In the second week, the candidates explain why they should be elected to the Board of Education.
The Haddonfield Sun is running a two-week Meet the Candidates series ahead of this November’s Haddonfield Board of Education election. This week the candidates make their final pitch.
Tom Vecchio
- Make your final pitch. Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
In asking for your vote, I have three main reasons why I believe I am the right candidate for the Board of Education.
Dedication. Throughout my life and career, I have ascended to leadership roles because of my dedication to particular causes and the ability and willingness to solve tough problems through collaboration and hard work. I am the product of a public school system and a strong believer in the benefits of a public education. Like many of you, I moved to Haddonfield so that my children could have every opportunity imaginable, and my family and I have just begun our educational journey. While I am personally invested in the success of our schools and will be for at least the next 15 years, strong schools benefit everyone. As I realized this early on in my campaign, the more voters with whom I have spoken have motivated me to invest my time for more than just personal interests. While I can’t promise a particular result or outcome, I can promise a strong dedication to the work and a drive to advocate on behalf of the entire community.
Prioritization: What I have learned over the last six or seven weeks of campaigning is that we are very lucky to live in a town with engaged residents. Each of us has varying perspectives and ideas on where the board should be focused, where we need to improve as a district and what we should aspire to achieve over the next 5 to 10 years. Despite this variation, there is universal accord on the following: our children deserve a safe and comfortable learning environment; our teachers deserve certainty, appreciation, and respect and our schools should continue to strive to be the model for high performing districts.
There are many areas where our district can improve. But as in any organization, prioritization of goals is essential. As an attorney for a large corporation, I prioritize competing interests every single day. I weigh risk, benefit, cost, reputational concerns and a host of other factors in order to help the business team reach a coordinated decision that aligns with our overall strategy and goals. I intend to rely on these essential skills to work with the board in helping to identify our goals, develop a manner to measure our success year over year and hold each other accountable. But none of that can be accomplished without first identifying and prioritizing the community’s concerns. I believe we can do a lot, but I am realistic and practical enough to know we cannot do it all tomorrow. I am confident that I am the candidate with the skills to most effectively work to prioritize our goals in a responsible manner.
Fresh perspective: There is no question that experience matters and as it currently stands, our board members collectively have a significant number of years’ experience. Those members are extremely familiar with the district’s history, procedures, policies, facilities, teachers and administration, and as a community, we should consider ourselves lucky not just for their service but for the continuity that it has provided. That said, there are benefits to a fresh perspective. New ideas are not always better, but they can spark conversations. Different perspectives derived from differing experiences and training can add value to any discussion. We should be challenging each other to reach a common goal — to raise that bar higher and achieve the best possible outcome for our children and community.
Heather Paoli
- Make your final pitch. Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
My name is Heather Paoli, and I’m running for reelection to the Haddonfield Board of Education. I am a passionate, experienced public servant who possesses the strength of character to serve our community’s best interests.
I am running for reelection because volunteer service is the surest way to make a difference in our community. My husband, Jim, and I have two children attending Haddonfield schools: a seventh-grade daughter at Haddonfield Middle School and a fifth-grade son at Tatem Elementary School. As a 16-year resident of Haddonfield, I’ve donated my time and energy in many ways; with your support, I hope to continue to serve our community.
As a member of the grassroots group Citizens for Smaller Class Size, I went door-to-door to take a census of preschool age children; this was the beginning of my interest in assisting our schools. As a Tatem parent, I coordinated PTA assemblies, served my share of soft pretzels at the Tatem Fair, planned class parties as a room parent and channeled my inner Lego master builder to teach after-school enrichment. On a broader scale, I served as a Brownie Troop leader for three years, a soccer coach for four years and a member of the Haddonfield Junior Women’s Club for three years (chairing the Club’s Royal Tea fundraiser). No project is too small or too large; I love spending time with our community family.
As the second longest-serving member on the current board (BOE member since 2010), I understand how to approach difficult problems, stay calm under pressure and create workable, fair solutions to get things done. My work experience, both as a stay-at-home parent and as a Vice President in Finance at TD Bank, has been my greatest asset. Because of my business background (M.B.A. Finance, Wharton School of Business), my instincts steer me towards workable, financial decisions that preserve the District’s long-term fiscal health. As a mother, I appreciate the academic, social and emotional challenges our children face, and I recognize the invaluable support our talented educators provide. With every issue the board faces, I strive for a balanced approach. I think critically about what’s at stake, weigh the pros and cons, consider all constituents and never lose sight of the human aspect of the board’s work. I vote for the option that provides the best solution for all.
