UPPER TOWNSHIP – There are seven candidates vying for three seats on the Upper Township Board of Education in the Nov. 8 election.
There are three incumbents seeking re-election and four challengers for the three-year terms.
The incumbents are Michele Barbieri, Kristie Chisholm and William Sooy.
The challengers are Kiernan Black, Christine Lentz, Alexander Grassi and Daniel Kilgallon.
All of the candidates are profiled in this edition. Polling hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Michele Barbieri, incumbent:
Board always must be prepared to adjust
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Health care worker Michele Barbieri, longtime president of the Upper Township Board of Education, is seeking re-election.
Barbieri first was elected in 2004 and now is in her 18th year of serving on the board. A township resident for 33 years, she and her husband, Tom, have two daughters, both educators, and are anticipating their first grandchild in December.
Barbieri has worked for the past 35 years as the surgical assistant and now business manager for a podiatric surgeon in Atlantic County.
In addition to her service on the township school board, Barbieri is vice president of the Cape May County School Boards Association and is a member of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Delegate Assembly, Legislative Committee and Leadership Committee.
“Both volunteer positions allow me to bring a voice to not only Upper Township but our county,” Barbieri said.
She has achieved certified board member status, as well as master board member, and is currently finishing up work to achieve certified board leader status.
“Throughout my years on the Board of Education, I have always taken advantage of all professional development that has been available to me through the New Jersey School Boards Association and the Department of Education,” she said. “I am a firm believer that you put service before self, and this position allows me to serve my community and to support our staff, students and families.”
Barbieri said she continues to seek educational opportunities to keep up with new trends and new methods of providing instruction and support.
“Education is ever-changing as well as what it takes to provide a quality education,” she said. “Continuing in this role would allow me to work in concert with my fellow members on issues that impact our school district.”
Barbieri said the board must always be prepared to adjust to changes, noting that dealing with the reallocation of state funding, in which the district has lost millions over the past several years, has been the greatest challenge.
She said despite that challenge, “as devastating as that loss is, we were able to retain staff, maintain our facilities and put forth a fiscally responsible budget.”
She said the nationwide shortage of teachers and substitute teachers has affected the district and “the board continues to look at different avenues to recruit quality staff while retaining the great classroom leaders we currently have in district.”
Barbieri said she has an ability to work with a diverse group to support the educational welfare of students, staff and the community.
“The knowledge and skills that I have attained through many years of professional development have helped me frame decisions that are in the best interest of our staff and students,” she said.
Referring to the statewide health and physical education standards, which drew a lot of criticism from parents in districts statewide, Barbieri said the board and district have to “continue to make available resources to our families and ensure we communicate openly and honestly on what is contained in that curricula.”
“I fully believe that, with any issue, inclusion of all stakeholders is key. I also believe that this position is not just a once-a-month meeting and that if we are to address any current issues or issues that may arise in the future, a board of education member must take advantage of professional development opportunities offered,” she said. “If re-elected, I will continue my role of advocacy, involvement and will continue to lobby for our district and county locally and statewide.”
During her time on the board, Barbieri has served in many roles, including negotiations, public relations, Green Team and buildings and grounds.
“Getting to do what you love while supporting staff, students and families and being able to give back to your community has not only been a learning experience for me but also extremely rewarding,” she said. “My family likes to tease that this has been an 18-year full-time job for me, and in some ways they are right. However, by serving, continual professional development and supporting our staff, students and community, I hope I have made an impact.”
Kiernan Black, challenger:
Parent support, involvement important for children’s education
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Educator Kiernan Black is among the four challengers seeking three seats on the Upper Township Board of Education in the election Nov. 8.
Black, 46, and her husband, Jeremy, live in Beesleys Point with their two daughters, both students at Upper Township Elementary School.
She grew up in Chatham and her husband is an alumni of Upper Township schools and Ocean City High School.
They spent the earlier part of their careers based out of Philadelphia and made the move to Upper Township three years ago.
Black is a graduate of Rutgers University and works as educational director of a Montessori school in Philadelphia that opened its doors for the first time in September 2020. She has worked as an educator in Montessori schools in Boston and New York City.
Black first ran for a seat in 2021, placing fifth out of five candidates seeking three seats.
“I have always looked for opportunities to volunteer my time and support the school in any way I can. Having done the job of both a teacher and an administrator, I know how important parent involvement and support is to the student, classroom and school as a whole,” she said.
Black’s volunteer experience began as a teenager with after-school homework support, evolved into participation in Big Brothers Big Sisters and eventually into traveling to Africa to bring her experience to village daycare settings.
“Now that I have a family of my own, I feel that it is important to bring that passion back home,” she said.
Black said she wants to serve to “support the parent community and be a voice that can help bridge the gap between home and school.”
