At Wake Up Call NJ, we’re lifelong learners. That’s why we’re excited to join you all in our “Summer School” Series, where we’ll hear from notable advocates for New Jersey students. In this guest essay Carolina Bevad - a Cherry Hill mom, former teacher, and 2020 school board candidate - shares her top tips for researching school board candidates and making an informed choice at the ballot box.
As summer winds down, the first thing on every parent’s mind is prepping their kids for back to school - schedules, school supplies, lunches, earlier bed times. But something else is right around the corner: election season. Most people usually know exactly who they’ll vote for in a presidential election, but what about the school board? Your school board members are some of the most influential people in your school system, yet many voters don’t know much about the candidates.
School board elections are an excellent opportunity to make an improvement in NJ’s dismal education stats, because the people elected are the ones setting policy, designing the budget, voting on tax increases, and, importantly, hiring and overseeing the superintendent. In New Jersey, there are usually 3 school board seats up for election every year.
Here are my top tips when deciding how to cast your vote:
Find out whether any candidates are incumbents. If so, research how they’ve voted on issues facing the district. Do they always vote for what the superintendent recommends? Do they ever vote differently from their fellow board members? Their voting record can give you great insight on their positions.
Seek out interviews with the candidates. Local online sites, such as Patch, will often give candidates a questionnaire to fill out and then post their answers. This can be especially helpful, because you can see how each candidate answers the same questions.
Facebook is a great place to find local groups where school board candidates are invited to answer member-submitted questions.
Find out if your community hosts candidate forums. Sometimes you can submit questions ahead of the event. If you can’t attend or tune in live, look for a recording afterward. The League of Women Voters is a great resource.
Reach out directly to candidates. Many have websites or social media accounts where they post their platform, contact information, and meet and greet opportunities. Talking to candidates directly is the best way to learn about their priorities.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in your own community, consider creating a space where you can bring the candidates together yourself!
Once you’ve done your research, if you find only one or two candidates you truly align with, utilize bullet voting. Bullet voting means voting only for your preferred candidate or candidates, even when you’re allowed to vote for several. This avoids giving additional votes to candidates you don’t support. Spread the word aout this one!
So this year, as your kids go back to school and homework starts being assigned, I urge you to do your own homework: research your local school board candidates. Find them on Facebook, attend their meet and greets, submit questions for Q&As, visit their websites, and find the ones that are prioritizing academic excellence who will strive to improve student outcomes.
Carolina Bevad has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from NYU. She taught ESL in New York City for 5 years. Since having children and moving to New Jersey, she’s stayed involved in education by substitute teaching and being an active participant in the PTA and various advocacy committees and organizations.