During my time on the board, we’ve faced challenging situations, but we’ve also achieved many milestones — too many to list one-by-one. I am proud of all of the work we’ve done, but especially my work in three areas: (1) designing our first multi-year financial and capital improvement plans; (2) implementing technology in our classrooms and initiating our first technology curriculum audit; and (3) advocating for improved school safety measures, which resulted in our key fob system, updated security and communications assessments and newly installed alarms. I was part of the board team that delivered a 0 percent tax increase with no loss of programs or quality in 2012–2013; we also passed the much-needed construction referendum. Both of these achievements weren’t easy to obtain, but we worked together as a board and achieved results.
Being a BOE member is about working as part of a team, representing all constituents and setting goals and priorities for the school district. My top high-priority District goals are: (1) obtaining a ratified educators’ contract that is fair to everyone; (2) delivering timely, high-quality construction on budget; and (3) completing a thorough search for, and hiring of, our new superintendent.
In this time of transition, experience and a balanced perspective are crucial. I hope to have your support on November 7th.
Robert Little
- Make your final pitch. Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
Let me introduce myself, I am Robert Little, and I am running to serve on the board of education. I was appointed to serve on the board last year, filling a vacancy. I have been married to my wife Sara for 16 years, and we have two children together. My son, David is 14, a freshman at our high school. My daughter Ava is 12 and is in seventh grade at our middle school. We have lived in Haddonfield together for 16 years. My wife has grown up in town and graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School.
Since being appointed I have been placed on the following committees; finance, negotiations, communications and policy. I have to say it’s been quite a year. We prepared a budget for this school year; we began construction over the summer to all of our schools simultaneously; our teachers’ contracts expired so we began negotiations; we did not renew our superintendent’s contract and now we are getting ready to begin the important process of hiring another. We filled the new vacancy of the middle school’s principal. I must say we made an excellent choice. All of that plus, the normal course of business in just one year. I must say I’m glad that I was retired before taking the plunge in this new endeavor. There was a large learning curve that came with joining the board. I believe now with all that is before us, now is not the best time for a new board member to play catch up. It is too critical of a time for our schools. I wish to continue to serve on the board so I can see the conclusion of all these projects that I have had the privilege of working on.
My parents raised me to have a strong sense of community service and a passion to serve and help others. This is what led me to my career as a Firefighter/EMT for Cherry Hill. I retired last year after 28 years in emergency services. Being a fireman, I have learned how to look at a problem or situation and then develop a realistic and fundamentality sound plan on how to solve the problem or situation in front of me. This is the same straightforward, task-oriented philosophy that I bring to this board. It also allows me to better understand the perspective of our teachers and the stress and uncertainty that working under an expired contract causes.
We are a special community here in Haddonfield. People move here for our schools and end up staying for the charm and the family values of our town. They know that because of our great schools their property values will stay high. With that, we must be sure we spend wisely on any and all new initiatives in the future. The majority of the taxes collected are from our local property taxes. We, unlike other towns, get very little from commercial properties or state aid. So we must make sure we get the most value for our tax dollar. We can do this by working with the borough on capital projects and shared services. We also need to make sure we do our due diligence in order to get the best value for our money when appropriating funds for projects or endeavors. People work hard to come to live in Haddonfield for their family’s welfare and quality of life. We need to make sure we do not price them out of a community that they have come to love.
Glenn R. George
- Make your final pitch. Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I am one of two non-incumbents running for school board this year. You should vote for me if you share the concerns, expressed to me by many fellow Haddonfielders, regarding the state of our schools: relations with our teachers; management of construction projects; the need for a new superintendent and underperformance, relative to our potential, in standardized tests and college placement. I can help address these pressing issues, here and now.
Why am I confident I can help address these issues? Because I have the background, experience and temperament to do so. As a resident of Haddonfield for the past two decades with three children in our schools, I know our schools intimately. As the product of NJ public schools (Paramus H.S., valedictorian), I understand that rigorous public schooling can prepare one for a lifetime of success. As a degreed and licensed engineer, I can help plan and manage school construction projects on time, budget and scope. As a businessperson, MBA holder and management consultant, I can assist with financial and operational aspects of our schools. With a Ph.D. in public policy, I appreciate the broader purposes served by quality public education. Through volunteer activities at my alma maters, Cornell and Harvard, I know what selective universities seek in their applicants and how high school students can best position themselves for success.
