Election 2022: Melissa Mauro-Duffy For Chester Board Of Education

CHESTER, NJ — Candidates are set for the Chester K-8 Board of Education race on the Nov. 8 ballot.

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

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

Here are candidate Melissa Mauro-Duffy's answers below:

• Name: Melissa Mauro-Duffy
• Age: 49
• Town of residence: Chester
• Position sought: Chester Board of Education 3 year term

• Family: husband and two children
• Education: Montclair State, Fashion Institute of Technology adjuct teacher of continuing education in my field of study, Interior design
• Occupation: owner Fine Design
• Previous or current elected appointed office: no previous or current elected position

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

I have been an active volunteer in the school district for the past 8 years. Helping out the school community has always been a priority of mine. Seeing what my children were going through during the covid pandemic spurred me to take an active interest in our board of education meetings. Since then, I've attended each meeting, spoken at some, and gained many insights into the workings of our district. I feel compelled to run for the Board of Education to ensure the best education experience possible for the Chester school community including children, parents, teachers, and the school staff.

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

The loss of learning and socialization was devasting during Covid-19, but now is our time to start to gain back what our children have lost. I would fully assess the problem areas and start by finding out what the teachers need to help the students get back to normal. We have already begun this school year with clubs, extracurricular activities, and sports that have not been a part of the school experience since before the pandemic. These offerings go a long way in addressing social and emotional needs. In connecting and making new friends through these experiences it creates an optimal environment for higher academic performances.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

Teacher retention, finding and keeping exceptional/talented teachers and other school staff. We are in the middle of a shortage of teachers and other school staff, and it goes without saying that our district cannot function without them. Finding ways to attract educators to our district and incentivizing them to stay is something the board needs to continue to work on.

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?

My view on the new sex ed curriculum that the Governor put forth this year is that it is not the one size fits all solution that the state would like it to be. New Jersey has about 600 public school districts, each with their own thoughts on how they would like to see their children educated. Our district takes a more conservative view of the sex ed curriculum and it always has. Nothing has changed in our K-5 schools, at least not yet. If I were to be elected to the board, I would advocate to continue to take the same approach with the more conservative view we already have for our lower schools.

Of course, our schools should be inclusive and diverse, and our educators do a wonderful job of this. Throughout all three schools you can find examples of how they achieve this. Circle of Friends, Week of Respect, Unified sports, and Lunch Bunch are just some examples of how our schools work to make students feel respected and valued for who they are.

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

I have been a business owner for the past 28 years-a business that I built and grew on my own. I am no stranger to hard work and putting in the time until the job is done. My business experience along with my in-school volunteering, PTO board position, and my objective thinking skills puts me in a position to hear all sides and work through thoughtful solutions to benefit everyone. When I asked what the biggest challenge facing our school district was, the answer was the divisiveness of our school community. I feel I am well poised to help overcome this sentiment and focus on what is the best way to benefit all the students, parents, teachers, and school staff.

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

I am a parent, business owner, volunteer, PTO board member, and a concerned citizen looking to do what needs to be done to keep our district among the highest ranking in our state. For some more information about me check out my Facebook page Melissa Mauro-Duffy for Chester Board of Education, and find me on your ballot- Line 4 Melissa Mauro-Duffy with the tagline- Children, Education, Community