Meet Steve Pedersen, Running For Red Bank Regional Board Of Education

LITTLE SILVER, NJ — As there is every year, there is a school district election this autumn in Little Silver.

Local residents Steven Pedersen and Amanda Galante (currently on the board; she was appointed in August to fill a vacancy) are running against each other for one seat representing Little Silver on the Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education.

Patch asked both candidates the same set of questions, and both responded. Here are Pederson's answers as he got back to us first. Galante's answers will be published Wednesday.

Provide a brief bio on yourself. Age, education, occupation.

I am 51 years old. I attended Vanderbilt University ('96) and received a JD from SMU Law School ('01). I work as an attorney and am running for the Red Bank Regional Board of Education for Little Silver.

Do you have children in the district or formerly in the district?

I am the proud parent of four children, ages 9, 12, 14 and 16. My 14-year old started at Red Bank Regional this year. Our younger children are in the Little Silver schools. Our family moved to town in 2014, and our children are third-generation residents of Little Silver.

What experience do you have that would make you a good BOE member?

I have attended Red Bank Regional Board of Education meetings for the past several years and I have worked with other parents to effectuate positive change by engaging with the administration and board. I am a firm believer that the administration and board must always follow their own policies and procedures. My background in the law helped with the initiative to save aspects of the honors curriculum in 2023 by forcing the board to follow its own procedures.

For current school board members, what is some of the work you're proudest of that the Board has done?

N/A.

Where do you think the Board needs to improve? This is for both current BOE members and those not on the Board.

I have put out my platform issues. Many of these address areas that I believe can benefit from improvement. I have created a series of posts on these issues on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steve.pedersen.889403

1. BOE Members: Should be direct stakeholders in the school, i.e., parents of students

2. Procedure: BOE must follow its own procedures

3. Curriculum: Red Bank Regional must maintain curriculum rigor

4. Transparency: Meetings should be accessible with detailed meeting minutes.

5. Outreach: Increase engagement with young families not yet in high school.

6. BOE Leadership: Board presidency should rotate between the three sending districts on a yearly basis.

7. School rankings: Increase Red Bank Regional state rankings

8. Five-year plan: Red Bank Regional must do one immediately.

9. Culture: Promote a fun, inclusive culture at school that facilitates learning.

10. Accountability: Demand accountability from the Board of Education and administration

Looking ahead, what are some of the biggest challenges facing your school district in the next 2 -5 years, and how do you plan to confront them?

Red Bank Regional is a great high school. We choose to send our own kids there. The school has not done a five-year plan in quite some time and has recently begun that process, which I think will be great for the school and Little Silver. There are many high school options in the area, and it is critical that Red Bank Regional maintain its enrollment from Little Silver. My platform will confront many of the issues identified therein and help to make our school better in all aspects.

Here's who's running in 2024 in Little Silver:

Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education - Vote For One

• Tara Gibb Committed. Engaged. Advocate.

Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education - Vote For One

• Steven R. Pedersen Transparency, Advocacy, Accountability
• Amanda Galante

Little Silver Board of Education - Vote For Two

• Alicia Aninowsky Achievement Community Dedication
• Kathryn Galbavy Dedicated Community Leader
• Scott Galkin Decisive, Determined, Dependable

Little Silver town council: Vote for two:

• Christian M. Smith (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization
• Laurette Vilardi (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization
• No Nomination Made (D)
• No Nomination Made (D)

The election will be Nov. 5, but you can vote early in person at the Little Silver Women's Club (111 Church Street) from Oct. 26 - Nov. 3. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary, according to the state of NJ Division of Elections. There is also mail-in voting.