I am running for re-election and I believe: 1. in shared leadership and collaboration, not only amongst board members but also with the district administration; 2. in strong teacher leadership and professional development that supports teachers’ ability to meet the needs of their students; 3. it’s the districts responsibility to meet the needs of all of their students and find ways to create equitable learning environments. Those learning environments need to consider special needs, social emotional health and their overall well being. 4. that the district budget is made primarily up of teacher salaries and benefits, our district has done a great job of mitigating the tax burden on the community by closing any budget gaps, preserving programs and teaching staff all while receiving less state aid and rising health care costs. 5. that the board’s job is to hire and support a highly competent Chief School Administrator/Superintendent. And unless otherwise proven impossible the board should work to collaborate and build trust with the superintendent; and finally the board’s primary role is to ensure that the district is well run for our students’ success.
Amanda is seeking re-election during her fourth year on the Board and currently serves as Board President. A career educator, with more than two decades of experience working with students, teachers and school communities, she holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Marygrove College and New York University. Her career includes teaching, professional development, and school improvement. As a Board member, Amanda chaired the Finance Facilities and Transportation Committee and helped lead the successful referendum, which has been funding capital projects in all Randolph school buildings. As the board president, she has encouraged closing learning gaps for all students. Including supporting the district’s successful use of Multi-tiered Systems of Support to improve outcomes for multi-language learners. Amanda is also known throughout the community as a co-founder of Randolph Peace, and for being an approachable, accessible leader.
1. Supporting high quality professional development and teacher leadership opportunities. 2. Encourage student data analysis and the use of multi-tiered systems of support to ensure that all students’ needs are being supported exactly as they need. 3. Encourage the regular review of budgeting around student programming, facility maintenance and efficiencies that will save the district money. Also, it is imperative that everyone lobbies for lower healthcare costs.
I would not currently make any curricular changes since our district curriculum is based on state mandates and standards. With the use of MTSS, the curriculum will be accessible to all students.
I'm an advocate at heart and have a passion for bringing people of all backgrounds and voices together. I've witnessed firsthand how fostering inclusive practices, sharing our perspectives, acknowledging challenges while collaborating for change is how we can move forward. My oldest son was born with a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Through our support system of doctors, specialized therapists, educators, and involvement in the schools and the Randolph community, I have learned that it takes an open-minded, collaborative team approach to meet his needs. I also recognize there are many families in our community that face challenges with their child's learning path and I feel strongly that a place on the Board would allow me to identify policy changes to support all of our growing learners.
Through my work and volunteer roles, I have gained a stronger understanding of the resources, advocacy tools and inclusive methodologies that bring all types of learners together. As a founding member of Randolph Peace and KINDeR, I have supported projects such as the inclusive playground equipment at Mt Freedom Park and KINDeR Halloween. In 2022, I introduced the district to Close The Gap; an art enrichment project for third graders and adults with disabilities from the Randolph Transition Program and ARCMorris to come together and learn relationship building skills. For my work with Close The Gap, I received the ARCMorris Champions for Change: Ability Through Art Award. In 2024, I completed the Partners in Policymaking leadership and disability advocacy initiative through Rutgers' Boggs Center. As Partnership Coordinator for Ruby's Rainbow; an organization that grants post-secondary scholarships to adults with Down syndrome, I attended disability conferences where I gained insight into inclusive college programs and inclusive practices that lead to positive outcomes for all learners. At Ironia Elementary, I was a PTO Board Member and was recently Chair, Cultural Arts Committee.
Collaborating with the Superintendent and District Supervisors to ensure Randolph teachers feel supported and valued while offering mentoring opportunities is essential in both retention and quality of education, for new teachers and tenured alike.
As a member of the Board, I would seek to understand where our tax money is allocated to prioritize funding in a way that best supports the Randolph students, teachers, administrators, staff, transportation and facilities before any additional spending is made.
My primary focus regarding curriculum is to preserve the high academic standards that Randolph Schools are celebrated for statewide and nationally, while collaborating with the Superintendent and District Supervisors to determine opportunities for a more inclusive framework that intentionally uplifts students facing learning challenges or experiencing lower academic performance. As a Board Member, I'd seek to partner with the Superintendent to bridge those gaps before students fall further behind leading into the high school years.
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My decision to run for the Randolph Township Board of Education comes from being deeply involved in our schools and seeing firsthand how much the decisions made by the Board matter to our children and families. As a parent and volunteer, I have seen the dedication of our teachers and staff, the accomplishments of our students and the many strengths of our district. I have also listened to families who have concerns and challenges they want their school district to address.
My background has given me a lifelong connection to education, beginning as a K-5 teacher and continuing through my work in higher education. I believe that experience, combined with my perspective as a parent and active member of the Randolph community, gives me a unique understanding of both the classroom and the larger decisions that shape our schools.
I am running because I want to use that experience to serve our community. I want to help support strong academic outcomes, make thoughtful decisions about our resources, ensure families and students feel supported, and build on the many things Randolph already do well. I want to be part of making decisions that help our schools continue to move foward.
My career has given me experience in both the classroom and the evolving world of education technology. I began as a teacher, where I learned to meet students with different learning styles and needs, make decisions based on evidence, and adapt when something was not working. That foundation has stayed with me throughout my career in education.
