By Rachel B.
Why I Will Never Run for the Board of Education
People often ask me why I don’t run for the Board of Education. Honestly, there are so many reasons that I usually laugh and say something like: “Reason #5,762 why I will not run for a Board of Education seat is…” and then share one from the long list.
But the main reason—the one I come back to again and again, the one I will never waver from—is this: I am not now, nor will I ever be, willing to make moral and ethical concessions for things I know are fundamentally wrong for the children of our town or any other town I am a part of.
Case in Point
Most people probably don’t realize this, but due to a schedule change in the elementary schools, the elimination of specials pushed instructional time 15 minutes over the contractually allowed time for teachers. The solution? Dr. VV and BG decided it would be fine for kindergarten through second grade students to sit in an auditorium or some other dumping ground—likely supervised by an aide—for that extra time. This is another example of the REACTIVE vs. PROACTIVE mentality of the EBBOE. And the board? They’ll probably just rubber stamp this in what they love to call “consensus” votes, which I call “herd follower” votes.
For the better part of 30 years, I’ve been on the receiving end of bad Board of Education policies. I’ve had to implement new curriculum, endless and excessive testing, pilot programs, grant-funded initiatives—you name it, as they have been rubber stamped and rolled out by people who have very little knowledge of how those decisions directly affect actual classroom routines, learning processes, and everything else that goes into the teaching day. I’ve had no choice but to sit back and roll out poorly planned, poorly thought-out mandates year after year, board member after board member, superintendent after superintendent. Unfortunately the process doesn’t change much, regardless of the people in the seats….
Naively, I thought East Brunswick Public Schools would be above that minutiae. I was in a fantasy bubble when my kids were in K–5, because they hadn’t been tested, and because for some bizarre reason, EBPS does not give actual grades until middle school.
Reality hit like a slap in the face from a kickball flying in the courtyard at recess (yes, that has happened to me on more than one occasion). The sting hit hard and my disappointment in this district overwhelmed me, as a mom, but more importantly as an educator.
My kids are in the Class of 2029, the same cohort left out in the cold after the pandemic. The same cohort of kids the district pushed into one school after the other, first HUES for one year, and then picking up and moving them to Churchill the following year, all while shuffling unwilling and unprepared staff around, forcing them to make decisions between leaving the schools they’d been in for years, and teaching the grade/content levels of their choice. In addition to that, the district changed the math program at the exact same time, leaving staff to teach completely new ways of doing a skill that they had been teaching a different way for years, and requiring the students to rewire their thought processes all at the same time. This, after being on remote/hybrid instruction for the better part of the two years before. The dumpster fires were igniting at every turn. This had an enormous effect on academic, social, and emotional well-being of both the students AND the staff. Now, the district is scrambling to fix problems for the younger grades, because the district realized they let the boat out to sea without lifejackets on board, while this grade, these students, are floundering at every turn.
That’s when I got involved. That’s when my eyes opened. And what I saw was a failure of epic proportions—across nearly every area—only getting worse with time. And I’m not talking about test scores or disciplinary reports. I’m talking about the actions of the adults in the room. I’ve watched egos get in the way of effective change. I’ve watched people step on each other to climb higher, only to go back on every word once they got there. My emails over the past few years have been completely ignored by the board of education members and only answered by supervisors because they know I’m not going away.
Cynicism, Elitism, and Missed Opportunities
I make no excuses for my cynicism when it comes to this board. There is an elitist undertone in East Brunswick schools that desperately needs to change. Maybe it worked in the past, but today’s demographics demand innovative, diverse thinking. The test scores are a direct representation of that.
Classrooms here have never faced challenges like this before. The recent presentation, followed by shock at the data, made that painfully clear. I find it pathetic that increased diversity in our student population is viewed as a “hurdle” by the district’s leadership. That same diversity that perplexes this board has been at the forefront of every single class I have taught for the past 28 years, and has never stopped my colleagues or me from trying each and every thing we can to help our students be the best version of themselves, even if it may be a little out of the box. Example…. I once taught a student to write a comparative analysis essay on synthetic vs. conventional motor oil because he loved working on cars on the weekends with his uncle, but said he would never be able to write a complete essay. Did I care that the topic wasn’t related to the articles we were reading? NO- because he didn’t care one bit about the articles and I met him where he was and brought him to where I knew he could go! We need to get out of our own way and remember what the common goal is!
And then there’s this obsession with touting doctorate-level achievements, honors classes, and the like, as if those are the only measures of success. It’s disheartening—and frankly insulting—to those who’ve built meaningful, successful lives without a “Dr.” in front of their name. Success is not only measured in test scores and degrees. Perhaps this is East Brunswick’s biggest problem: we shut out innovative thinkers at both the board and district level—people who could bring fresh perspectives and recognize that everyone has value, even those who don’t fit neatly into the Tier 1 category.
Wasted Talent and Deaf Ears
I have plenty of ideas that I’ve brought to the table many times but the district refuses to tap into community skills because doing so might threaten someone’s ego.
Make no mistake: I’ve offered my help for at least three years. I’ve begged to sit on committees. I’ve sat down with Dr. Sran, Dr. Boley, and numerous staff members at Hammarskjold and Churchill to offer suggestions, highlight inconsistencies, and point out services that aren’t being followed through on—some skirting the law entirely.
Most of it has fallen on deaf ears—until election season, when suddenly my ideas are “great” and everyone admits the district has problems. Then, like clockwork, promises are made, smiles are shared, and hands are shaken… only for the promises to disappear once the election is over. Meanwhile, educators are left to carry out bad decisions and face angry parents on the front lines, while being blamed either directly or indirectly, for the problems that pop up as a result.
Why I Won’t Run
So, why won’t I run for the Board of Education? The reasons are too numerous to count, but here are the main ones:
- “Us vs. Them” Mentality
There’s a clear divide between the Board/Central Office and the educators on the ground. Once someone transitions from teacher to administrator, it’s often joked that they “drink the Central Office Kool-Aid” and forget where they came from, many times placing over-under bets on how long it will take. I will never be a “them.” I started as an “us,” and I will retire as an “us.” - Contracts
I will never vote against educator contracts or minimize the work teachers do. Yet I’ve watched it happen here, over and over again, during every negotiation, budgetary issue, and curriculum problem that arises. - HIB Incidents
I will not call a clear case of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) “normal conflict” just to keep numbers down for optics. I’ve seen it happen firsthand—to my daughter. The damage was palpable and forever changed her. That will never be me. - Mental Health
I will never sit on a board of education that fails to address social-emotional wellness, mental health, and student needs beyond academics. Yet that’s exactly what I’ve watched this board do.
The Bigger Picture
What I’ve realized in recent weeks—after sending out invitations to the candidates, some of whom are sitting board members and have been for years—is that candidates aren’t put off by a platform. They want “fluff”, not “tough”….. They’re intimidated by tough questions. Questions they often don’t have answers for.
And that, my friends, speaks louder than any interview one could ever give.
Stay informed. Stay involved. Stay open-minded. If you don’t, you’ll only continue the cycle—and you’ll have no one but yourself to blame. Inaction is still action. Doing nothing is not a pass.
I’ll leave you with this:
Our children are always watching. Make sure you’re modeling the change you wish to see in the world—or at least right here, in our corner of it.
