Michelle Clark, Lata Kenney 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, who include incumbents Michelle Clark and Lata K. Kenney, with Kyle C. Roberts and James A. Nau challenging them 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 Clark and Kenney to the questions:

1. Why we are running for re-election to the school board?
Michelle Clark is a 24-year resident of Chatham and has served on the school board since 2014. Lata Kenney has lived in Chatham for 20 years and has been on the school board since 2011.

Between us, we have five children who are or have been in the School District of the Chathams (SDOC). We are running to ensure that all future students have a comparable or even better experience. We listen to the Chatham Township residents, from a variety of angles and fully understand the balance between providing the best possible education while containing the costs for Chatham taxpayers.

The last two years have presented unprecedented challenges for schools throughout New Jersey and across the country. Unlike many districts which had very little in person learning, SDOC made it a priority to provide DAILY in person schooling for k-5 and a hybrid model for grades 6-12. We were part of the board dedicated to making that happen.

Highlights of non-pandemic accomplishments include:

• Provided oversight of annual budget process and district spending.
• Endorsed a dedicated STEM curriculum K-12.
• Instituted 1:1 technology student/device ratio grades K-1.
• Supported introduction of Mandarin and American Sign Language to enhance the world language curriculum.
• Implemented tuition-based full day Kindergarten.
• Supported mental Health Initiatives: hiring of additional staff to support students, implementation of transition programs, tele-health access and parent education.
• Improved facilities: built new STEM labs, renovated auditoriums, upgraded athletic fields, refurbished roofing, and created additional parking.
• Supported new sports: sailing, paddle, fencing, and girls ice hockey.
• Involved in the hiring process of key leadership positions throughout the district.

We firmly believe that now more than ever the school board needs continuity and experience.

2. What is our stance on masks in schools?
Board of Education members take an oath to follow all state and federal guidelines. Therefore, SDOC must follow any and all Executive Orders issued by Governor Phil Murphy.

3. What are our feelings on Virtual Learning
In person schooling is the most effective way to teach students. The class room experience and social interactions with peers and teachers are invaluable for a child’s development and maturation. We need to dig deep into lessons learned during the pandemic and leverage that knowledge for optimal utilization of virtual instruction.

There is a tremendous amount of peer and self-imposed expectations that our students are experiencing. This situation has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and social media. We would like to continue to promote initiatives that give students an outlet. This means supporting activities such as music, athletics, and counseling as well as promoting school policies that support overall mental health. Additionally, we are advocating for additional staff and professional development to help teachers meet the crisis of social and emotional health.

4. What special qualifications do we bring to meet challenges facing the district?

There is a learning curve to being an effective board member. Being incumbents make us uniquely qualified to pivot from the crisis of the pandemic to normal school operations. We have invaluable institutional knowledge which will be instrumental as SDOC charts its future.

Lata is a former VP in Corporate Compensation and Benefits at JP Morgan Chase. Michelle has been a teacher for over 20 years and is currently a teacher in a local high performing district. These work experiences have helped Lata and Michelle provide an invaluable perspective to the SDOC School Board.

5. What are the areas of focus for the Board in the future?
It is important to remember that the role of the Board of Education is to see that the district is well run; not to run it. One can understand our role by using the three-legged stool analogy. The legs being: BOE/parents, Administration, Teachers; and the seat being the children.

We need to continue to enhance and embrace an environment that supports the administration and teachers as we transition back to post-pandemic education. And specifically, as outlined above, we need to increase attention to the whole student and provide options for social and emotional well-being.

Closing Statement
We firmly believe that the Board of Education should be a non-partisan, apolitical body. Unlike our opponents, we have turned down support from political parties in order to maintain our independence as members of the SDOC Board of Education. We believe this independence is critical when tackling a multitude of issues, from curriculum choices to spending options. We remain focused on and committed to the children served by the SDOC and the taxpayers of Chatham Township.

Having been in Chatham Township for over twenty years and with children utilizing the School District of the Chathams, we believe that the district needs to continually search out new and innovative ideas to prepare our children for the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Michelle Clark and Lata Kenney ask for your vote because Experience Matters. Please vote by mail now, early vote in person beginning on October 23, or in person on election day, November 2, 2021.

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