Kyle Roberts, James Nau Chatham Twp. School Board Candidates

CHATHAM, NJ — The School District of the Chathams Board of Education has a contested election this fall, for both township and borough candidates.

Representing Chatham Township, there are four candidates for two, three-year seats, with Kyle C. Roberts and James A. Nau challenging incumbents Michelle Clark and Lata K. Kenney for their seats.
There is one three-year seat and two candidates running from the borough, as well as one seat for a one-year unexpired term. Those candidates include for the three-year borough seats:

• Ann Ciccarelli
• Lara Freidenfelds

For the one-year unexpired term, the borough candidates are:

• Brian Hargrove
• Chris Delsandro

Editor's Note: Are you a candidate on the ballot? Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the General Election. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) may contact jennifer.miller@patch.com.

See below the joint responses submitted by Roberts and Nau to the questions:

Name: Kyle Roberts and Jim Nau

Town of residence: Chatham Township (6 and 9 years)

Position sought: Board of Education

Occupation: Chief People Officer, Even Financial and Executive Sales Director, Straumann USA

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Why are you seeking to run for school board?
We have been residents of Chatham Township for a combined 15 years and have 3 young, school aged children, collectively. We are running for seats on the Board of Education to allow us to take an active role in the shaping of our young children’s education. We are running to ensure our children, and the children throughout our community are consistently reminded to leverage critical thinking and data to support their learning experiences. We are running to ensure the School District of the Chathams invests in a learning curriculum that highlights the inherent goodness within all students while also enabling every student to reach their highest individual learning potential.

What is your stance on masks in schools?
As elected Board of Education members, we would take an oath to follow state and federal guidelines as well as executive orders stipulated by the governor. While we are committed to that oath, our personal stance on masks in school is that parents should have the choice to decide what is best for their child. It is our hope that the state will allow for the future implementation of a mask optional approach at school, particularly given NJ’s high vaccination rates.

Should schools offer a virtual option?
While the School District of the Chathams was forced to transition to virtual learning as a result of the pandemic, there are many reasons why we as a Board of Education should do everything in our power to ensure all students, at all ages and grades, are able to truly rely on safe, in-school learning going forward. In-school learning is not only the most effective way to support students with learning disabilities and different learning styles, but it’s also the most effective way to ensure the highest level of academic, social, and emotional support. We cannot underestimate the impact peer connection has on effective learning and the overall well-being of our children.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district?
Given the increased academic and societal pressures of today’s student, we feel it’s more important than ever that the Board of Education invest in programs that ensure a strong partnership between the schools and parents, providing a deeper level of transparency and greater opportunities for feedback, to ensure students are positioned for success at every milestone throughout their education.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?
Jim and Kyle will ensure funding from the Teachers’ Unions or the NJEA is not the main driver behind curriculum and school environment decisions but rather that those decisions are made solely based on the well-being of our children.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.