She said parents are very busy and do not always have the time to read through background information and research on different topics that affect the development of schools and students.
“For me, this comes easy as I am passionate about both child development and education. I love working with families and find I have an ability to connect in a way that comes naturally,” she said.
Black believes her background in Montessori education provides her with a holistic approach to working with students, parents, teachers and administration.
“I have attended an abundance of workshops and training that focus on supporting the whole child, which I think directly affects my thought process and decision-making in all that I do,” Black said. “I think I bring a unique perspective as my area of expertise is not in public education but an alternative method which focuses on the child as an individual as opposed to the class as a whole.”
Black thinks parents need to take a more active role in raising their children.
“Our children are growing up way too fast in an era that has constant exposure to many forms of media,” she said. “We need to slow down and really look at what we can do to support our parents and students as a unit. We often get excited about the next technological advancement but then we miss opportunities to teach students real life skills.”
Black said education starts at home.
“We need to focus on families and offer support in the home which directly affects the needs of our students in the schools,” she said. “We tend to work from the top down, but parents are the heartbeat of the family and we need to respect this relationship and support parents with tools to navigate the world that is changing right before our children’s eyes.”
Kristie Chisholm, incumbent:
Work, educational background help guide her board decisions
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Educator Kristie Chisholm is seeking her fourth term on the Upper Township Board of Education in a field of seven candidates for three seats in the election Nov. 8.
A township resident since 1984, Chisholm has served on the board since January 2014, winning re-election twice.
A teacher for 26 years with degrees in biology and education, she and her husband, Joel, have two teenage daughters.
Chisholm, 50, holds certification in K-8 education with highly qualified status in science, English language arts, history and mathematics, as well as high school biology and general science.
She believes that her lengthy background in education and past board experience make her a strong candidate.
“I currently serve as a team leader, am a mentor to new teachers, a lead teacher and a home instructor,” she said. “I have also been a class adviser, student mentor adviser and a member and trainer for the district equity and diversity team.”
Chisholm has been involved with athletics since she was a child and has been a coach for field hockey, swimming, lacrosse and crew at the middle school and high school levels.
She started the crew program in Egg Harbor Township during her first four years of teaching and has been an NJSIAA official for both swimming and field hockey.
Chisholm also is involved outside school, serving as a volunteer coach for township soccer and basketball programs.
“During my time as a volunteer coach, 2008-2020, I served as a member of the board for both UTSA (10 years) and UTBA (2 years),” she said. “While working with my fellow basketball board members, we established a scholarship for former players upon graduation from high school. The award has been disseminated to deserving scholar athletes for the last four years. “
Chisholm spent 20 years on the Ocean City Beach Patrol as an open-water lifeguard, representing the city in South Jersey Lifeguard Chiefs Association races as a rower and surf dash runner. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
“During my time on the beach patrol, I also traveled throughout the country representing the organization as a member of the U.S. Lifeguard Association Public Education Committee. In May 2001, I presented the first ever Beach Safety Week education program at the national convention in Philadelphia,” she said.
Chisholm said she would like to continue to serve the community where she and her family grew up.
“As a member of the BOE, I can do just that,” she said.
Chisholm said she wants to continue to bring her knowledge of 6A (Special Education Code) and 18A (Education Code) to the community.
“Additionally, my work in and educational background in curriculum also will help guide me in decisions that pertain to our community and our schools,” she said.
Chisholm said the district’s biggest issue is funding, citing the loss of millions of dollars in state aid due to a change in the state funding formula.
“Ensuring our district maintains programs while still being fiscally responsible is paramount to the success of our students and staff,” she said. “The board needs to be cognizant of the taxpayers.”
Addressing the issues starts with awareness, she said.
“The public needs to be aware of the issues and what the impact it has or may have on the daily operations of the district,” Chisholm said.
Alexander Grassi, challenger:
Ensuring financial accountability and educational excellence
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Educator Alexander Grassi is among for challengers for three seats on the Upper Township Board of Education in the election Nov. 8.
The 36-year-old husband and father of three has spent his life dedicated to public service. Grassi, who has bachelor’s degrees in political science and education as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership, is in his 11th year as a high school teacher and coach. He also has spent 21 years on the Brigantine Beach Patrol.
He said he looks forward to ensuring financial accountability and educational excellence.
Grassi said among the main reasons why he and his wife moved to the township in 2012 was because “I knew how great the education system is and how affordable the township taxes are compared to surrounding districts.”
He said he wants to serve on the school board “to ensure that the Upper Township school system continues to be a premier school district” and the township “remains a desired place to live for all.”
Grassi believes his education and work experience would be assets to the board.
“My understanding of curriculum and instruction would benefit the board when discussing any changes that involve our children’s education,” he said, adding that as a parent, he understands the importance of the family. “Parental involvement is instrumental when making these decisions to create positive outcomes.”
