that is available. We need to make the best choices with limited resources and this is, in my opinion, the biggest challenge we are facing in our school district, along with many other school districts around the country.

Why should voters choose you?

The voters should choose me because I am someone who is open-minded and passionate about the issues as they pertain to our educational system. We must make sure that are preparing our children to be the problem solvers of tomorrow, and the decisions we make today will affect their ability to be critical thinkers and future leaders.

If I am elected, I will work very hard to ensure that decisions are being made that are in the best interests of our children. That should be our No. 1 concern, now and always. We must work together as a team which includes residents, educators, parents, and administrators in order to make sure our children are adequately prepared for the future, and if I am elected, I look forward to being a part of this team.