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Read the NJ Department of Education's elections and budget procedures here.
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Thank you, school board candidates! The polls are now closed and official results will be certified April 25. The information below was provided by the candidates themselves and it is included on this website for use by the voters. All candidates have been given up to 250 words to explain their candidacy. All candidates have the opportunity to make changes at any time, so check back often. Inclusion here in no way implies that readingtonparents.org approves or disapproves of any single candidate, nor does it imply that the individual candidates approve or disapprove of the other content on this site. Jump directly to each candidate: Contact: Tom.Davis@Tellabs.com My name is Tom Davis. I have one child at Whitehouse School, and the other at Holland Brook School. Readington Township has been our home for the past 7 years. I spent several years in the Military, earned a degree in Mathematics, and have worked in Telecommunications for over 23 years. Among many skills through working with demanding customers, I have gained extensive knowledge and experience in negotiating and managing multi-million dollar contracts. During the past three years I have watched our School system go from one of the best to one that is constantly ridiculed because of the lack of experience that the administration has. I have seen contracts written that benefit only the administration, not the Township, the parents, or especially the students which the system needs to represent. I have seen questionable practices take place, removing and replacing great teachers and an administrator with ones of far lesser experience and/or quality. And not the least of all, I have a major issue when the voices and concerns of our citizens are not heard. Open communication among parents, teachers, and administration is what once made this school system great. I will represent the parents and our students to strive for the best education. I will change the way contracts are written to ensure that we are fiscally responsible and not locked into long term obligations which do not benefit us all. Finally I will change the way ideas and concerns are brought to the board and the people who administer our schools. I welcome any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Contact: Rick.Finn@Infineum.com Hi. My name is Rick Finn, father of four and husband to Mary Finn. A resident of Whitehouse Station for 14 years, I manage a global business for a joint venture of ExxonMobil and Shell. I have three priorities in running for the School Board: Transparent Processes There are three key stakeholders in the education of our children - the parents, the teachers and the administration. We need to have a high level of openness and communications among the three and we need to develop a satisfactory level of consensus. When consensus proves difficult, the first responsibility of Board members is to the community. Quality Education It is no secret that our nation is falling behind global competition on education. Even within the USA, entrance into college is more competitive than ever before. In Readington Township, the three stakeholders need to unite as a team to improve the quality of education. We need to make change aimed at attracting and retaining the best teachers and administrators. We need to upgrade both the curriculum and the approach to challenge more of our smarter kids and to better support those who struggle. Fiscal Responsibility We cannot afford to keep doing all that we were doing and take on significant new things. That said, Board members need to be demanding. They cannot compromise with “We cannot afford it”, or “It’s good for the children, we must afford it”, but instead must challenge the administration to develop “It’s good for the children, and by taking these actions, we can afford it”. Contact: joe@meiman.com or 908-534-1206. Website: http://www.meiman.com/joe.htm Joe Meiman has been a resident of Readington for 14 years. He and his wife Sheila have two children, one in first grade and the other in preschool. Joe strongly believes in maintaining and enhancing the quality of education in our district. He plans to blend his business, educational, and communications skills to accomplish this as a member of the Board of Education. Priority Areas:
Joe holds a degree in Mathematics/ Computer Science and an Engineering Master’s from Purdue. He also has a Master’s Certificate in Program Management from Stevens and an executive MBA from Wharton. Joe is a Certified Project Manager (PMI license #44891), a certified consultant in Organizational Change Management, and holds a Hammer Certificate of Reengineering Mastery. Joe retired after a 28 year career at AT&T and Lucent. He held many management positions, building an extensive resume of expertise in financial and budget management, change management, project implementation and management, marketing, and IT. In 2002, he began teaching high school in Somerset County. Joe is classified as a Highly Qualified Teacher. In addition, Joe is an adjunct faculty member of the Mathematics department at Raritan Valley Community College. Joe is an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, having served as a Lector for many years. Contact: sekella@blast.net or 908-534-6072 Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Joanne Sekella and I have been a Readington Township resident for the past 32 years. I am a graduate of Readington Township schools and Hunterdon Central High School. I am happily married with two children who attend Holland Brook School. My family attends Immaculate Conception Church in Clinton, where I have taught CCD for 5 years and serve as a Eucharistic Minister. Professionally, I am a Certified Shorthand Reporter and run a court reporting agency from my home. Volunteering in our schools has been an important part of my life for the past 5 years. I have served as co-chairperson for the Fall Festival, Whitehouse School Field Day, Holland Brook School Family School Council and the Spring and Fall Book Fairs, as well as the First Grade Literary Magazine, “Cub Prints,” for two years. I am running for the Board of Education because I have a vision in which our Board, administrators, teachers, parents and residents work cooperatively and respectfully, communicating openly and continuously, making our district the best for our children. The key to this vision is open, honest communication. I will listen to ideas and bring them to the Board. These ideas will be shared, discussed and valued, remembering at all times that I represent you. I support excellent education, dedicated teachers and strong, effective leadership. I encourage you to become an informed voter and elect the three candidates who have the common goal of keeping the lines of communication open, thus ensuring that all ideas are heard and that we arrive at the best solutions. I will be attending the upcoming Board of Education, H.S.A. and Transition Committee meetings and welcome any questions you may have about me and my intentions. |
