Sparta BOE candidate profiles

BY BRETT LAKE
SPARTA — On Tuesday, Nov. 4 residents have the opportunity to choose from five candidates for three positions on the Sparta Board of Education.

The candidates include current school board member Richard Bladek, Kylen C. Anderson, Melva Cummings, Carey Anne Gluck-Bomensatt and Douglas McKernan.

The Sparta Independent asked each candidate to fill out a candidate profile prior to the election.

Kylen Anderson
Age: 48
Political History: Served as a trustee of the Sparta Education Foundation 2007-2012. Served as the Foundation’s President 2010-2012.

Occupation: Mother, community volunteer.

Education: B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Family: Married 24 years. Three children.

What are the top three issues you would like to address:

The priority of a member of the Board of Education should always be to provide the best educational experience for all children in a fiscally responsible manner.

As a board member, I believe my role is to oversee the programs being provided to all students at every place on the educational spectrum from gifted to special needs. As an elected representative of the community, I pledge to listen to the recommendations of the educators, ask reasonable questions and seek supportive information before acting. It is also imperative that our district finds alternative sources of funding for large initiatives that face our district. A task force composed of administrators, teachers and members of the community should be formed to research ways in which other school communities have found solutions to funding projects and programs that will keep Sparta’s school district moving forward in the face of a declining tax base. My work with the Sparta Education Foundation (2007-2013 trustee; 2008-2010, Vice-President, 2010-2012, President) has shown me that there are creative ways in which the community and our schools can collaborate to continue to bring programs and facilities that foster excellence in our schools. During my tenure with that organization I served as liaison between the SEF and the school district, supporting its mission to provide grant money ($500,000 to date) to supplement the Sparta public school budget. I created and have chaired the Krogh’s Turkey Trot, the SEF’s largest fundraiser, for the past 8 years.

I believe Sparta’s children should have a full-day kindergarten program. Adoption of the Common Core Curriculum has challenged teachers and children with classroom objectives that are no longer deliverable in a 2 1/2 hour time period. This places undue stress on the child and the teacher. Full-day kindergarten will allow more time for reading and math objectives to be reinforced, as well as more time for socialization activities that are so important for children beginning their school experience. Research shows us that full day kindergarten programs produce higher achieving students. I do understand, however, that there is not an “open checkbook” sitting in the BOE’s desk drawer. Implementing full-day kindergarten will involve hard decisions, but I believe the right Board, working with our administrative officials, can deliver this to our community.

My decision to run for the Sparta BOE arose from a commitment to public education. A strong community must have strong public schools. To deliver the best educational environment to our students, we need a BOE that will leave its own personal agendas at home and work collaboratively and respectfully with each other, administrators and parents. If elected, I will strive to be a member of a Board that puts the educational process first at all times and conducts itself in a manner that instills trust and pride in its constituents.

Richard Bladek
Age:42
Family: My wife and I have three children and we have resided in Sparta for 11 years.

Education: B.S. New Jersey Institute of Technology, MBA Centenary College

Occupation: Manufacturing production manager for a global cosmetics company.

Political History: Board member on the Sparta Board of Education for the past 3 and a half years. Served as Vice President of the board and on the Curriculum, Finance, Operations and Negotiation committees.

What are the top three issues you would like to address:

1. Continue to focus on the foundation of Sparta's education in the K-5 schools by making sure that the teachers and students have the resources necessary to be successful.

To do this we must monitor data and support professional development and continue to build on the early intervention programs.

2. By participating in the long range strategic plan. To do this we must gather feedback from the community and set priorities according to needs and budgets in order to be proactive in planning.

3. Continue to build on our programs and teacher development To do this we must create a positive climate between the board and the administration and staff; and target professional development by identifying weaknesses within our educational programs. Continue to develop innovative ideas to assist teachers in the classroom.

Carey Anne Gluck-Bomensatt
Age: 39

Family: Husband Kenneth and four children, reside in Sparta.

Education: Berkeley College, Regents College, London, Oxford University, England. Degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Office Systems Management and Specialized in International Business.

Occupation: Experience with J.P. Morgan, Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette, First Union Insurance Group, Wachovia Insurance Services and Wells Fargo Insurance Services. Held positions in investment banking, mergers and acquisition and insurance.

Policitical History: I am currently not serving on a board or committee.

What are the top three issues you would like to address:

1. Higher Academic Achievement. I would like to take the current initiative that give our teachers the skills to work with all children in reading. What I have requested this past year is to have a reading program that is scientifically researched based and proven to be effective in peer review that is a direct and explicit systematic instruction with a proper progress monitoring tool.

