Election 2023: Denise M. Lowe, Howell Board of Education

HOWELL, NJ — Denise M. Lowe is one of six candidates, including two write-in candidates, seeking three full-term seats on the Howell Board of Education in the Nov. 7 election.

Lowe, a resident of the Pointe of Woods Townhomes, is an incumbent who has served for nine years on the board and is seeking a fourth term. Click here to visit her campaign link.

Lowe has lived in Howell for 14 years, after living in New York for 30 years.

Other candidates in the race include current Board of Education President Albert Miller and board member Ira Thor.

Also running are Martianne Degliuomini, seeking her first term on the board; and write-in candidates Eleonora Calo and Denise Hirschhorn.

Lowe points to her career in education at the highest levels and her "proven track record of improving student outcomes."

She says the pandemic's impact on learning is an area the board is taking proactive measures to address, and it is also supportive of programs to improve the emotional health of students and staff.

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

Read more from Denise M. Lowe:

Background:

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

My last full-time position was Superintendent of Schools in New Jersey. I retired in June 2013 and started as managing director of my own consulting business, All Children Can Learn LLC in January 2014.

My company provides executive coaching services in academic leadership and training to building and district administrators. I have successfully worked and had multi- year contracts with school leaders in several states: Indiana, Georgia, Philadelphia and New York City schools and in Upstate New York. My last position was a NY State Monitor assigned to the East Ramapo School district. I worked with the Superintendent the Board of Education for four years.

In every position I have held as teacher, associate for the NYS Office of School Improvement, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, I have a proven track record of improving student outcomes.

I have been working for 44 years in education. In addition to my board service I have served in appointed positions, including citizen member to Southside Hospital in New York. I also served as a citizen member for former Congressman Downing in New York for selecting candidates to the West Point Military Academy.

I have served in civic groups all of my life, in New York and New Jersey. I provide the majority of my civic and community service through my local chapter Lambda Omega Omega, of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a national organization that provides programs and awareness to all communities and families.

Our chapter has provided community service and programs to help families in Monmouth and Ocean counties. In addition, I am an Associate Jewel in Suffolk County for Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a family organization that also provides programs for families in all areas across our nation.

Top issues:

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

I have no power nor authority as a single board member to address any issues: our power collectively is with all nine board members voting on actions that support the district. Those board actions are enacted by the Superintendent of Schools who runs the district.

I see the biggest issues facing school district is the loss of learning when schools were closed. It’s been documented the loss for all students K-12 nationally.

In Howell, providing programs and interventions to address the loss is critical. The social-emotional learning for all students, staff and parents is paramount.

This has been a major focus or our district and Howell Township has taken the lead in the county and in the state in providing and maintaining programs that support the mental health of all of our school community.

The last issue I see as a priority facing school the districts is school funding in general is what happens after the federal COVID funds expire in 2024 and the status of (state school funding bill) S-2. We have been fiscally responsible in keeping property taxes low and using efficacies and grants to maintain our excellent programs and staff.

In Howell we are in the last year of our five-year strategic action plan that guides our work as a board. We will start planning now for the development of a new five-year plan. We will evaluate the previous plan and goals this year and planning will start next year with bringing all the community together.

I am running again, and if successful I will be part of the second five-year action plan and bring my knowledge and experience to that process.

The major reason I choose to run for another term is the federal pre-school grant our district received. It was a competitive grant and we were one of a few districts in the state to receive the funding. It will provide, in five years, full day free pre-school for all 3- and 4-year-old children in our district. The research is evident on the benefits of pre-school. We had excellent pre-school programs in our district prior to the grant. This will also help address the COVID learning gap, and create equity in our district as every 3- and 4-year-old will have access to high quality pre-school.

As a result, we voted to have five K to 5th-grade elementary buildings and convert two elementary schools to early childhood centers and keep both our two middle schools. This is amazing for our community and the children and families in Howell. I look forward to be a part of an excellent school district in supporting the superintendent and school board in this major educational endeavor.

During my tenure on the board I have chaired board committees such as Education, Labor, working in conjunction with the board and the superintendent negotiated bargaining unit contracts that are cost effective and fiscally responsible, maintaining a learning environment for all of our employees.

I have chaired our PLC (Professional Learning Committee) that guides our work as board members following the "8 Characteristics of Successful School Boards."

As a school board member for nine years, I have attended two national conferences and eight workshops and four equity symposiums for training and professional development. I have planned and coordinated several board retreats with our PLC committee, and the Superintendent. I received Board Certification in 2022 for obtaining credits through additional trainings and attendance at county meetings.

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.

At the board meeting on Oct. 18, Policy 5756 was abolished with a 6-3 vote. I was one of the no votes. I have found out that while our vote repealed Policy 5756, New Jersey Law (S3067) and (A4652) still provides the same privacy protections to LBGTQ students of their status from disclosure to parents.

Therefore, nothing has changed: the policy’s abolishment has not changed the right to confidentiality and protections for LBGTQ students as provided by New Jersey law. As such, I plan to introduce a new policy to the committee. Our role as board members is to ensure learner success and to provide a safe inclusive environment for all students.

Candidates for Howell Board of Education: (Full term, vote for three)

• Ira Thor: Experienced. Parent. Advocate.
• Martianne Degliuomini: Putting Children First
• Denise M. Lowe
• Albert "Al" Miller
• Eleonora Calo: Write-in candidate
• Denise Hirschhorn: Write-in candidate

There are no open spots for the Freehold Regional Board of Education from Howell this election year.

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.