Long Valley Board Of Education Candidate Profile: Jessica DeCicco

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Candidates are set for the K-8 Washington Township School District Board of Education race on the Nov. 8 ballot.

In anticipation, Patch sent questionnaires to each of the three candidates vying for the three open seats on the Board of Education, asking them to share facts about themselves and why voters should choose them to represent the township's school district.

The responses received will get published between now and Election Day.

Are you running for office in Long Valley? Contact Vianella Burns at vianella.burns@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Long Valley Patch.

Here are candidate Jessica DeCicco's answers below:

• Name: Jessica DeCicco
• Age: N/A
• Town of residence: N/A
• Position sought: N/A
• Party affiliation: N/A
• Family: Mother of four children, one in WMC HS and three in the district.
• Education: NJSBA-certified New Board Member, and
  am on track to achieving my Board Leader Certification by the end of the middle of next year.
• Occupation: N/A
• Previous or current elected appointed office: Board President

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

I am running for re-election because I have invested myself in both the community and district for years prior to my seat on the board. I care deeply about the success of our district
and children. My children will be in the district until 2031, so I will continue to be involved for the long haul. I have dedicated myself to learning and growing in this role in an effort to do the best possible job. I have really enjoyed my involvement on the board despite tumultuous times and would like to continue the work that I started.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the district?

I see both budget cuts and politics being the biggest challenges facing the district. In regard to the mandated reduction in state aid for our district, we have two years where we expect further reductions in our state aid. While the largest reduction is behind us, I believe it is important that we continue to maintain a strategic approach to right-sizing our district so we can continue to make appropriate investments and protect vital resources to ensure we maintain the highest quality of education for all of our students. My experience and depth of knowledge about our districts helps me partner with our administration to ensure our approach to reduced state aid remains strategic and thoughtful.

Education should be just that, education. The current state of the world has tried to interject politics into every corner of our lives. Politics un-do good work. We waste efforts trying to combat them and shift focus to them away from the success of our students. It also has caused much contention between community members as well as between community members and the district. I truly believe that in order to have a truly successful district, there needs to be a good relationship between the schools and community. We all have a hand in our district’s success.

COVID-19 resulted in learning loss for many students. What will you do to ensure students bounce back?

N/A

What is your view on the sex education curriculum that Gov. Murphy put forth earlier this year? What is your position on inclusion and diversity? Is the district doing enough? Not enough?

I do believe parents have a say in our curriculum process and choice on sensitive topics. I stand by our decision to let parents have an option to opt out. Our administration is sensitive to parent feedback and commitment to transparency and engagement. I trust our educational professionals, many of whom live in our community and know our community deeply.

I feel very strongly about providing all of our students with a safe and welcoming environment. I believe our district ensures our children feel included, safe, and comfortable being within our building and we ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to excel academically.

What are your thoughts on banned books in light of the criticism other New Jersey districts have received for their book bans?

N/A

What special qualifications do you bring to help meet the challenge?

As I have stated above, I have been an active member of the community for a decade. I have my finger on a lot of pulses within the community and have an in-depth knowledge of the culture of our community as well as resources within our town. I am a NJSBA certified New Board Member, and am on track to achieving my Board Leader Certification by the end of middle of next year. Through my leadership, I have lead our board to be NJSBA certified for the first time since 1997! I also have had a very well-rounded professional career in major corporations such as HBO and McKinsey & Company.

I have excelled as an executive assistant, financial analyst and PR manager. With these roles came years of experience in multi-tasking, the ability to efficiently manage budgets, as well as years of experience building and maintaining healthy professional relationships. I have also had years of training in leadership and communication, which attributes to my success in the leadership roles I’ve held within the community such as my 2 years as board president, cheer coach, and as the chair of many committees. I have a proven track record of leadership as a professional and proven track record of collaboration toward building consensus for solving complex problems while always keeping the best interest of our students the top priority in all I do.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I truly believe that we, as a district, have made great strides in the past years despite the pandemic and I am looking forward to watching the district and children continue to excel.