Their chance to stand out in the crowd
9 school board candidates talk issues at debate

Saturday, April 07, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

With two of three incumbents up for re-election dropping from the contest, the Jersey City school board election has stoked more interest than usual. And the presence of an ex-mayor and former hoops star on the ballot hasn't hurt.

Nine of the 11 candidates vying for the three seats up for grabs in the April 17 election participated Thursday night in a forum at School 37 organized by the Jersey City Families for Better Schools, a newly formed parents group.

Moderated by New York Times reporter John Holl, the two-hour event gave candidates an opportunity to score points with the roughly 60 persons who attended.

Except for former Jersey City Gerald McCann, former City Councilman Ben Lopez, and school board incumbent Angel Valentin, the hopefuls have never held elected office.

Three of the candidates - Valentin, Jenny Garcia and Jenny Campbell - have children enrolled in Jersey City public schools.

Garcia - a mother of four students with learning disabilities - offered the most heartfelt "I don't know" of the evening when she was asked what she'd cut to save money in the district's $600 million school budget.

"How do you tell a parent we're going to cut this and that?" Garcia said. "If you don't have a child in the system, you can't make an informed decision."

Campbell admitted she hasn't lived in the district since December, but says she'll move back as soon as work is completed on the foundation of her Astor Place home. She says she expects the work to be done by September.

Former NBA star and St. Anthony High School standout Lennox "Terry" Dehere offered up the novel idea of hiring more employees to save money.

Reacting to stories in The Jersey Journal about excessive overtime payments to custodians and painters in the district, Dehere argued if the district had more employees there'd be less need to pay overtime.

Seeking vindication, Michael Esposito, president of the Hudson Gardens Council, claimed he was "robbed" last year when he ran for the board and lost by 40 votes. "We need to take politics out of education," he said.

McCann elicited the night's biggest chuckle when a Jersey City resident who teaches in Bergen County asked what the candidates would do about bad administrators.

"I've fired more people in Jersey City than everybody here," McCann said. "I've fired cops, so I can easily fire teachers."

Moses Ballon, a project monitor with the city's Division of Economic Opportunity, promised if elected to create "focus groups" to determine remedies for the school system.

Lopez, who runs the county's Department of Family Services, said the board needed to act as an "Inspector General" to identify "efficiencies" and root out waste.

Arnold Williams, a former city employee, had the most Oprah-ish moment of the evening when he revealed he's a former crack addict and was a victim of sexual abuse. Now addiction-free, he can relate to "on the brink" students, he said.

Quote:

Just needed to add the most important info for the reporter!

I'm all for basket-ball players being role-models for our youth, but does he have a background and experience with schooling.
I wish there was a candidate with a background as a professor, principal or even a teacher - even if they were retired, I think would be a better choice.

Ed board candidates forum tomorrow night

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Jersey City Families For Better Schools, a newly formed parents group, is holding a school board candidates forum tomorrow night from 7 to 9 at School 37, 158 Erie St.

New York Times reporter John Holl will pose questions to the candidates based on feedback from parents and members of the community, organizers said.

Eight of 11 candidates running for three school board seats are confirmed to attend, including former Jersey City Mayor Gerald McCann, former college and NBA star Terry Dehere, and Angel Valentin, the sole incumbent running for re-election.

The school board election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17. Polls will be open 2 to 9 p.m. For more information about the forum, call (201) 876-8470.

KEN THORBOURNE

This is a great idea and a good step in the right direction for concerned families.

I have a schedule conflict but I am going to try and move some things around so I can attend.

think of this as a good deed (or mitzvah) project. come out, show support for this new good schools group, listen to the candidates, see live in the flesh the famous/infamous Gerald McCann and former b-ball star turned property developer Terry DeHere, try to determine which candidates are in it for public service and improving the school system and VOTE!


Quote:

Below are the candidates' names. I'm looking for their bios.

Gerald McCann
Moses Ballon Jr.
Angel Valentin
Michael Esposito
Jenny Garcia
Jenny Campbell
Terry DeHere
William Frasca
Ben Lopez
Aida Sanchez
Arnold Williams

Oh abolutely. They want to know who, what, where, why, when. They want candidates really dedicated to education and not looking to step up into a political position.

Those who founded JCFBS, believe this is a community wide issue, meaning you don't have to have kids, and every year the BOE election turn out is low and no one has a clear idea who to vote for.

Some how this forum will be recorded and made available for all those who were not able to attend.

Althea

I'd love to see Tris McCall's take on this, too.

Is JCFBS planning to endorse a slate of Board of Ed candidates? I think it would be helpful to people who traditionally don't bother voting in BoE elections if groups such as this or Civic JC would let it be known (by posting here or through Op-Eds and letters to the editor in the JJ and JCReporter) who they think the best candidates are.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Shelley Skinner
JC Families for Better Schools
sleepygirlproductions@comcast.net
201-876-8470

CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF JERSEY CITY INVITE BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES TO A PUBLIC FORUM ON APRIL 5TH

JERSEY CITY, March 20, 2007 -- JC Families for Better Schools (JCFBS) announced today that it has invited all 11 candidates running for three available seats on The Board of Education to a public forum. The forum will take place on April 5th at 7pm at Rafael Cordero Elementary School, 158 Erie Street, Jersey City, NJ.

JCFBS has organized this question and answer session in order for candidates to address issues facing the school system and what they intend to do if elected. Furthermore, this forum will allow the members of the community to make knowledgeable choices about which candidates to vote for come Election Day on April 17, 2007

"Voter turn out is traditionally very low for Board of Education elections. We want to encourage as many people as possible to come out and vote," says Shelley Skinner, JCFBS Founder. "This is an opportunity for parents and community members to meet the candidates in order to make an informed decision come Election Day. This an important first step in making positive changes in our Public Schools."

About Jersey City Families for Better Schools:

Jersey City Families for Better Schools (JCFBS) has been founded by community parents, who are deeply concerned about the shortage of quality schools in Jersey City. We have come together with a love for our community and a desire to raise our children with the highest quality of education possible. JCFBS is an organization representing a diverse group of parents, individuals, administrators and educators in Jersey City. For further information about JCFBS please log on to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jcschools/ or email us at jcschools-owner@yahoogroups.com.