Teaneck: Five Vying For Three BOE Seats

TEANECK, NJ – In Teaneck, five candidates are vying for three open seats on the Teaneck Board of Education.

Incumbents Denise Sanders, Martin Ramirez and Sebastian Rodriguez are running on Nov. 5 for re-election, alongside newcomers Yassine Elkaryani and Linda Burns.

Each candidate was asked to fill out a profile in advance of Election Day for publication. See below for their answers.

Three three-year terms

Denise Sanders

• Age: Not provided
• Years in town:Over 40 years
• Occupation:Special Education Evaluator/Behaviorist
• Previous public offices held: Currently completing first term serving on the Teaneck School Board as a Trustee.
• Family: Married to Tony, with two children who both graduated from Teaneck schools, one in 2007 and the other in 2014.
• Community activities:Past PTO co-president, currently liaison to the Youth Advisory Board, P.T.O. Council and Lowell School. Also a member of the African American Group of Bergen County United and a life-term member for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. a Public Service Organization.
• Why are you running: Education has been the focal point of my entire professional life. I have a long-standing passion for education. My reason for seeking re-election is to continue to do the work in our community that will continue the legacy for quality and equitable education for all students in Teaneck. I want our schools to continue to be one of the most sort after schools for other families, who move to Teaneck, become engaged in our schools and community, and who can create and share great stories of their own, better than my own experiences. I am committee to maintain the opportunity for our schools to have multiple pathways for students to achieve success. I want to continue and expand partnership with colleges and universities, such as what we implemented in Teaneck with FDU and Bloomfield College, affording our students opportunity for credit or merit through their Scholarship programs. I want to see a cradle to college pipeline by continuing to commit to our new PreK school program. Finally, I am a proponent of integrating technology into the classroom and empowering students to become 21stcentury learners by supporting the initiative to rollout Chromebooks and providing district wide professional development for our Educators.

Sebastian Rodriguez

• Age: 53
• Years in town: 18 years
• Occupation: Non Profit Management Professional
• Previous public offices held: Teaneck Board of Education Trustee for the last 12 years
• Family: Married with two children that both graduated from Teaneck schools.
• Community activities: Serves on the Acelero Learning Board. Also a founding member of Resource Education Awareness by Latinos (R.E.A.L.). Active member of the Bergen County Immigration Strategy Group and recipient of the "2010 Community Service Award" by Teaneck Chamber of Commerce.
• Why are you running: I continue to run because I support public education, support the Teaneck schools and I expect the best from our schools and for our students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, racial background, or whether they are new students in the district or the country. I believe the Teaneck school district has the resources to make sure all students receive an excellent education. Teaneck is special and unique in many ways, it is one of the more diverse towns in NJ, some may see this as a challenge that affects the way students learn and/or are educated. I see it as an opportunity to learn and work with all students, engage with their families as well as the different communities that make up Teaneck to support our schools. I ask for 3 more years in order to be able to help develop an education system that continues to improve student outcomes, ensure that all students have access to, and benefit from “deeper learning” to build important skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communications—skills which all students must have to succeed in an increasingly complex and technologically advanced society. I am confident that working along with the superintendent and my colleagues on the board I will help transform our school district into one of the best districts in Bergen County and in NJ.

Linda Burns

• Age: Not provided
• Years in town: 25 years
• Occupation: Business Systems Project Management
• Previous public offices held: None
• Family: Married with two children, both graduates of Teaneck's Public School System.
• Community activities: Member North East Teaneck Block Presidents Association, Treasurer of East Votee Neighborhood Association, past PTO activities include Project Graduation and Building Bridges to Unity Day
• Why are you running: I am running to ensure that every child gets a quality education.We are living in a rapidly changing world, with technological advances and challenges. We need to prepare our children to meet every challenge and navigate the complexities of a global society. Public Education is a great way to expose children to the wonderful diversity of Teaneck, and thereby give our children an advantage for meeting these challenges. Public Education is a great equalizer and one of the pillars of a thriving Democracy. I am an advocate for Public Education.

Yassine Elkaryani

• Age: 34
• Years in town: 9 years
• Occupation: Information Technology Consultant, Entrepreneur, Personal Finance Coach, Life Insurance Agent
• Public offices held: None
• Community activities: Democratic Party County Committee (current), Teaneck Advisory Board on Community Relations - Chairman, Teaneck Youth Advisory Board - Advisor, Teaneck Organization for Public Schools - Teaneck 5k Organizing Team Member, Financial Success for Families - Personal Finance Educator, North Hudson Islamic Education Center - Youth Director (2013 - 2015), Mymaroc.org - Vice Chairman and Former Youth Committee Co-Chair.
• Why are you running: Youth work and education are areas of interest to me, and I do not to hesitate to fulfill my duty of public service when I see that I can add value. In Teaneck, we have a good district, and we can make it outstanding. Our children in Teaneck are smart, unique, and creative. They deserve that we provide them with the best education. Our teachers and administrators in Teaneck are fine ladies and gentlemen who do their best to share their knowledge and skills. They deserve to see that their efforts are fruitful. Our parents are proud hardworking families who put a lot of effort to raise our wonderful children. They deserve to see that our schools serve as a sturdy bridge for their children to cross to adulthood. We can do more and better. I want to make sure that our budget is efficiently allocated to prepare our students so that they embrace a future of success. This means higher graduation rates, an emphasis on STEM, higher SAT scores, better college preparedness, a stronger special needs program, and an improved parental and community engagement. The classroom comes first.

Marty Ramirez

• Age: 52
• How many years have you resided in town: 12
• Occupation: Attorney
• Previous public offices held: Member, Teaneck Board of Education since January 2017
• Family: Married with five children ages 19, 17, 16, 12, and 10. One is in college and four attend religious schools in the area.
• Community activities: Member of two local synagogues, Arzei Darom and Netivot Shalom.
• Why are you running: I think I'm one of the most fiscally conservative members of the board, but I also believe in spending in the classroom where it affects students the most. I believe Teaneck BOE schools provide a quality education, but I believe they should be better for what we are all paying. I believe in parental choice to send children to the school that suits them best, whether that is a Teaneck BOE public school, a Teaneck charter school or a local religious school, and that students and parents should not be penalized for choosing not to attend a Teaneck BOE public school. I believe courtesy busing is a key service to all Teaneck students and parents. I believe in negotiating in good faith with our unions by communicating clearly what the board wants out of the negotiation and coming to a quick resolution. I am eager to work with our current superintendent, Dr. Chris Irving, because I believe he is an intelligent innovator with great ideas about how to make Teaneck Schools better. I believe my fiscal conservatism will help bring more financial discipline to Dr. Irving's vision.