Four candidates filed Monday to run for three three-year terms on the Plainfield Board of Education.
As listed by Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, they are Emily Morgan, John C. Campbell, Jackie Coley and Richard Wyatt. Coley will be seeking her second term. Campbell is serving as an appointee since April after board member Mahogany Hall resigned, and is the husband of board President Wilma Campbell. According to the New Jersey School Boards Association, there is no prohibition on a husband and wife both serving on a school board.
Morgan and Wyatt are first-time candidates for the board. Morgan recently won a seat on the Plainfield Democratic City Committee. Both Coley and Wyatt are city employees, Coley in the Fire Division and Wyatt in the Tax Assessor's office.
Campbell and his wife operate a real estate agency in Plainfield, and John Campbell is a former Plainfield councilman. He has also backed school board slates for several years, with many wins.
Reached by phone Tuesday, Campbell confirmed his 2015 slate and commented on a range of school topics:
Union contract - After three years of district negotiations, he said, "I went to two meetings and we got a contract."
District status - Enrollment and graduation rates are up, Campbell said, and Plainfield High School has been removed from the U.S. Department of Education's Focus list.
School construction - He said the district got the "green light" from the Schools Development Authority for work at Cook and Woodland schools.
In April, Campbell described his appointment as "a trial run," but on Tuesday he said, "My mission is to create an environment where teachers can teach and children can learn."
The school board candidates will be on the Plainfield ballot along with those running for the Second Ward and the First & Fourth Ward at-large City Council seat. Winners will take office on Jan. 1, 2016.
Assemblyman Jerry Green, who showcased his school board slate last year before campaigning for others on the November ballot, said Monday he did not field a slate this year. He said he is concentrating on his work in the state Assembly, where he represents District 22, and also as chairman of the Union County Democratic Committee.
--Bernice
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Can Mr. Campbell please site his resource for stating that enrollment is up? All evidence from sources like Data Core seem to state otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if people closely related should be allowed to both be on the BOE. Our BOE has been as disappointment, as has our superintendent, for many years. I don't hold any hopes that our school system will get any better and am embarrassed that we are still near the bottom of the pot when it comes to rating NJ school systems. We sure pour a lot of money into the system and get little for it. Too bad for our kids. I hope people vote so we can get people on the BOE who are interested in what's best for our kids and not their friends and themselves.
ReplyDeleteOld Chinese saying; When the student wants to learn the teacher will be found".
DeleteBOE needs to run operations more efficiently so they can have money to buy the students books they can take home. Paperback workbooks of the type sold at any bookstore would do. Old science books from 20 years ago would not be obsolete for purposes of introductory education. Anything the students could take home, study, and work from to make them their own. Constant practice works in learning as much as in sports or music, but the students need the resources and expectations for that.
ReplyDeleteAlthough young John Campbell seems like a nice guy it is apparent he did not do his homework on Tuesday night. His answers were vague, or that of a 26 year old who has no world experience.
ReplyDeleteIn refuting Councilman Storch about development he said we need to do it like Jersey City, and a number of other cities, did by getting businesses here, "and then people will move here. You have to give people a reason to move here. We should have an outlet mall, a Chipotle downtown and a Starbucks and Trader Joe's, not a Dollar Store."
I moved to Jersey City on 01/02/02 right before the boom. My building was condo/apartment and brand new. It covered two blocks. Within two years there were 8 more huge dwellings developed within blocks of me. At about the two year mark the A&P was redesigned to a gourmet type of grocery store and we started to see a few businesses come in. I lived in that location for 6 years and Starbucks came in right at the end.
There isn't a business plan, degree, loan, or even a book on how to start a business that will tell you to "build it and they will come." If the demographic isn't there, there isn't a bank on the planet that will loan you the money to start your business. Sure a chain can come in earlier than everyone else because they have the money to wait, but they will expect proof of development of their demographic, and do we want to fill our town with chains and another outlet mall? For every dollar spent in a locally owned business $.66 stays in our town 3 times longer than the $.06 from a big box store and $.44 from a franchise.
Most people run as an independent when they do not get the nomination from their party, believing they can garner the vote in the race. Unfortunately it is clear Young Campbell is running independent because he does not think people will believe in him enough to vote for him if he runs as the Republican he is. That says a lot about him, or his advisers. It starts him off with a lack of transparency, being deceitful to garner votes. This does not make him a bad guy, misguided maybe. It shows he will do whatever he has to for the win. And that is a little scary. It makes me question his ethics.
Like I said, he seems like a very nice young man. However, I do not want him to cut his teeth on our tax dollars and our town.
I hope Councilman Storch does not rely on the debate to get himself elected. I know Young Campbell has been knocking on doors. I hope his youth and willingness to do whatever it takes to win serves as the proverbial fire under Councilman Storch's behind to meet the people.
ReplyDeleteMr. Ortega also seems like a nice man. However, he keeps misrepresenting the truth. He claimed the Bilingual Day Care was shut down by the administration. Here is their number, (908) 753-3124. Call them. You will see they have not been shut down.
He also talks about how the council/administration wanted to shut down a reputable Latino business. Also not true! Councilman Storch voted to have an investigation into the numerous violations the establishment had to verify if indeed it was following code.
I believe Mr. Ortega thinks he can rally enough people to vote for him by making them angry. However, they will just be disappointed in him when they learn he mislead them. If he had done his homework, told the truth, stuck to the issues and let people see who he really is, I believe he would be electable. Unfortunately, he did not do that.
The most important question that was not addressed in the BOE debate should have gone to Campbell Sr. The question is, how were you able to ethically accept your appointment on the board with your wife when proper procedures were not followed?
ReplyDeleteIt's time for the Campbells to leave the BOE. We pay the attorney, that has been handling their real estate business for years, almost double the state average per child. We get $179.2M, 80% of that from the state, and our kids still do not have proper text books. I think it is time for an audit so we can learn where the money is going. Let's track down every dime and prosecute any illegal dealings.