Election 2023: Meg Thomann, Freehold Twp. Board of Education

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — Mary "Meg" Thomann is one of seven candidates seeking three full-term seats on the Freehold Township Board of Education in the Nov. 7 election.

Thomann, of Country View Drive, is an incumbent seeking re-election. She was first elected in 2021. Her campaign link is https://www.facebook.com/LTAforFreeholdTwpBOE.

She is running with current Board President Michelle Lambert and current Board Vice President Michael Amoroso on the Respectful Educational Leadership team.

Other candidates are Zane Howcott, Carmela Spieler and Denise DuMont (all designated Protecting Parental Rights); and Peter Conforti.

In these profiles, candidates provide voters with background about themselves and their positions on the issues, as they see them.

Read more from Meg Thomann:

Background:
Candidates were asked to provide their professional or volunteer information, school board experience, campaign links, and personal background.

Family has always been at the heart of my commitment to the Freehold Township School District. Both of my parents were public school teachers and, later, administrators. My husband Mark, a landscape architect, and I moved to Freehold Township in 2012 and have raised our three children here.

All three have benefited from the education the district’s talented teachers, administrators, and staff have provided. I am the only candidate with a child currently in our schools: Oscar is a proud 4th-grader at Joseph J. Catena School, and both Clara and Fionn previously walked the same halls and then moved on to Eisenhower Middle School and Freehold High School.

Professionally, I serve as the Director of Communications for a pharmaceutical company dedicated to animal health. Early in my career, I worked as a public middle school English teacher abroad. This experience was instrumental in shaping my understanding of education, diversity, and the importance of bridging cultural gaps through learning.

Beyond my professional experiences, I deeply value community involvement and service. I am a commissioner on the Freehold Borough Housing Authority, where, along with my fellow commissioners, I oversee and guide the policies, budgets, and plans to ensure safe, affordable housing for eligible families and seniors. I also serve as a commissioner on the Freehold Township Historic Preservation Commission.

I earned my undergraduate degree in History from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., which gave me a profound appreciation for the interconnectedness of our past and present. Recently, I earned a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!). This rigorous curriculum honed my capabilities in finance, accounting, operations, statistics and economics - skills that undoubtedly enhance my effectiveness as a board member, empowering me to make informed budget decisions, derive meaningful insights from student performance data and shape effective policies.

Last summer, I secured a highly competitive internship at Amazon, where I delved into emerging technologies, like AI and machine learning. These technologies are shaping our present and are poised to define the future of education and work.

As a board member, I bring firsthand knowledge of these advancements and an understanding of the essential skills our children must acquire to thrive in a competitive global economy.

Top issues:
Candidates were asked about the important issues in their district, and how the school board can address them.

My children were in kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade when COVID-19 struck, so I have had a front-row seat to the academic, social and emotional consequences. Additionally, we still feel the economic impacts of the pandemic, and our school district is no different. We have worked hard to get the right people and plans in place, and this work must continue, especially in the following areas:

1. Improving student achievement in reading, math and science: Recognizing the challenges some of our students face, we've implemented advanced screening processes to pinpoint learning needs early on. We're proud to have invested in specialized programs like Wilson, Orton-Gillingham, and Fundations to support our struggling readers.

With the revamping of our intervention programs in math and English, we're tailoring our approach to meet the distinct needs of today's students. Additionally, high-intensity tutoring, both during the school year and summer, is in place to offer added support. The latest MAP data is a testament to our efforts, showing tangible improvements in student performance.

2. Addressing the teacher/bus driver shortage: It's vital to have the right people on board to ensure our students get the quality education they deserve. We're actively exploring avenues to attract and retain dedicated educators and support staff, understanding that they are the backbone of our educational framework.

3. Safety and infrastructure: Ensuring the safety and security of our students is paramount. We've bolstered our security measures with the addition of Class III officers. We are further enhancing our facilities to create an environment conducive to learning for all students.

Policy 5756:

Candidates were asked if they wanted to comment on state Policy 5756, which provides guidance regarding transgender students, including communication with parents. Some districts in the state are repealing or amending the policy.

As a parent of a current district child and two recent graduates, I know firsthand the deep desire we share to guide our kids through life's challenges. Parents should always be in the know about their children's education, and in Freehold Township, that’s a norm we proudly uphold. In a recent poll, more than 90 percent of our parents reported that they feel informed and are satisfied with the level of communication they receive.

Policy 5756 was implemented in 2019, two years before I joined the board after former Gov. Chris Christie directed schools to create a policy that protects transgender students. I agree with the intention of this law, and I recognize and understand the unique challenges and threats that transgender individuals experience.

Our district has successfully worked with students to create a plan to help them share their gender identity concerns with their parents in a safe and supportive way. For those exceedingly rare cases where a child might not feel safe at home, such as when there is a credible threat of violence, it's crucial that we continue to handle those situations with the utmost sensitivity and through the proper channels.

In Freehold Township, it's never been about choosing between safeguarding our children and ensuring parents are kept in the loop - it's about doing both. Every decision related to this policy, or any other for that matter, should always be collaborative and made after consulting those in our own community who would be affected, as directed by the NJ School Board’s Code of Ethics.

Candidates for Freehold Township Board of Education: (Full term; vote for three)

• Zane Howcott: Protecting Parental Rights
• Carmela Spieler: Protecting Parental Rights
• Michael Amoroso: Respectful Educational Leadership
• Peter Conforti
• Mary "Meg" Thomann: Respectful Educational Leadership
• Michelle Lambert: Respectful Educational Leadership
• Denise DuMont: Protecting Parental Rights

In a separate vote, the election to the Freehold Regional High School Board of Education representing Freehold Township is not contested:

Candidate for Freehold Regional High School District: (Full term; vote for one)

• Elizabeth A. Higley

Note: Candidates who have not received their request for profile information from Patch should check their spam folders or can contact Pat McDaniel at patricia.mcdaniel@patch.com for the email with candidate questions.