Meet The Gloucester Twp. School Board Candidate: Tamika Harvey

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Tamika Harvey is one of nine candidates pursuing three open seats on the Gloucester Township K-8 Public School District’s 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 Tamika Harvey and her platform for the upcoming election, which takes place Nov. 2:

Name: Tamika Harvey

Position sought: Board Member for Gloucester Township School District

Does anyone in your family work or attend school in the district?
No one in my family works for the district. I have one child who is a student in the district.

Education: BA in Psychology; Minor: Educational Studies; MS Healthcare Administration

Occupation: Problem Gambling and Early Intervention Program Manager

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking elective office?
As a mother of two young children, it’s imperative to be familiar of any academic policies impacting their education. It’s important for our community to provide an exemplar model to other communities on what a world-class education looks like. As a resident of the district, I want to help ensure the district offers schools that are innovative and inclusive.

As an avid advocate for youth empowerment and leadership among young ladies, they will be able to see representation modeled on the board. I’m running to model the way for students and to encourage parents to participate in the school district’s meetings and activities.

The single most pressing issue facing our board is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Insufficient funding and resources implemented to help students with social and emotional learning. Daily, students are faced with challenges both academically and emotionally which can hinder students’ success. My mission is to advocate for schools to collaborate with state and local programs to offer evidence-base and innovative practices to provide knowledge and awareness on trauma-informed and behavioral practices that are strength-based, culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate and anchored in compassionate relationships. These practices build student resiliency, social-emotional competency, self-esteem building, which maximizes students' ability to earn a degree or certification to become productive members of our society. On top of battling these issues, the domino effects students experienced during the pandemic reduced or eliminated many recreational activities that served as an outlet for students to express their emotions.

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

I’m pursuing to be a board member to fulfill a mission to help students and their families, not to have a title. I’m not affiliated with any political party or any stakeholders. My passion drives my energy to ensure an equitable education is accessible for all students. Every child, no matter what zip code or cul-de-sac they live in, deserves fair access to sufficient funding for stability.

Independently, I have created empowering spaces for students from elementary school to high school, where they learned skills how to address bullying, depression, and gain information on college readiness. Normally, whenever I volunteer in the community or advocate for students and families, it’s low-key or private. I'd rather the focus remains on the mission or the work.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have an extensive history reviewing and approving state and federal funding to ensure resources are spent appropriately to support all educational settings, both in person and virtually.

I serve as a member on a Critical Incident Review Team, where I collaborate with other stakeholders to implement processes and policies addressing behavioral health occurrences in the schools.

I have spearheaded task forces and city-wide initiatives involving community leaders and stakeholders to work collectively, addressing mental and behavioral health topics impacting students and their families.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
My skills, blessings, and life lessons aren’t just for me. I’m just a vessel to show and encourage other people. This advice helps me to stay humble and appreciative. I continue to remember there’s an overall purpose that can later help someone. This advice can inspire students to be strong leaders and address adversities.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
Regularly, I think and pray the needs of each student are met, and they have access to every opportunity. Including the students who commit truancy, I want them and their families to know there is hope for their future. Everyone’s path and background are different. Nevertheless, each student and their families are still entitled to a prosperous future.