Meet The Chester Board Of Education Candidates

CHESTER, NJ — Chester residents will head to the polls this November to vote on local and regional school board members. Patch caught up with them ahead of the general election.

Sara K. Kalashian, Rajat Shah, and Michael Tomasc are running for the local board of education, and Donald Storms is running for the regional board of education. We asked all candidates the same four questions:

• Why are you running for Board Of Education?
• What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your town, and how will you address it?
• What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?
• What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

All candidates were sent the questions at the same time, and were given the same deadline to submit them. They were given no minimum or maximum word count, and encouraged to write as much as they needed, or to keep the answers brief if they wanted to. Answers were submitted by email and are presented here as submitted. Sara Kalashian was the only candidate to submit answers.

Sara Kalashian, local board

Why are you running for Board Of Education?

Being part of the Board of Education will allow me to continue to support all our children on their educational journey by upholding the quality of education in our town.

What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your town, and how will you address it?

One of the biggest challenges I see is: How do we develop critical thinkers who are adaptable, curious and interested in the World around them? We are all different and wonderful - how do we honor that?
I think we continue to provide opportunities - both within and outside the classroom - that expose our students to all that life has to offer so that they can harness their innate abilities.

What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?

Compassionate, Creative, and Industrious

What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

I have worked in the field of architecture for the better part of the past 20 years. Leadership is a key skill needed to bring a project from the drawing board to fruition. Working with a project team requires a broad knowledge base, a bit of patience and also a level of humility. I have the ability to push forward when I believe in what I am doing, take a breath when things aren't going smoothly as well as be willing to step back when others know better.

All candidate images submitted by the candidates and used with permission.