What are the solutions to the problems mentioned above? There are, of course, no easy fixes, especially in light of constraints, including the need to be fiscally responsible. But I do know that elements must include re-establishing a sense of partnership with our educators, managing construction projects in a way that’s less intrusive on classroom learning (and keeping our facilities in better repair to begin with), managing a superintendent search process that’s open to nontraditional candidates and restoring balance among our schools’ academic, creative and sports-related endeavors.
People pay a hefty premium to live in Haddonfield, in large part because they expect and demand a superlative public school system. While I have no doubt that our schools are very good indeed, I fear they do not live up to their potential and are trending in the wrong direction. Accordingly, my campaign theme is Educational Excellence. This means different things at different levels: in elementary schools, a nurturing environment; at HMS, opportunities for personal and social growth and at HMHS, rigorous coursework and activities that stretch students’ potential. My goal as a school board member will be to foster Educational Excellence throughout our system.
I will cite a concrete example, which both illustrates some of my thinking about Educational Excellence and demonstrates my roll-up-the-sleeves approach to getting things done. When my eldest son started at HMHS last year, he was surprised to learn that there was no debate team. As an avid debater in high school and college, I am strongly of the opinion that there is no better training for logical thought and public speaking than debate team. So, with the assistance of the HMHS administration and participation by several very dedicated and talented students, I started a debate team, served as coach in its first year and continue to assist. More broadly, as a district, we need to be more structured and strategic in how we think about extracurricular activities and which ones we offer.
I have been impressed by the insightful comments and questions I have received throughout the campaign and touched by the warm expressions of support I have received from many of you. If you seek a school district that lives up to your highest expectations, I urge you to vote for me.
Maureen Lynn Eyles
- Make your final pitch. Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I have served on the Haddonfield School Board since 2012, and I am seeking re-election for a three-year term.
I’m valuable to the board because I’m open-minded, collaborative and creative. I believe that this is a time of strategic growth and planning for the Haddonfield School District, and my experience provides me with a unique perspective: 1) as a graduate of the district (HMHS Class of 1987), I recognize the value the strong and highly-ranked K-12 public education that I received; 2) as a current parent, community member and taxpayer, I have my ear to the ground regarding day-to-day concerns, growing pains and our unique revenue challenges and 3) I want to work to protect Haddonfield’s strong K-12 reputation — not for the sake of my own school aged children, but for all of the generations to come. I have a past-present-future view that is unique and valuable.
I believe that education should be student-focused, preparing children for the world they will enter upon graduation. To me, that is less about standardized tests and more about developing well-rounded, civic-minded young adults that will go forward and live their best lives with a strong sense of their own individuality and value.
Two years ago, Haddonfield voters passed a $35 million bond referendum for critical infrastructure repairs to all 5 schools. During my term, the board has balanced fiscal responsibility with strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, curriculum and professional development. Each day offers a unique set of challenges — not just unique to a K-12 district but unique to Haddonfield with our limited state aid, aging infrastructure, unfunded state mandates and a growing population of students. My five years of school board experience includes committee work to address each of those areas of concern.
I have served the Board on many committees, including:
Communications (chair), Alternative Revenue (chair), Policy (chair), Retreat (chair), Buildings & Grounds, Academic Oversight, Student Life and Long Range Planning. Additionally, I was the BOE’s representative to the Haddonfield Municipal Alliance for two years, Central School PTA for three years and Haddonfield Educational Trust for three years.
I’m a rule follower, and I have worked hard to protect the processes and procedures of board agendas, policies and committees. I’ve worked to improve the frequency, tone, tenor and transparency of the School Board’s communication with the public, especially during the January 2016 Facilities Bond Referendum. Communication is an area that can always be improved, and a new district website will be a priority for my next term. We need to invest in communications devices that will reach all interested parties: students, parents, residents, alumni and potential donors.
I attended my first Board of Education meeting when my oldest son Matt was in Kindergarten 10 years ago. I became a parent advocate calling for smaller class sizes. I attended every meeting for years, sometimes as the only member of the public in attendance. When Matt entered fourth grade, our district’s teachers had been working under an expired contract for a full year. I decided then that I wanted a seat at the Board of Education table and that I was going to run for election.
The work is challenging, frustrating and important. I’m challenged to be open-minded. I’m frustrated with the pace of change and each decision we make is important in the way that it impacts our students, faculty and community. If I am re-elected on Nov. 7, you have my commitment that I will serve this community with integrity, working to protect the legacy of our highly ranked K-12 public schools for both current and future generations.
