Two slates of three candidates and two independents are running to fill three seats for three-year terms in the Board of Education election to be decided Tuesday, Nov. 4. The biggest issues are the stalled negotiations for a teachers’ contract and support or non-support for Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marcia V. Lyles.
The board’s $655 million budget for 2014-2015 was passed last April and is not on the ballot.
Incumbents Carol Harrison-Arnold and Bertram C. Okpokwasili are seeking re-election with Monica Kress, and have been endorsed by Parents for Progress, whose members are the board majority.
That group also supports Superintendent Lyles. Some of the other candidates are unhappy with her leadership.
Challenging them are Lorenzo Richardson and Gina Verdibello on the Children’s First slate, along with former board member Gerald Lyons. Richardson and Lyons have been endorsed by the teachers’ union, which supports independent candidate Joel Torres, rather than Verdibello. Richardson was among those who had supported Acting Superintendent Franklin Walker for superintendent before Dr. Lyles was appointed. Some Walker supporters believe Walker did not get an opportunity to make his case before the board. He is currently an associate superintendent.
Michael Reilly, a retiring Jersey City teacher and coach, is the eighth candidate.
Candidates on the Children’s First slate and some independents question the progress the schools have been making under Lyle’s leadership, and blame the board – which is mostly made up of people elected with the backing of Parents for Progress – for not addressing physical problems with the schools, such as lack of paint and leaky roofs, as well as the lack of a signed contract with the teachers.
“We should work for an equitable and fair contract that takes care of our teachers.” – Bertram Okpokwasili
____________
The Jersey City Education Association, the union which represents about 4,000 school teachers, is apparently seeking a 19-percent increase in salary over the next three years, although union officials said this was not an official figure.
Carol Harrison-Arnold
Harrison-Arnold, who also holds a law degree, is the former president of the Lincoln High School Parents Council, a board member at Hoboken Charter School, the president of Monticello Community Development Corp., and a director of Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corp.
This is her third year on the board, and she supported hiring Dr. Lyles. She has said the district has resolved some of its financial issues without laying off teachers.
“We have raised student achievements and closed our achievement gap,” she said. “Six of our schools are going to be off the list.”
She referred to a report by Lyles that said the district intended to apply to the state to remove six schools from its roster of poor performing schools. New statistics show those schools have made significant progress.
Harrison-Arnold said that more high school students graduate now than in the past, and more choose career paths.
Monica Kress
Kress said she had more than 10 years experienced as a teacher and a coach.
She has served as director of school operations for TEAM Charter Schools in Newark and said she has experience in both education and non-educational aspects as a result. She is also the owner of the Lamp Post Bar and Grille in Jersey City.
She said she has a good perspective on education, the changes occurring, and the day to day routines.
Her background also includes serving as director of Professional Development for Teach for America, and curriculum writer and editor for the Princeton Review. She previously taught in a school in The Bronx and worked as an adjunct professor at Pace University.
Bertram C. Okpokwasili
Although technically an incumbent, Okpokwasili was appointed to the unexpired term of Suzanne Mack last year, a decision that could reverberate in this year’s election. Okpokwasili was appointed instead of Richardson, who finished fourth in the 2013 election. Under the board’s bylaws, Richardson’s strong finish could have justified his appointment.
Okpokwasili, an attorney, is an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School-Newark. He previously served as a law clerk for the Superior Court of New Jersey, as a systems engineer for Banc of America Securities LLC, a systems analyst for Wells Fargo Bank, and as a computer consultant for California State University at Hayward.
He said he has three children in school and his goal is the make sure the school system can help them and other students succeed.
He supports Dr. Lyle, and celebrated the creation of a new Public School 20, as well as the expansion of advanced placement classes.
“I want to keep on moving forward,” he said.
Lorenzo Richardson
Richardson, who ran with the same slate of candidates last year and came in fourth, said he was born and raised in Jersey City. He lives in the Greenville section of the city. He went to local schools, graduating Ferris High School and St. Peter’s College.
An accounting manager at the Urban League of Hudson County, he said he’s handled large budgets and is committed to making sure all kids get everything they can out of a public education.
He has been extremely critical of the current board. He has said they do not consult parents on issues like security, and has pushed for more parent involvement in the school.
Gina Verdibello
Verdibello described herself as a stay-at-home parent by choice. She is a parent activist, a Girl Scout troop leader, and real estate agent. A graduate of Rutgers University, she used to be a grants administrator. Her three children currently attend Jersey City public schools.
She said she is seeking more a more individualized approached to education, noting that Jersey City is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and one size does not fit everybody.
Gerald Lyons
Lyons ran and lost a reelection bid last year after he had been appointed to the board in September 2012 to replace Marvin Adames, who had resigned. Like Richardson, he had finished fourth in the election prior to that.
Lyons, however, has been a teacher at Hudson County Schools of Technology and other county schools since 1987.
He is particularly critical of the loss of the board committee system, which was largely abolished under Dr. Lyles. She and the board voted to create a single committee that would be convened at the board caucus after they cited poor attendance in the old system of standing committees.
Lyons along with others said the committee system allowed the public access to more information than is currently available. He once served as president of the Hudson County chapter of the New Jersey School Board Association.
Joel Torres
Torres was once slated to fill the vacancy on the board when Sean Connors was elected to state Assembly in 2012. But he declined, citing a possible conflict because he had already endorsed a slate of candidates supported by then-councilman, now Mayor Steven Fulop. Torres was seen as a strong Fulop supporter in the past.
Born and raised in Jersey City, Torres is a local activist in education, autism, health and senior services. He has a degree in public health from Montclair State University. He is the president of the Alfred E. Zampella PS No. 27 Parent Teacher Association. He currently coordinates alcohol abuse treatment programs in Essex County.
Michael Reilly
Reilly is a former athletics coach and teacher at McNair Academy who was critical of the business model some of his opponents proposed for running the school district.
“We have to get more people involved in the processes,” he said. “Schools should be open for the community.”
In his 28-years as a teacher, Reilly was extremely popular. But as an independent, he is running without endorsements from any organizations.
Questions and answers
All eight candidates gathered to respond to questions at an Oct. 23 forum hosted by the Paulus Hook Neighborhood Association. The candidates agreed on many issues, such as lobbying the state to get money due to the district. But they sparred on repair of buildings, with Children First criticizing the incumbent members for taking too long to make necessary repairs. The incumbents argued that roof repairs would cost money and must be done before any interior work can take place.
Candidates differed marginally over class size, with most agreeing that 15 to 19 students would be best, although how this could be achieved split the candidates, especially between the two camps. Children First has made removing temporary classroom trailers a priority.
Verdibello said larger classes might be tolerable if there was a teacher’s aide provided. Kress said different classes have different needs, but felt that the district might consider reducing teacher-to-student ratios with aides or co-teachers.
Candidates disagreed sharply on the negotiations with the teachers. Richardson called for the school district to open its books to see what funds are available.
Verdibello said the district is spending in the wrong places, such as on outsourced contracts.
“A lot of teachers have second jobs,” she said.
Lyons called for greater transparency, while Torres said he would look for more collaboration with the teachers.
Harrison-Arnold, Kress and Okpokwasili mostly agreed the board needed to communicate better with the teachers, and operate in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
“We should work for an equitable and fair contract that takes care of our teachers,” Okpokwasili said. “I think the board is already doing that.”
Richardson said part of the problem is the state, which has held back on school aid and created unfunded mandates the district has to find ways to pay for.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.