2. Accountability of administration regarding academics and efficient use of taxpayer dollars. The administration is quick to change our children's curriculum. I would like to see a program that works and can be enhanced and grow with our children and our environment. Our teachers who are constantly adjusting is not an efficient use of their time, nor does it give them time to learn what does and doesn’t work for our children. This inhibits the learning process and reduces their education based on teachers trying to learn at the same time. Where learning on the job is a good thing, to constantly learn new material while learning on the job is not.

3. Supporting the teachers by providing the tools/necessary training to create a school climate that will yield high academic achievement and enhance the comprehensive approach to education that promotes student success. We currently have initiated a program that allows Sparta teachers an opportunity to heighten their education and to take that education to our children. I would like to build that and move from a few hour workshop to an actual education where our teachers can obtain certifications and specializations. This would allow true placement for not only the teacher but the student.

I have been and still am active in community service. I have volunteered my time as an Emergency Medical Technician, CCD teacher, Assistant Cubmaster, coached flag football, class parent and Vice President of the Mohawk Avenue School PTO. As a parent and a taxpayer, I want my children and the children of the district to succeed. I want them to say with pride that they are from Sparta.

Melva Andrews Cummings
Age: 71
Political History: NA

Occupation: Retired Vocal Music Teacher

Education: B.A. Cedar Crest College, major in music, 1965; M.M. Boston University, major in piano, 1967; Two Certificates from the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria; Masters plus 75 (with college courses at Rutgers, Paterson State, Lesley College, etc.)

Family: Daughters Catherine and Victoria.

What are the top three issues you would like to address:

1. Sparta public schools, in partnership with community members, will educate and enable all students to fully access opportunities afforded them in a rapidly changing, diverse and global society. I will support efforts to ensure that our students are prepared with college and career readiness skills and our schools maintain a culture of creativity, innovation, communication, curiosity and collaboration.

2. When making decisions, we must consider what is in the best interest of all children while at the same time ensuring that we are responsible to the greater community. We need to provide thoughtful oversight in a fiscally responsible manner.

3. I believe in working together cohesively, as a team, towards a unified vision. It is important to be respectful, ethical and to work collaboratively with fellow board members toward our common goals.

Doug McKernan
Age: 50
Political History: Sparta BOE 3.5 years; Town Of Guilford Planning Commission 3 years; Town Of Guilford Inland Wetlands Commission 3 years; Town Of Guilford Republican Town Committee 6 years.

Occupation: Corporate Quality Manager - Risk Management, Global Compliance

Education: Drew University, Madison, NJ BA Chemistry, ACS certification

Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt
Family: Wife and two sons.

What are the top three issues you would like to address:

With all of the major issues facing the district, including shifting curriculum standards, tenure reform, rising costs, and facility maintenance, A major issue that must be addressed is the misfocus of the BOE.

The boards mission is not to run the schools, but ensure the schools are well run. The first step in that process is to interview and select of top administrators when openings occur and review their annual performance. The second pillar is maintaining a set of policies and procedures that meet the legal requirements, and ensure we can deliver on our mission statement. The third is to critically review the budget, and promote the responsible allocation of available funds, and negotiate the contracts when they are due. The Board also acts as the final escalation point when issues have been raised through teachers, administrators and the superintendent.

The board micromanagement frustrates current employees (Many with irreplaceable experience are leaving or have left), and also limits our ability to attract new talent. A qualified top administrative candidate withdrew their name from consideration, and we have no idea how many others decide not to even apply for available positions.

The town is tasked with deciding which group of amateur volunteers they want to make these important decisions. Over the years there have been fewer and fewer opportunities to vet the candidate, and the public must rely on less information, and more marketing. These candidate bios do little to help with the decision. To the people who do not have time to attend meetings, or review minutes, every candidate will present themselves as a thoughtful community contributor. Some will make impossible promises to cut taxes and raise test scores, but for the most part, everyone will sound reasonable. "Accountability" and "oversight" cover a wide spectrum, and can quickly become, micro-managing, and dictating. If you read between the lines you can see who intends to promote their narrow agenda, or someone's vendetta, and perform tasks that are the responsibility of our highly trained administrators, while making it seem they are concerned about the district (and taxpayers)

Many people have lamented that "only people with children in our schools should be allowed on the board". This of course is wrong, as a diverse range of backgrounds better represents the district, and effective (and ineffective) members can come from any part of our community. However, it is fair to inquire about the motivation for any candidate. Why do so many people who do not have children that attend our five schools fight so hard to be on the board, and even harder to try to run the schools?

You need to ask, do you want board members who are activists for their own children, or advocates for all children.