Election 2022: Melissa Spiotta For Morris Board Of Education

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — Candidates are set for the Morris School District 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.

Are you running for office in Morristown? Contact Vianella Burns at vianella.burns@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Morristown Patch.

Here are candidate Melissa Spiotta's answers below:

• Name: Melissa Spiotta
• Age: 55
• Town of residence: Morris Township
• Position sought: Board of Education

• Family: My husband and I have lived here for almost 20 years. Our daughter just graduated from Morristown High as did I.
• Education: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Master of Arts in Organizational Behavior
• Occupation: Realtor and Career Coach
• Previous or current elected appointed office: Morris School District Board of Education for 4 years.
• Campaign Website: https://www.melissa4schoolboar...

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

I love this community. I have worked tirelessly for this community for over a decade. I am a graduate of Morristown High. My daughter graduated this June. I want to see all of our students excel in their lives and education is the foundation of their success.

I have served as the Chair of our Human Resources and Policy committees. I am in my second year as President and was Vice President the year before that. I have dedicated an enormous amount of time to this role because I believe that the school district is the bedrock of our community.

Additionally, at the end of this year our school board will have experiences 90% turnover in the last 5 years. The role of a school board member is very important and not intuitive. The amount of training a board members needs to complete to make sure they understand the role is not small. I have achieved all 4 levels of individual board member certification and I spend a lot of time with new board members helping them to understand the role.

I plan to spend the next 3 years ensuring that our board is fully educated on their individual role. Many communities are turning their entire board in 2-3 years. This is devastating to a board and to a community.

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

Making sure that our curriculum is helping our students to rebound academically if they experienced learning loss is of top importance. We have implemented additional supports for struggling learners. Our educators worked very hard during the pandemic but they are working even harder now. Making sure that our curriculum flexes to address learning loss is a top priority.

The district has always had many tutoring programs to support students. We recently added something called Paper which is an online tool for older students. This tool allows for access 24 hours a day. We also have a multi-tiered system of support for students who need the most help. Enhancing these supports is a top priority.

Susan Pedalino and I chose to run together because we believe strongly in the work the district is doing and want to be a part of making sure we get back on track.

It has come up for a few years now the fact that there are Pilots in our two communities that take money out of the tax base. I would like to see our two communities set aside a fair share of this money for the school district as has been done in other communities such as Hanover Township.

What is your view on the sex education curriculum that Gov. Murphy put forth earlier this year?

It is a misnomer to say that the state is requiring a curriculum to be taught. The state has put forth learning standards which are more broad. This curriculum will be developed by educational experts in harmony with parental feedback. And along with this, parents will have the right to opt out of this curriculum which has always been true.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I have 4 years of experience. I am a parent who also graduated Morristown High School. I have achieved 4 levels of board member certification. I am serving my second year as President of the Board of Ed. I was previously the Vice President of the Board and before that was the Chair of the Human Resources and Policy committees. I understand the district and I understand the role. I don't have an agenda. My goal is to keep the district strong for years to come.

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

Susan Pedalino and I chose to run together because we believe strongly in the work the district is doing and want to be a part of making sure we get back on track.

The views and opinions expressed in the above statements are my personal viewpoints and do not necessarily reflect and represent the views or positions of the Morris School District Board of Education.