Marlboro Board Of Education Election 2024: Jenna Corraro

MARLBORO, NJ — Marlboro’s general election on Nov. 5 has six candidates running for three open seats on the Marlboro Board of Education.

Candidate Jenna Corraro is running for one of three seats on the board with Nirav Kadakia and Brian Cohen. Opposing candidates include Danielle Bellomo, Gill Iny and Aldo Patruno.

Are you running for the Board of Education in Marlboro? Contact Sara Winick at sara.winick@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Marlboro Patch.

Jenna Corraro

Age: 37
Town of residence: Marlboro (Morganville Section)
Education: M.S. Professional and Technical Communication, Master of Letters (MLitt), pursuing Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
Occupation: Professor and Instructional Designer

What drove you to seek public office?
I am a product of Marlboro schools. My husband and I moved to Marlboro to raise our kids because of the public school system. For many years I have focused on the areas I served in my career. Now I want to pivot directions and bring my passion and expertise to my own hometown.

I want to be able to positively impact my children’s education and honor the teachers who cultivated my passion for lifelong learning.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?
I have education and technology expertise and have been teaching in various learning environments for over 10 years.

At my job, I am a co-chair of the Staff Association where I coordinate events to build morale and connection amongst the staff, faculty, students and larger community, on and off campus. I also report and address issues that concern constituents and collaborate with upper administration to find a solution.

It is this type of communication, understanding, and rapport that needs to return to our community and schools.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing Marlboro, and how will you resolve it?
The biggest issue facing Marlboro, in my opinion, is as our community gets larger and gains a more diverse population, we need to pay attention to the needs of an evolving community of varying perspectives and values.

We need to listen, respect, and communicate with one another to foster understanding rather than being on the defense and silencing differing opinions and voices.

This is what helps bring people together to care about how decisions impact people beyond ourselves.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?
Past accomplishments that make me qualified for this position, beyond my academic journey, is being an educator.

I was a public school teacher, a professor, and an instructional designer in Higher Ed. for the past 10 years. I created curriculum and designed courses for an array of courses I teach: technical communication, composition, information architecture, information design, etc… I have studied the theory of teaching and learning and implemented practices in different modalities of learning.

I hope to use these experiences to inform my decision-making and make the best choice I can for my community, educators, administrators, and learners.

Beyond work, I love engaging with people and community service, which emphasizes my interest in building connections across Marlboro.

Name one thing about Marlboro that always makes you smile.
One thing about Marlboro that always makes me smile is the high school. I have so many fun memories there with my friends and teachers.

My Italian teacher (Senora Bellizzi!) inspired me to become an educator, and my chemistry teacher (in memory of Mr. Pecorino), junior year, was a voice of reason and guidance in my life as well.

We need to attract and retain these types of educators, and role models, in our district.

Note: This story has been updated to reflect what section of Marlboro the candidate lives in, and to add a line to the last question (Name one thing about Marlboro that always makes you smile).