Mahwah Board Of Education Candidate Profile: Brett Coplin

MAHWAH, NJ — Candidates are set for the Mahwah Board of Education race on the Nov. 8 ballot.

In anticipation, Patch sent questionnaires to each of the four 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.

Brett Coplin looks to hold onto his seat against two other incumbents and one newcomer.

Here are Coplin's responses:

Name:

Brett Coplin

Age:

46

Town of residence:

Mahwah

Position sought:

Board of Education Trustee

Party affiliation:

Mahwah is nonpartisan

Family:

Wife, Jennifer and two children (15 and 11)

Education:

BA in Business Administration and Economics from Muhlenberg College

Occupation:

Business Owner

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for re-election because I believe in the importance of ensuring that every child receives a quality education in Mahwah. I have shown over the last four years that I am able to serve the district as an ethical, compassionate, accountable and fair Board Member in order to meet the needs of our district. As a current board member, I understand the issues and understand the challenges that we face as a district. I’m asking the community to allow me to continue to advocate for each and every child in our district and serve the residents of Mahwah.

What do you feel is the most important issue facing constituents, and what do you intend to do to repair or resolve it?

After dealing with pandemic related challenges over the last two academic years, it's important that we identify the losses that occurred for our students and staff. This includes learning loss, social and emotional needs and staff professional development. As a board member, I'll continue to work with our administration to ensure that our district has the tools and resources that our community requires. I'll also continue to provide a community-centric approach to ensure all stakeholders are heard.

What differentiates you from other candidates?

Over the last 4 years I have had the honor of being a member of the Mahwah Board of Education. Having this experience, understanding how the board operates, and being an active volunteer leader in the community gives me a unique perspective of our district and community.

As a father of two, both of whom are attending school in our district, I have a firsthand view of our schools which has been very helpful during my time serving on the board. I am extremely passionate about their success, and the successes of their peers. As a current board member, I have the experience needed to ensure our district is operating at its best capacity, sustaining a balanced, well-rounded budget and, most importantly, understanding that board members do not run the district, we ensure the district is run well. Above all, I am incredibly passionate about our community, specifically our kids, which is evident by involvement in our township youth sports programs and home-and-school organizations (HSO).

What other issues or ideas do you feel deserve attention?

The need to attract and retain highly qualified staff members has become a challenge for many school districts over the last several years.

It’s important that the board continue to challenge our administrative team to find new and creative ways to proactively recruit qualified candidates while also properly branding the Mahwah School District as a warm, welcoming and high performing district. Additionally, I will continue to work with our administrative team to ensure they have the resources needed to meet the needs of our current staff in order to help them grow and achieve their professional goals.

What accomplishments in your past demonstrates that you are the best candidate for this job?

During my time on the school board, I have chaired the Community Relations Committee, been a member of the Instruction & Curriculum, Technology, and Policy Committees, been the Mahwah Schools Foundation Liaison and, most recently, advocated for the formation of the Transportation Ad-Hoc Committee, ultimately being asked to chair the committee.

Some of the major accomplishments while I’ve been on the board include

• Opening of the state-of art Thunderbird Thinktank
• Roll out of the 1:1 Laptop Initiative
• Creation of the 5-year strategic plan
• Various security/safety improvements
• Development of annual budgets that meet the needs of the community while minimizing the impact to taxpayers
• Successful search and hiring of an interim and permanent superintendents
• Increased professional development opportunities for staff
• Completion of a comprehensive audit of the district's infrastructure.
• Creation of the Thunderbird Partnership Program and expert directory
• Approval of the Equity Audit for the 2022/2023 school year

Do you want to tell voters anything else about you or your positions?

I have made it a priority to involve myself in as much as I can do to have an impact on my children's and their peer's experience in the schools and community. I currently serve as the President of the Township of Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters and the Treasurer of the Ramapo Ridge HSO. This is after being Co-President of the JK HSO (2 years) and President of the GW HSO (5 years).

My experience as an active volunteer in Mahwah gives me a unique perspective of our community and allows me to bring that perspective to my role as a member of the BOE.

My highest priority will be to continue to be an active, involved member of the BOE. Ensuring that our district is being run in a manner that allows us to remain a high performing district. I will also continue to have a “community-centric” view on decisions we make.