He feels the most pressing issues are the rising costs of living and educating children, as well as the importance of employing great teachers during a national teacher shortage.
“Making responsible fiscal decisions that serve both the children and the community are important,” he said. “Having the ability to discern between programs that make a difference and that don’t are extremely important to foster educational excellence.”
Grassi said making the district attractive as a workplace “will ensure Upper Township teachers are some of the best in the country.”
Dan Kilgallon, challenger:
Policies should reflect the values of the community
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Behavior analyst Dan Kilgallon is among four challengers for three seats on the Upper Township Board of Education in the election Nov. 8.
Kilgallon, 44, and his wife have two children in the school district. He has more than 20 years of experience working with at-risk youth and students from underserved communities. He has a master’s degree in special education with more than 10 years of classroom teaching experience.
Kilgallon is a board-certified behavior analyst and independent contractor working in public schools and the communities they serve, specializing in teacher training, positive behavior support and intervention, early intensive behavioral intervention and autism support.
He said he and his wife have attended many recent school board meetings and “are not shy about speaking up for parents rights, medical freedom, age-appropriate content and a return of good nature and common sense to the district.”
Kilgallon feels that “with some healthy debate and transparency, policies should reflect the values of the community.”
Outside of schools, he has been a volunteer coach and assistant coach of his children’s soccer teams and various other sports for the past seven years.
“My goal with the students and the young athletes I work with is the same, to create a positive and reinforcing environment where they want to show up the next day or the next season,” he said.
Kilgallon said he wants to serve because he thinks he “can do better.”
“We are now dealing with learning loss and lots of trauma caused by the pandemic, the response to the pandemic and related measures,” he said, listing “quarantining, forced masking, vaccinations or forced testing, forcing radical standards on teachers.”
He said he feels “all children need to be welcomed into schools and that we are all equal in the eyes of God and under the law.”
But, he added, in reference to the recently adopted state health and physical education standards, “I don’t believe that schools should be forcing age-inappropriate sexualization and Critical Race Theories throughout all the subject matters.”
“Schools should not be teaching about explicit sexual activities at the ages Upper Township serve. All students have the right to a free and appropriate education. We shouldn’t have to consider sending our children to a parochial school because we don’t agree with the ideological agendas being forced on them,” he said. “The ‘fight’ is not about excluding or judging others, it’s about age-appropriateness and getting the appropriate resources and professionals to deal with some very complex issues.”
Kilgallon said he has many skills that would benefit the board.
“I work with schools to help to make individual, system and program-wide changes to improve their interventions and improve their school climate and culture,” he said.” I have some understanding of how schools work and what might be missing when they don’t.”
Kilgallon said he believes the district is “resting on its laurels.”
“We moved here 12 years ago because at that time it was ‘one of the best places to live.’ We also came here because we love the schools, the teachers, shared values and a sense of community,” he said. “We still do but it saddens us to see it slipping away. No one in power seems to care. School leaders, local government officials and labor organizations just seem intent on holding power.”
He said he is “joining forces” with candidate Kiernan Black “as freedom-loving parents to bring new ideas and points of view to the Upper Township School Board.”
“If we don’t start standing up, then eventually instead of Upper Township being ‘one of the best places to live,’ the line will be ‘it used to be such a nice place, what happened?’”
Continuing to focus on the health and physical education standards, he said the school board needs “better communication, transparency and some courage.”
He said the public has been raising the alarm about the curriculum and standards for more than a year.
“The public did not get the instructional materials and curriculum months in advance as we were we told we would. The curriculum and presented materials are far more radical and salacious than the bare minimum we were told it would be,” he said.
Kilgallon seems intent on placing blame for past decisions made during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
“We need to admit that quarantining, face masks, social distancing in the classroom and more recent restrictions were detrimental to the development of students and especially those with special needs, insecure and abusive homes, and social/emotional and learning difficulties,” he said. “We need to admit that many decisions that have been made or dictated were not in the best interest of our children and we need to stop giving power to those who allow it to happen.”
Christine Lentz, challenger:
Obtaining trust and respect of community essential for success
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Retired educator Christine Lentz is among a field of four challengers seeking three seats on the Upper Township Board of Education in the election Nov. 8.
Lentz, 60, an educator for nearly four decades, has lived in the same home in Upper Township for 32 years.
Over a 38-year career, she has taught middle school science in Delaware and high school science, biology, chemistry and physical science in Ocean City.
Lentz served as head girls basketball coach and assistant softball coach, and later as an assistant principal and athletic director.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Moravian University in biology, a master’s degree in educational leadership from St. Joseph’s University and a doctorate in innovation and leadership from Wilmington University.
