Election 2022: Valentina Mendez, Marlboro Board of Education

MARLBORO, NJ — Valentina Mendez is one of six candidates seeking three full-term seats on the Marlboro Board of Education in the Nov. 8 general election.

In these profiles, based on questions provided, the candidates give voters background about themselves and their positions on the issues. Patch is publishing individual profiles leading up to the election.

Mendez, who is seeking her first term on the school board, has been active as a parent in the district and points to her background in finance and corporate training. A top concern of hers, running under the Parenting Over Poilitcs slogan, is the state health/sex ed curriculum. "Introducing these sensitive topics at an elementary school age is inappropriate and should be dealt with in the home amongst families," she says.

Read more from candidate Valentine Mendez:

Name: Valentina Mendez

Town of residence: Marlboro

Position sought: Marlboro Board of Education position, three-year term

Are you an incumbent or have previous school board or civic experience? Though I have not previously held a position on the Board of Education, in my career, I do have experience writing and reviewing policies and procedures, designing learning objectives and materials amongst other things.

Do you have a campaign designation or slate? My campaign designation is Parenting Over Politics.

Campaign website: www.parentingoverpolitics.com

Family: I’m a mom of three amazing children. I have a daughter that recently graduated from Marlboro High School and is now a freshman in college. My two younger children are currently attending middle school in our district.

Education: I grew up in New York, attending all years of school including college there. I attended Wagner College majoring in Special Education/Psychology.

Occupation: I’ve worked in finance for 20 years. I am currently the Retail Training Director for a multi-billion dollar company.

Why do you want to run for the school board and what in your experience or background prepares you for election:

I’m running for a position on the Board of Education because our schools and children are so important to me. I have held multiple positions on our schools' PTO Board and have witnessed first hand our incredible teachers and the wonderful way they interact with our children.

My background in the banking industry and managing the budget, affords me with the knowledge of appropriate checks and balances. Also, leading a Learning and Development department, I am responsible for the education of employees throughout our footprint whether it be new hire training, compliance training, upskilling, building relationships, employee engagement and a variety of other topics.

Last year, I started a pilot tutoring program for children in our town, partnering with high school honors students for any children that needed additional support.

If you are running as part of a slate of candidates, please explain the main positions of the slate if there are agreed upon positions. Please name your slate and its other candidates.

I am running alongside two other candidates, Annette Siewert and Michael Lilonsky. We are not a formal slate but do share some similar beliefs. Our campaign slogan is Parenting Over Politics. It really means just that, keep politics out of our schools and keep the focus on the children and staff. It means that the voices of parents and the community are invaluable.

Name what you see as the top issues currently facing your district and how you plan to address them. These can be local issues and/or statewide issues:

• The potential implementation of the sex ed curriculum in schools across New Jersey. Introducing these sensitive topics at an elementary school age is inappropriate and should be dealt with in the home amongst families.
• It’s also important we pay close attention to the budget. We need to be able to justify and expenditures and ensure we have the ability to provide our children with the best educational opportunities.
• Teacher shortages are plaguing schools across the country. We need to ensure we are attracting the right talent and retaining the talent we currently have.

What changes or improvements do you see for the district that could enhance educational life and is there a way you might accomplish that?

An improvement in our school district would be to take a deep dive into the budget and ensure that funds are being allocated appropriately. We need to provide the best opportunities to all students, reviewing all line items including the staffing model, administration salaries, and 2023 goals and initiatives is vital to our success.

Candidates for Marlboro Township Board of Education:
Full Term - Vote for Three

• Annette Siewert, Parenting Over Politics
• Anu Shanbhag, Hearts And Minds
• Valentina Mendez, Parenting Over Politics
• Randy Heller, Building On Experience
• Jennifer Silacci, Building On Experience
• Michael Lilonsky, Parenting Over Politics