Cranford School Board Election 2022: Jessica Soltys

CRANFORD, NJ — Eight candidates are running for four open seats on Cranford's Board of Education this November.

There are three open seats on Cranford's board for three-year terms and one open seat for a two-year unexpired term. This seat is vacant due to the recent resignation of Maria Loikith from the board.

Incumbents Brett Dreyer and Patrick Lynch are running again to maintain their current seats on the board. Nicole Sherrin Kessler, whose term is also up this year, did not file to run again.

Candidates Brian Lopez, Susan Shaw, Thomas Grasso, Francis N. Riccio III, Christine Bradley and Jessica Soltys are also running for seats this year.

Brian McCarthy, who previously filed to run, withdrew from the race.

Patch asked all the candidates a series of questions ahead of the November election. (All of the candidates were given the same questions).

Here are candidate Jessica Soltys's answers below:

Jessica Soltys

Campaign website:

fb.me/SoltysForCranfordBOE

What office are you seeking?

I am running for the 2 year unexpired term on the Cranford Board of Education.

Educational Background?

I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland (Go Terps!). After earning my undergraduate degree, I completed a graduate program in school psychology at the University of Delaware where I earned both my master’s degree and an education specialist degree (Ed.S.) in school psychology.

Occupation?

I am a school psychologist. I have extensive experience as a public school child study team member and case manager, and am currently working as an evaluator.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them.

My husband Mike is an engineer and an active Jaycee in town. We met when we were in high school on a student ambassador trip. We have very sweet identical twin daughters, Chloe and Madison. And yes, on rare occasions, we even get confused about who’s who! Our girls can’t wait to start 2nd grade at Bloomingdale Avenue this fall. Lastly, I can’t forget about our two wonderfully large and loud rescue dogs Bamber and Rocket.

Why did you decide to run for the Board of Ed this year?

My children are going to be students in this school district for another 11 years. I see this as an amazing opportunity to leverage my experiences and expertise to give back to our students and the community, helping the schools to continue to improve and offer the best education to all students. Through my professional life, as well as from being a parent, I am in a unique position to be able to witness firsthand the impact that a school board and its decisions can have on students, teachers, administrators, families, and communities. A significant component of my career involves active listening and data analysis, which I intend to use to solicit feedback from all and to collaborate with others effectively to implement changes that are both desirable and beneficial to the community. In addition, I want to help support our educators who go above and beyond for our students. It is crucial during this time in public education that we continue to support all of our staff members so that they not only have the necessary tools to be effective, but that they feel valued and continue to enjoy working in our district.

While my career path has given me the confidence to realize I can have a positive impact on the future of our schools, I would be remiss not to discuss that my family specifically moved to Cranford for the school district. While living in South Jersey, our daughter qualified for special education services but was not receiving the help she needed in our district at that time. In our exhaustive search for an affordable private school, an educational consultant had asked if we would consider moving and recommended three exceptional public school districts. Our family visited all three towns, and ultimately decided to move to Cranford due to its unmatched sense of community and town pride. As a school psychologist and a parent, ensuring that all kids receive an equitable education and have access to programming that supports their goals and growth as learners – academically, socially, and emotionally – remains at the forefront of my passions. It would be an honor for me to be elected to serve on the Cranford Board of Education so that I can give back to the schools that have already given my children so much.

Have you previously run for Board of Ed or served on the board before?

While this would be both my first time running for and serving on the Board of Education, I have been following the board meetings, watching them regularly and reviewing meeting agendas and minutes. My husband often teases me for being the only person that finds reading board minutes enjoyable!

What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to serve on the Cranford Board of Education?

If elected, I would look to contribute to creating thoughtful policies and programs that continue to provide opportunities to all of our students to help them reach their full potential and accomplish their goals. I would like to help develop and establish processes and policies for screening and identifying students' social and emotional learning (SEL) and mental health needs at all levels, focus on embedding SEL into the core academic content areas to reach all learners, and plan to address staff needs to help support these initiatives.

What do you think is the most pressing issue for the Cranford School District?

I believe that the most pressing issues Cranford faces today are aging infrastructure and insufficient educational spaces. The referendum is set to address some of these issues but is not necessarily all-encompassing.

The recent high school auditorium ceiling leak and repairs and the need for a district-wide electrical upgrade highlight major capital improvements to be addressed, but as building elements approach the end of their useful life span, potential costly repairs and replacements will need to be planned for. Additionally, Cranford’s student population continues to grow (potentially even more with the community support for full day kindergarten) and technological advancements continue at a rapid pace. These aspects contribute to a need for Cranford to continue to prioritize modernization of classrooms and a spatial reconfiguration to accommodate dedicated spaces for specials, meetings, related services, and extracurriculars wherever possible.

Addressing these issues, both present and future, is a costly initiative, and thus, proper data and cost analysis coupled with a priority list needs to be developed. Implementation of any measures tackling the issues should be done to maximize impacts while remaining fiscally responsible to the community at large.

What will you do to ensure that students feel safe at school?

There have been many recent improvements that target school safety within the district, including installing lights and cameras, enhancing visitor entry protocols and continuing a strong partnership with the Cranford Police Department. In addition to physical safety measures, I will advocate for a continued focus on student mental health and wellbeing. Students must feel that they are safe and welcomed in their school community in order to be open to the learning process. While student mental health has always been an important issue, the pandemic brought a renewed focus on what can be done to help support students’ social/emotional and mental health throughout the school day.

What is your stance on the new sex education curriculum that has been introduced by the state?

The state Board of Education updated the standards for sex education in June of 2020, with a requirement that all districts implement curricula that incorporates the updated guidelines no later than the 2022-2023 school year. According to correspondence sent out by Cranford Public Schools and as discussed at public board meetings, the district incorporated the updated guidelines in its curricula in 2020. Since the way in which the guidelines are incorporated may vary from district to district, and since all parents/guardians are given the choice to opt out their children from any portion of the health curriculum during a given year, I think it is important for parents/guardians to review Cranford’s specific curriculum so that they can make a well-informed decision for their family.

I have reviewed Cranford’s curriculum and as a parent I think that our district has addressed the state mandate in a responsible way, being mindful of the age at which students will learn certain topics, and has developed clear and thoughtful learning plans with discussion points to help teachers guide the lessons.

What is something new that you will bring to the Board in the coming year?

In the coming year, I would bring the perspective of a public school educator who has extensive experience with advocating for all students and helping to strengthen school-community connections. A significant part of my career has involved taking part in meetings to review and discuss data, and to make important decisions using that information as part of a team. At a time when educators are leaving the profession in record numbers, and fewer people are choosing to enter it, I believe that my background and data-driven mindset would be an asset as a board member.

Anything else voters should know about you?

I’ve been skydiving, bridge climbing and glacier hiking - I am always up for a new adventure!