Election 2021: Ken Polakowaski For Point Boro Board Of Education

POINT PLEASANT, NJ – Point Plesant resident Kenneth Polakowski is one of the nine candidates running for the three openings of the Point Pleasant Borough Board of Education this upcoming Election Day. Learn more about Mr. Polakowski below.

Name: Kenneth Polakowski

Age: 68

Town: Point Pleasant

Career: Retired teacher/administrator

Education: MA+30, Certs in K-12 Science, Principal/Supervisor, Guidance (Student Personnel Services), Graduated from Montclair State (College at the time)

Family: I have two children, ages 29 (son) and 33 (daughter). Both are Wayne Hills HS graduates in Wayne, NJ. Both have college degrees.

Why are you running, what is your platform, and why should voters vote for you?

My family and I purchased a home in Point Pleasant in 2012, closing a few days after Hurricane Sandy. I have two grown children, ages 29 and 33, who are successful products of New Jersey schools.

My involvement with education began at the age of five. I was a K-8 student, and then on to HS, spent two years in Rutgers and three in Montclair State. I was then hired in the Rutherford School District to teach science, where I spent twenty-five years as a middle school science teacher. During this time, I went to grad school and earned additional degrees. My education level is MA+30. I hold degrees in K-12 science, Principal /Supervisor, and Student Personnel Services (Guidance).

These 25 years as a teacher were followed by 14 years as an administrator. As a vice-principal and later principal, I collaborated with fellow administrators, teachers, parents, and students at all levels, K-8. All 39 years of my career were spent in the Rutherford School District in Bergen County, a Blue Ribbon-awarded district.

I have been involved with eight negotiations, five involving teachers, and three administrative. Because of this background, I was a resource for my superintendent/BOE regarding their negotiations with other units. In my research, I have found that Point Pleasant is very similar to Rutherford. Way back when they had District factors which categorized districts based upon a number of criteria – Socioeconomic status, grad. rate, tax base, etc. Our district factors were similar DE FG, depending upon the year. So my experience is very relatable to this district.

I do not come to Point Pleasant with an agenda. Point Pleasant has a great school system, ranked highly in the county and the state. I want to ensure that this quality education continues and improvement is sought where needed. I will keep in mind that there are many stakeholders: parents, taxpayers, business owners, teachers, administrators, and our children. All need to be represented. However, there is a balance that must be maintained.

I believe that all of the candidates have great life experiences, whether in marriage, raising children, or maintaining a home. However, my experience as an educator makes me well-suited to fit the role of a Board of Education member. As an administrator, I dealt with all aspects of running a school: parent requests, budgets, curriculum, staff evaluation, discipline, and more. What are the best programs? What is the cost? I had to make choices. If a program was a “yes,” then I had to say “no” to another. I am well skilled at making the difficult choices between “yes” and “no.” No matter what educational choices I make, the effects those choices have on students are paramount in my decision-making.

Hopefully, I will bring positive experiences and a positive attitude to Point.

Do you have previous experience in the world of politics and government? No