Election 2023: Eleonora Calo, Howell Board of Education

HOWELL, NJ — Eleonora Calo is a write-in candidate for the Howell Board of Education in the Nov. 7 election.

Calo, of the Salem Hill section, is seeking election to her first term on the board.

Her campaign website is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eleonoraforboe/?ref=share_group_link

In the election, three incumbents are seeking re-election, including current Board of Education President Albert Miller and incumbents Denise M. Lowe and Ira Thor.

Martianne Degliuomini has also filed as a candidate, seeking her first term on the board.

Calo, a mother of three with a background as a classroom teacher and in early childhood education, has offered positions on several specific issues for Howell schools.

She is an advocate of education reform and opposed to programs that result in "teaching to the test." Her professional and educational experience - and her experiences in raising three children - are her "strongest attributes" for election to the school board, she says.

One note for voters, the name of a write-in candidate must be spelled accurately for your vote to count. Calo's name must be spelled as Eleonora Calo.

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

Read more from Eleonora Calo:

Background:

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

I am a mother of three children who have been or are currently in the Howell Township Public School District. I have been a classroom teacher, my first teaching assignment starting just days before Sept. 11, 2001.

I hold a dual Masters Degree in General Education grades K-6 and Special Education grades K-12. I have also worked as a behavioral specialist for special needs children. I believe my extensive knowledge of and experience in the field of early childhood education, experience as a parent (my children are currently 16, 15, and 12 years old), and my own personal education are my strongest attributes.

I've also been a zealous advocate of education reform, spearheading campaigns in 2013/14/15 against Common Core and all practices resulting in teaching to the tests. I'm passionate about education and children, and I believe my passion will be an asset to the Howell Township Board of Education.

Top issues:

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

The major challenges currently facing the Howell Township Board of Education include preschool redistricting, busing shortages and inefficiencies, student protections, budget cutbacks and constraints, and recent influx of English Language Learners, amongst others.

I have ideas and opinions on how to address these topics, which I delve into deeper on my Facebook campaign group. The condensed versions are:

• The current preschool redistricting proposal has upset more parents than it has satisfied. If it is the only fiscally feasible approach, I would push for more and better communication with the parents in order to ensure a better understanding of the reasoning behind the decisions. However, I would like to see a comparison of the anticipated costs of the current proposal vs. turning all of our elementary schools into preK-5 schools.
• Busing shortages are unfortunately a widespread problem. I would love it if we could hire more (even exclusively) in-house buses and drivers. However, until the state reinstates at least some of the funding taken away by S-2, I believe the BOE is doing and will continue to do the best they can with the resources they are currently allotted.
• I will always support protections for all students, especially the most vulnerable. However, when policies create tension and extreme division, I will also work towards pressuring the state to rework and reword verbiage that causes confusion and strife.
• I believe the goal should always be to produce annual budgets that are appropriate and responsible in light of the reductions to school aid from the state. Education budgets call for spending that helps to expand resources for our students, improve indoor and outdoor facilities, and maintain a highly professional staff and faculty. I would not characterize any one area of the budget as being more in need of attention than another.

Of course one of the most important goals is keeping the tax burden as low as possible. The board should work collaboratively with our district business administrator to determine where spending is absolutely necessary, and where it can be cut. The allocation of funds should be a collaborative, group effort.

The goal should always be to develop a budget that best serves the needs of the students, without overburdening the taxpayers of the community.

I also believe we can look to other towns and see if there are things we can learn from other BOE's and how they address similar issues that we face. I believe we should strongly encourage feedback from the community - from people who have questions and concerns, as well as suggestions. I believe strongly in communicating openly and cooperating to find common ground, so we can best represent the Howell community.

With regards to the heavy influx of English language learners into the Howell Township public schools, in academia there are split opinions on the topic of instructional set up and goals. There are advantages and disadvantages of both in the ESL self-contained classroom and the mainstream classroom. Both afford students a variety of experiences that can either support or hinder their language development. The mainstream classes provide students with rich linguistic interactions, but there are significant limitations.

In order for students to develop adequate English-language proficiency, the focus and primary objective of ESL programs must be the development of academic language. Explicit attention must be given to developing students' receptive and productive skills. The most effective classes for ESL students are the ones that integrate both language and content.

In order to implement an effective program for the ELL population, several elements need to be part of a comprehensive school or district wide plan. These include a well-articulated program design that focuses on the development of both language skills and content knowledge, and an organizational structure where learning is reinforced through multiple venues, extended time, and adequate professional development for faculty. This way, both language and subject area teachers are able to integrate language development with content learning.

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.

I do believe Policy 5756 needs rewording. I believe as it stands it is too vague and this is what is causing the confusion and strife. But I also believe it needs to remain in place until such a time that it has been reworded properly, preferably from a state level down.

My trans daughter is a high school senior now, so I'm not advocating for this policy on behalf of my child; I'm advocating for this policy on behalf of kids who didn't grow up in a household where they feel safe coming out to their parents, now and in the future.

I think voting to repeal this policy is a vote of no confidence in our Howell public school district faculty and staff. They have the education and the training and the experience to guide them on how to handle each individual child's situation appropriately. And they have been trained enough to know when something is outside of their purview and who to contact in such instances. The policy does not say teachers "should not" tell parents, it just allows them to use their discretion.

If our district was allowed to change the wording of the policy, to add language that reflects the true intentions of all involved and the realities of how the situation would be handled, I would support that 100 percent. I would offer to personally make suggestions for the wording. I believe amending the wording would be the best possible outcome.

In the meantime, I believe wholeheartedly that we should have kept the policy in place, rather than throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. But I also believe that our teachers know what they are doing and I trust them. That is a leap of faith it seems many parents are not willing to take.

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

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.