Thomas Murphy: Chester School Board Candidate

CHESTER, NJ — The Chester Board of Education has a contested election on Nov. 2, with eight candidates who filed to run for three available, three-year seats.

Thomas G. Murphy is one of the candidates to put his hat in the ring.

The other candidates on the ballot include:

• Dana Levens
• Sarah Schultz
• John Barounis
• Simone Campbell
• Sara Kalashian
• Carolina Rodriguez
• Matthew R. Downs

Of all of the candidates, Kalashian is the only incumbent among them.

Editor's Note: Are you a candidate on the ballot? Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the General Election. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) may contact jennifer.miller@patch.com.

Here are Murphy's responses below:

Town of residence:
Chester

Position sought:
Board of Education

Family:
Wife (Dori), Three sons (Tommy 13, Owen 12, Graham 10)

Education:
BA, Dartmouth College
MS, Rutgers University - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
MD, Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School

Occupation:
Board-certified Pediatrician
Board-certified Neonatologist
Director of Pediatric Quality and Safety

Previous or current elected appointed office:
None

Why are you seeking to run for school board?
I view our school board as a nonpartisan entity, and I will ensure that our educational focus is not biased by any one opinion, point-of-view, or agenda. If elected, I will make sure that our schools continue to:
• Deliver an outstanding academic experience for every student
• Foster safe learning environments that facilitate optimal intellectual, physical, and social growth and development
• Promote a culture of respect, tolerance, and understanding
I believe that these core principles must always guide the school board’s decision-making process. If elected, I will ensure that initiatives are evidence-based and developmentally appropriate. My personal and professional background (as a parent and a pediatrician) is uniquely suited to this role.

What is your stance on masks in schools?
I am very pleased that our children are back in school, and I will do everything in my power to keep it that way. Masks are one of many strategies we use to curtail the spread of disease. Other effective strategies include vaccination, social distancing, and quarantine after exposure. Like many, I look forward to a day when masks are a thing of the past. For now, they are a necessary component of the overall public health response to the global pandemic.

Should schools offer a virtual option?
To fully answer this question, I would first engage in a dialogue with our excellent teachers and principals to better understand the demands created by concurrently teaching in-person and virtually. Assuming that a virtual option could be offered without putting unreasonable demands on our teachers or compromising the quality of the educational experience for in-person learners, I believe a virtual option is beneficial.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district?
The recent pandemic created a new imperative, forcing educators across the country to adopt and implement novel teaching strategies. While I believe that the teachers in the Chester school system rose to this challenge and delivered an outstanding educational product last year, our new challenge is to reflect on that experience and to carefully consider what worked and what could be improved. I am particularly interested in ensuring that our children continue to use technology but that they also develop critical reasoning skills, organizational strategies, and strong study habits that are not reliant on clicks of the mouse and taps of the screen.

I am also interested in the concept of multiple intelligences. Exceptional students are generally labeled as “gifted and talented” by virtue of their performance in core subjects like mathematics and/or language arts. Those students are typically then exposed to a supplemental curriculum. However, this traditional approach does not specifically focus on each individual child’s unique gifts and talents and disproportionately selects children who excel in certain classes. Identifying significant areas of strength in particular students (e.g. math, science, spatial relations, art, music or athletics) and tailoring enhanced curricula to those strengths would be a significant achievement for all schools of the future.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?
Experience. I hold board certifications in General Pediatrics and in the field of Neonatology. I have specific expertise in child development, and I spend the better part of every day weighing facts, pouring over data, and making incredibly tough decisions that ensure the wellbeing of children. Additionally, I have held leadership positions for most of my adult life, including:
• Two deployments as an active duty Naval officer in support of US operations in the Middle East after 9/11
• Chief Resident and Chief Fellow at Brown University, where I helped lead medical education training programs in Pediatrics and Neonatology
• Associate Director of a large medical practice and Director of Pediatric Quality and Safety at a large, local children’s hospital
As a parent, a pediatrician, and a proven leader I am uniquely qualified to serve on our Board of Education...now so more than ever.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?
I thank the voters for taking the time to learn about the candidates, and I sincerely hope that you will consider me for a position on the Board of Education.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.