Meet The Cherry Hill School Board Candidate: Carolina Bevad

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Carolina Bevad is one of seven candidates running for three open seats on the Cherry Hill Public School District Board of Education.

Patch sent questions to all candidates in the race, and is running profiles for each candidate that returned a response. Responses run exactly as they were submitted, with minor edits for grammatical errors.

Read below to learn more about Carolina Bevad and her platform for the upcoming election, which takes place Nov. 2:

Name: Carolina Bevad

Age (as of Election Day): 39

Town of residence: Cherry Hill

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: My husband Nick, and our 3 children, aged 9, 7 and 6.

Does anyone in your family work or attend school in the district?: My 3 children attend school in the district, and I have substitute taught in Cherry Hill schools for the past few years.

Education: I attended New York University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and a master’s degree in English as a Second Language.

Occupation: I’m currently a stay-at-home-mom.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking elective office?

As a certified elementary, ESL and special education teacher, I noticed shortcomings with last year’s virtual platform, which motivated me to advocate for better planning, creativity, communication and leadership. I devoted significant time to that cause and learned a lot along the way. My family and I decided that running for a position on the BOE would be a useful way to share and expand the knowledge I gained.

The single most pressing issue facing our board is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
The single most pressing issue facing our Board is community polarization. Board meetings have become battlegrounds where community members face-off against each other. I intend to bring consensus back to Cherry Hill and fairly enforce Board commenting protocols. Stakeholders may not always agree, but we should be able to have a respectful dialogue and hear different perspectives without villainizing or jeering each other. Our Board members’ silence contributes to the divisions. We need Board members who aren’t afraid to engage in conversations, respond to comments or answer questions, and that is the type of Board member I pledge to be. Once the fractures within the community are healed and the Board can rebuild trust, important goals like a bond approval will be well within reach.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Before highlighting our differences, I’d like to acknowledge what we all have in common: dedication to this community. Volunteering for such a large district is no small task, and I’m proud to be running with other passionate candidates. I’d say what sets me apart from the other candidates is that I question administrative choices. If elected, I’ll question all administrative recommendations that aren’t made with metrics, data, clear rationale or evidence. Another thing that sets me apart is my educational philosophy: our schools should be providing a balanced, classical education, rooted in truth and accuracy that focuses on outcomes, reason, and logic, not emotions, politics or bias. Finally, I’m a candidate who believes that most Covid restrictions still in place at school are hindering healthy child development. I will advocate for loosening and eliminating outdated Covid protocols.

Experience: I hold New York state teaching certificates in elementary, ESL and special education and an ESL Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing in New Jersey. I taught high school ESL for the New York City public school system in very high needs schools in the Bronx and Manhattan; now I substitute teach. After attending almost every board meeting last year, as well as Zone PTA, fair funding, town hall, and committee meetings, I’ve already proven that I have the time and enthusiasm to dedicate to the very important job of a Board member.

Equality in education: While many Cherry Hill community members believe in equality in education, I actually fought for it last year. I recognized immediately that virtual education was not an equitable way to educate students, because it was leaving our most vulnerable populations behind. I rallied like-minded community members together to fight for in-person learning. We attended and spoke at every Board meeting and launched multiple advocacy campaigns; actions that I believe were integral in getting children back to in-person learning. As we learned last year, how the curriculum is taught, not just what is taught, is a huge piece of equality in education. Equality in education means upholding IEP and 504 mandates, evaluating who is thriving and who is falling behind, and making an effort to engage with and support students and families that are struggling.

School funding: I’ve been a fair funding advocate for the past 3 years. I believe the Board and superintendent should be vocal, visible advocates for Cherry Hill schools, and if elected, that’s what I’ll be.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I think the main accomplishment necessary for a Board of Education candidate is a proven investment in the school district, which I have shown with my participation in the PTA, membership on the "WE Return to Learn," "The Road Forward" and "Fair Funding" committees, and attendance and participation in Town Hall, Board of Education and Board committee meetings. If elected, I will be a consistent and reliable Board member.

The best advice ever shared with me was: My grandfather always used to tell me, “Can’t means won’t.” He was an exceptional man who truly believed that any job was possible. No matter what challenges we face in Cherry Hill, with strong leadership, we can come together and surmount them.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m a reliable person with a strong work ethic, and if I commit to a job, I’ll see it through. I’ve spent the last year+ deep-diving into our district, and I’ve seen the strengths and weaknesses. If elected, I will strive for more engagement with the community, less division among stakeholders, and, most importantly, an outstanding public school district.