Ocean City School Board Election 2025: Robin Shaffer

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Election Day is Nov. 4, and voters will have their say on New Jersey's next governor. But in Ocean City, residents will also vote on school board and county elections.

Ahead of the 2025 election, Patch will be publishing profiles on local candidates. Here's what Board of Education candidate Robin Shaffer had to say.

Editor's Note: 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 Nov. 4 general election. These responses will be published edited only for style. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact veronica.flesher@patch.com.

Name: Robin Shaffer

Age: 55

Education: Master of Science in Education, Hood College; Bachelor of Science, University of Maryland, College Park

Occupation: Retired educator; President, Protect Our Coast New Jersey; Volunteer, Humane Society of Ocean City; Chairman, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; Administrator, OCNJ School Discussion Forum

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Experience

I am a third-generation educator with 33 years of experience in the field. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked at every level—elementary, middle, and high school—and have also taught master’s-level courses at the university level. I served for six years as president of Maryland’s Special Education State Advisory Committee to the State Superintendent and completed a Fulbright fellowship in Japan focused on Education for Sustainable Development.

Since retiring from full-time education a decade ago, I’ve chaired dozens of accreditation teams for the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, evaluating public and private schools across the United States, Canada, The Gambia, Spain, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These experiences have given me a global perspective on educational innovation and best practices. I have three additional school evaluations scheduled for late 2025 and early 2026.

Following my education career, I worked in several highly classified federal government roles focused on counterterrorism, counternarcotics, anti–money laundering, counter–human trafficking, and insider threat prevention. I also managed the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement country program for the U.S. State Department in Kazakhstan.

On a lighter note, I even spent a couple of years driving a Zamboni for an NHL hockey club—proof that I’ve truly done a bit of everything.

Since moving with my family to Ocean City in 2019, I’ve been deeply involved in the community. As President of Protect Our Coast New Jersey, I’ve worked closely with Congressman Jeff Van Drew, gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, and local and state officials to address the environmental and economic threats posed by offshore wind development. I’ve also volunteered with the Humane Society of Ocean City for the past six years and previously served as a member of the Ocean City Board of Education.

All of these experiences reflect my lifelong commitment to service and community. My background provides a unique perspective that informs my decision-making and leadership. No matter the role, I believe in giving my best and helping every organization I serve reach its full potential.

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Family: Father of two children who both attended Ocean City schools

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What drove you to seek public office?

Ocean City deserves leadership that calls balls and strikes—and won’t back down to the special interests driving radical political curricula and policies into our schools. The current Board of Education has proven utterly ineffective in resisting the NJEA and Governor Phil Murphy’s toxic agenda. They’ve become a rubber stamp. We need courageous leadership that represents our community’s conservative values and protects parental rights and children from age-inappropriate concepts.

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What sets you apart from other candidates?

Our opponents are endorsed as the “anti-MAGA” ticket by the local Democratic Party. Catherine, Liz, and I are supporting Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign for governor because we believe that, under his leadership, New Jersey can finally move past the partisan political nonsense that the NJEA and the woke bureaucrats at the Department of Education and State Board of Education have been forcing on districts statewide.

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What is the most pressing issue facing the Ocean City School District?

Enrollment has dropped sharply in recent years. Our district now serves just 1,650 students—most of whom live off the island. We need a district that rejects inappropriate curricula and policies like DEI, CRT, and Policy 5756, which hides important information from parents. These have driven families toward private schools and homeschooling.

Our focus should be on improving educational outcomes and interventions. We spend $27,000 per student each year, and taxpayers deserve a strong return on that investment. By working with the superintendent to strengthen our programs and culture, we can make Ocean City schools a magnet for families with children. But if we continue with the status quo, there’s a real risk we won’t have a viable school district in a decade.

A high-performing school district should be everyone’s top priority—because great schools attract more year-round residents and businesses. Look at America’s top-performing districts: they’re all located in thriving, upwardly mobile communities. We can achieve that here, but only with a board that shares that vision.

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If elected, what will your top priority be?

Building a thriving school district that attracts young families and gives students who left public schools a reason to return. We need a board that rejects the radical, unproven ideas coming out of Trenton and replaces ineffective programs with research-based best practices that actually help children learn.

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What is your favorite thing about living in Ocean City?

Without a doubt, we are blessed to witness God’s masterpiece along our Jersey Shore. Hands down, we have America’s best boardwalk, sunrises, and sunsets.