##M:[more]##I’m not your typical parent,” says Jay Bryant about his background developing online products for education. Bryant currently works for TVGuide.com, but before that he worked for Educational Testing Service, developing and analyzing new technology for learning environments.
Bryant says he seeks to become a school board member to help improve the district’s use of technology. “Most of our current teaching methods are based on principles meant for industrial and agricultural based societies,” says Bryant. “Our students are digital natives in a global information age that is constantly changing. We need to provide the professional development and support to our teachers to transition their instructional methods into the information age.”
Bryant also thinks the district places too high a priority on standardized testing. “Much of our school’s success is defined by our student’s ability to score high on standardized tests. This is a great accomplishment, but we need to push further to define our success based on being able to prepare our students for a world that is in constant change,” says Bryant.
As a member of the WW-P strategic planning committee, he worked with others to develop the district’s new mission statement: “The mission of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, valuing our tradition of excellence, is to develop all of our students as passionate, confident, life-long learners who have competence and strength of character to realize their aspirations and thoughtfully contribute to a diverse and changing world.”
Bryant lives on Steele Drive with his wife, Gina, who works at Community Middle School as an aide. They have two daughters: one attends High School North, the other is a student at Community Middle School. They have lived in both West Windsor and Plainsboro, and have been in the district for seven years.
Bryant graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1981, attended graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He worked as a photographer and photo editor before developing online products. His projects include Schoollife.net, bigchalk.com, and KOZ.com. He has a website and blog in support of his candidacy at www.vote4jaybryant.com