Lentz, who previously served on the board for three years, currently is chair of the Upper Township Recreation Board. Other community involvement includes serving on the board of the Humane Society of Ocean City and as school liaison to the Ocean City Department of Recreation “to ensure all students have an opportunity to participate in a safe environment.”
Lentz said her desire to serve is an extension of her career.
“Teaching is all about making connections and building relationships. It is all about relationships and investments in others and their futures,” she said. “What better way to continue to serve the students I once taught than to spend time working on creating healthy, financially responsible learning environments that are in line with our community values?”
She believes the roles she has played throughout her career have afforded her “many opportunities to develop the relationships necessary to obtain the respect and trust of a community that is essential for success.”
Lentz said her career and 30 years as a township resident give her a “unique perspective.”
“I understand that student learning is job number one of a board of education, but I understand that faculty and staff have to be in the best possible position to promote achievement,” she said. “As a teacher, I know that not all students have the same needs. Teachers need the tools to address the myriad of needs that are presented to them daily.”
Lentz said her experience as a building administrator showed her the “need to allocate resources responsibly to best impact the students while keeping in mind the community interests.”
She said she has a clear understanding of how interpersonal behaviors affect individuals as well as groups.
“I can work to use those skills to promote more positive and change-oriented relationships and behaviors in our township. If the community is looking for a school board member who is eager to work with the community, the staff and the students to create a positive, productive and fiscally responsible learning environment, I hope they consider what I have to offer,” Lentz said.
Focusing on community first is a great way to ensure the district understands its values and will allow those values to drive policy and curriculum, Lentz said.
“American education has become a hyper-politicized terrain. To be an effective board, systems have to be in place to create community involvement,” she said.
Lentz said being transparent and accountable to stakeholders will help build the trust necessary for success.
“To be an effective board member you must work collaboratively and honestly with the community, school faculty and staff,” she said. “Decisions and actions must be driven by facts and data, but above all with the best interests of the students in mind.”
Bill Sooy, incumbent:
Law enforcement experience is an asset to the school board
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Retired law enforcement officer Bill Sooy is seeking re-election as one of seven candidates for three seats on the Upper Township Board of Education in the election Nov. 8.
Sooy, who has lived in the township for about a dozen years, is a former police officer in Millville who retired as head of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force.
He currently works full-time for a federally funded agency — the Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network — that provides equipment, funding and training to police departments in its region. He also has a bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Sooy, 63, was appointed to an unexpired term on the board in March 2016 and won re-election later that year and again in 2019.
He has six children ranging in age from 32 — a pediatric oncologist at Duke — to 10, and three grandchildren. Four of his children attended township schools
“I think that my 32 years of law enforcement experience is a great asset to the board,” he said, noting he continues to work in the field in a different capacity.
Sooy has served in many volunteer positions , including as a member of the Cumberland County Child Placement Review Board, Millville YMCA Youth Committee, Cumberland County Guidance Center Citizens Advisory Board and St. John Bosco Youth Committee.
He also was an adviser for the Millville Police Department Explorer Program, working with youth for a number of years, and the assistant coach for several girls softball teams.
He was assigned as the juvenile detective for the Millville Police Department for about two years, he said, working on all criminal investigations that occurred in the schools as well as those that occurred outside of school hours.
“This position allowed me to interact with students, principals, teachers, school security officers, superintendents, parents and the juvenile courts on a regular basis,” he said.
Sooy said it is a very important time to serve on the school board. He said he feels an obligation to represent every student in the district, “not just the kids whose parents show up at the meetings.”
He said he does not base his opinions on the political climate during the meetings but on “what is best for all kids, teachers, parents, taxpayers, the law and the oath that I take and sign every year, with the biggest emphasis on our students.”
Sooy said he welcomes parent participation.
“The more people that show up and give their opinion, the better,” he said.
He believes some parents think board members are not listening to their point of view, but said the opposite is true.
“Just because I do not vote the way that you want me to all of the time, don’t think that I am not listening and considering what you said,” he said.
Sooy serves on the negotiation committee for both the Upper Township and Ocean City school boards, as well as the buildings and grounds committee in Ocean City. He also has some negotiation experience from his law enforcement days.
He believes the most pressing issues are academic and social recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, state funding cuts and school safety.
Sooy said school safety has never been more important, noting his experience brings a unique perspective to the table when talking about school safety issues.
“Although we are constantly working on all of these things and have been, I think that they are all going to be with us for some time,” he said.
Sooy said it remains to be seen how the pandemic and response has affected students.
“I don’t know if anyone has come up with a perfect solution but I do know that our district has been going to great lengths to figure it out,” he said. “I have confidence that our dedicated administrators, teachers and support staff are doing whatever they can to bring our kids back up to where they need to be following the COVID crisis.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff