Montclair School Board Candidate Profile: Eric Scherzer

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair has a big choice to make in 2024: who will serve on the local school board?

There are six candidates competing for three open seats on the Montclair Board of Education. The candidates are: Eric Scherzer, Jada Roman, Sean L. Long, June Raegner, Andrew Gideon, and Holly Shaw.

Patch reached out to each candidate with the same set of questions. Eric Scherzer’s replies follow below (learn more about his campaign here).

>> Are you a candidate seeking an elected office in Montclair? Send campaign updates to eric.kiefer@patch.com

PATCH: What are your qualifications to run for office?

ES: Having been an active Montclair resident for 37 years, I have a deep understanding of the Montclair community and our commitment to diversity and equity. My children attended Montclair schools and graduated from MHS. Two of my grandchildren and two grand-nephews are now students – at Charles H. Bullock, Hillside and Glenfield.

I bring my full attention and focus to my role on the Board and participation in committees. Your readers who attend or watch Board proceedings know that I do my homework, ask informed questions, make thoughtful decisions and care deeply about the success and safety of all Montclair’s students.

I use the skills I developed as a manager and union leader to bring people together to share different perspectives and reach equitable solutions. I have helped foster the District Leadership Team, the labor-management cooperative effort that we are part of with Rutgers University.

I have been on both sides of the bargaining table – as a manager and as a union leader – and bring those negotiating skills to my role on the BOE. I believe that I am the only candidate in the race with that type of experience.

My understanding and actual experience with negotiations and labor-management cooperative programs will be important as we continue to change the dynamic between the District and its unions from adversarial to collaborative.

PATCH: What is your campaign platform if elected?

ES: Selecting a Superintendent is the most important task a Board of Education can undertake. Following the tragic passing of Dr. Ponds, the Board will be working to identify a great educator, a visionary leader and effective communicator and manager. I will bring the experience of my three-and-a-half years of Board service, plus my deep knowledge of Montclair, to this vital effort.

I helped author the plan to revitalize our school facilities and was a leading advocate for the $188 million bond. I remain committed to overseeing the progress of these projects and to providing transparency and accountability to the students, parents, teachers and taxpayers in the Montclair community.

In addition to the Superintendent search and the management of the facilities projects, I believe that positive community engagement can help all our students succeed. Our community is filled with people with deep knowledge and experience on a variety of issues relevant to our public schools and to our students. I will continue to work to find effective ways to engage that expertise.

The community has placed a tremendous responsibility in our hands - to ensure that all students are well-educated, and that each child is empowered to succeed. We must communicate effectively with our community. Are we setting the right goals? Are we meeting them? Are we identifying potential opportunities and problems and putting plans in place to implement or mitigate them? My knowledge and skills will play a key role as we focus on closing the opportunity gap.

PATCH: What is one thing that always makes you smile about the Montclair school district?

ES: I smile every time I hear our students, and their parents and caregivers sing the praises of their teachers and school staff. I pick up my grandkids twice a week at Bullock and every day walking home, I see children happily chatting with their teachers and telling their parents and guardians what a great day they had in school. The staff is so committed to our children. That makes me smile.

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