The six candidates for WW-P School Board — four from West Windsor and two from Plainsboro — were asked to give a brief biography and provide answers to the questions below. Their responses are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
1.) What experience, expertise, or perspective would you bring to the board? Which trait would be most useful?
2.) What’s your opinion of the district’s financial management, including annual increases in the budget and budget surplus amounts. If cuts are required, what one subject/activity/initiative would you cut first? What would you cut last? What area or areas would you increase funding for?
3.) The school district this year has budgeted about $1 million for increased security measures. What’s your view of the district’s safety program?
4.) What changes or additions, if any, would you make to the district’s foreign language offerings?
5.) The district is embarking on a new technology initiative for students. Should the district be more or less aggressive in pursuing this initiative and what would you cut from the budget to fund it?
6.) The state has mandated a salary cap for superintendents, and also mandates changes to the teacher evaluation and tenure process. How can WW-P ensure that students are not harmed by these changes?
7.) Are there any other school district issues you feel should be addressed?
Having served on the School Board since May, I feel like I’m just getting started. I was honored to be selected by the board to fill the remaining term of Bob Johnson, a long-time board member who retired this spring.
My husband, Carl Van Dyke, and I have lived in West Windsor for 17 years. We came to this town, like many other families, because of the reputation of the school district. We have experienced the school district, through our children, from kindergarten through high school. My daughter just graduated from High School South, while my son is a junior.
When I graduated from high school I planned to be a career-woman. I enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in transportation. For 15 years I worked full-time in public transit planning and operations, rising to the senior management position of deputy general manager, southern division at New Jersey Transit Bus Operations, with responsibility for an operating budget of $50 million and more than 900 employees. However, I also wanted to raise a family and faced the conflicts many women confront when caught between careers and family. With the birth of my second child, I quit working for NJ Transit and started working as a part-time consultant from home. For me the call of parenting was much stronger than the alluring aroma of diesel fumes.
For many years I continued to work part-time as a consultant, “keeping my hand in” for the day when my kids were old enough for me to return to full-time work. That day never came. Instead, I discovered Girl Scouts, the joy of helping girls grow up, and the value of giving back to the community. While I started as just a troop leader for my daughter’s troop, over time, I found myself volunteering for much more. For the last eight years I have been co-service unit manager for all of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Girl Scout troops, with approximately 900 girls in 90 troops. Girl Scouts has become my full-time volunteer job because I love it and believe in it.
My life is not just parenting and Girl Scouts. I’m also co-president of High School Souh’s Pirate Marching Band. I helped organize the South concert band parents association for two years.
My children and I have organized a back-to-school backpack collection for underprivileged kids for three summers. We’ve organized and run summer science programs over four summers. We’ve baked countless cookies and cakes for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. I painted and glittered for post prom, face painted at PTA parties, and “published books” at Dutch Neck. I’ve been an alumni college admissions interviewer for many years. I also served on two WW-P school district committees, which partially fueled my current interest in serving on the school board.
This wealth of experiences, professional and volunteer, has provided me with the skills and knowledge to be an excellent school board member.
1.) I have managerial experience in the public sector, analytical experience as a planner and consultant, a solid knowledge of the school district as a parent and customer, plus experience gained through my five months on the school board. As a natural consensus builder I believe that I can fairly represent our community and have the knowledge and skills to do so productively.
2.) The school district has good financial management and recently received a certificate of excellence in financial reporting. We offer a highly rated educational program, at a lower cost compared to similar school districts. I don’t have a list of activities that I would cut first or last. A school budget is a complex beast, and after five months on the finance committee I do not have all the answers. Rather, I plan to begin the budget process with an open mind and without preconceptions. Though the public no longer votes on the budget, there will still be opportunities for the public to provide input at school board meetings and community meetings.
3.) Our school district has a good school safety program, which includes a crisis management plan and close coordination with the local police departments. In light of recent events schools everywhere are increasing security measures, and our district is no exception. We need to improve school safety while balancing this with our primary educational mission and our budget.
4.) The curriculum committee of the school board is currently analyzing the district’s foreign language program. As a member of the finance committee, I look forward to learning more about this issue and hearing their recommendations.
5.) The district must continue its initiatives to incorporate new technology into the classroom. This year the district is testing bringing Chromebooks into a limited number of fifth grade classrooms. The costs of new technology can be high. By purchasing in bulk and making strategic choices, we hope to be able to pursue new technology within our financial resources.
6.) Our school district has been able to hire an excellent superintendent within the salary cap. The mandated changes in the teacher evaluation and tenure process are designed to improve the quality of teaching, not to harm students. It is important for us to work with the state as regulations are established and to work with school personnel to implement these changes in a manner that is fair to personnel, improves instruction, and does not yield unintended consequences that are harmful to students.
7.) Our community and school district offer many sports, clubs, co-curricular, and extra-curricular opportunities. These activities are an enormous part of child development. Yet, there are still times when children are not able to participate because of lack of capacity. I would like the district to find ways to provide more opportunities for children to participate in such activities and to help connect students with these activities when provided outside of the school district umbrella.