Today, I work at the intersection of higher education, technology and AI. My work involves helping colleges implement technology and AI thoughtfully and effectively. As these tools become increasingly relevant in our schools, I believe it is important for Board members to understand both their potential and their limitations, and to ask the right questions about how they are being used.
Beyond my professional experience, I have developed strong skills in analyzing information, managing complex projects, communicating with different stakeholders and turning ideas into practical solutions. These skills, combined with my experience as a parent and my involvement in Randolph schools, will help me approach Board decisions with curiosity, perspective and a focus on what will have the greatest impact for our students.
I believe these priorities can and must work together. Strong teachers are one of the most important investments a school district can make, and retaining experienced educators directly supports the quality and consistency of education our students receive. At the same time, I understand that Randolph families are taxpayers and that increases in the cost of living make the school budget a big concern.
The goal should be to get the greatest value from every dollar we spend. That means looking carefully at how resources are allocated, evaluating programs based on their effectiveness, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency before asking taxpayers for more funding. It also means recognizing that investing in teachers, professional development and student support can prevent greater costs down the road.
I would approach budget decisions by asking what is working, what is producing meaningful results, and where we can do things more efficiently. I believe fiscal responsibility and educational excellence are not opposing goals. With thoughtful planning and a focus on outcomes, we can protect the quality of our schools while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
I would like to see Randolph thoughtfully integrate AI into the curriculum. AI is already becoming part of higher education and the workplace, and our students will need to understand how to use these tools responsibly and effectively.
Rather than treating AI simply as something to prohibit, I believe we should teach students when its use is appropriate, how to evaluate and verify information, and how to use it to support their learning without replacing their own thinking, writing or creativity. Students should also understand academic integrity and why submitting AI generated work as their own is not acceptable.
There is an opportunity to teach students practical AI literacy while still emphasizing the fundamentals of education. Learning how to ask good questions, recognize inaccurate information, protect personal information and critically evaluate an AI generated response are skills students will increasingly need.
Because of my work in education technology, I see firsthand how quickly AI is becoming part of how we learn and work. I want Randolph students to understand how to use it responsibly while developing the skills and judgment they will need in college and beyond.
As an board of education member I am focused on three things:
1. Ensure a curriculum that prepares students for the future.
2. Fiscal transparency on how our tax dollars are spent.
3. Advocate for special needs and be a strong voice for vulnerable students.
My entire career has been dedicated to education, advanced technology, and fiscal responsibility. As a Research Engineer I serve as a Principal Investigator leading complex projects that bring together government, industry, and academia. I manage strict project timelines and technical execution, which equips me to handle our district’s multi-million dollar budget with absolute fiscal transparency.
Furthermore, as a Lead Instructor at the Armament Graduate School, I build curricula, develop courses, and teach complex subjects. I know firsthand what educational excellence looks like. My day-to-day work involves Artificial Intelligence and next-generation technology—I know exactly what skills our kids need to compete in the future workforce.
Combined with my years of mentoring young engineers and volunteering in our community as a youth sports coach and Cub Scout leader, I have the unique mix of technical expertise, educational experience, and a parent's heart to serve our schools.
This is the ultimate challenge for any Board of Education member. However, my background as a Research Engineer and Principal Investigator I would solve the problem with data driven solutions.
Here is how I propose to achieve this balance:
1. Audit Administrative Overhead to Protect the Classroom. Before we ever look at cutting student programs or freezing teacher pay, we must scrutinize non-instructional administrative costs.
I will push for a line-by-line fiscal audit to identify redundant software contracts, underutilized consultant fees, and top-heavy administrative overhead. I would optimize processes where possible.
2. As an engineer who works daily with Artificial Intelligence and advanced software, I know how to use technology to scale efficiency. We should invest in modern, high-quality educational software and digital tools that assist teachers with administrative tasks like grading diagnostics and lesson tracking.
3. Using my network of professional engineers, I can pursue STEM and special needs grants to help alleviate budget pressure.
As an engineer who works daily on advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, I see firsthand how quickly the world is changing. Our school district's curriculum must keep pace so our children are not left behind.
I would ensure STEM literacy and support additional in-depth science and math classes.
I will advocate for our special education and general education curricula to include more structured executive functioning skills (like organization, time management, and task planning) at an earlier age.
As a father of two children in the Randolph Township School District, I have witnessed the Board make both good and bad decisions. I believe that what the current Board lacks overall are truly independent thinkers who fully evaluate all information brought before them before making a decision. I believe that too often current Board members (though certainly not all of them) rubberstamp the recommendations of the Superintendent without first engaging in a full review and critical analysis of these recommendations, making what should only be the Superintendent's recommendation into automatic policy.
I truly believe that an uninformed decision is the wrong one, even if you happen to get it right. While I maintain strong opinions and independent judgment, I am honest enough with myself to know that I do not know everything, and when a Board makes policy as a collective group, it must be based on facts, analysis, and discussions, not just the opinion of the Superintendent.
As an employment and labor attorney who has been practicing law for nearly 20 years, my familiarity with New Jersey law and legal procedure and the experience I have gained working and negotiating constructively with others, including those with whom I may have diametrically opposing viewpoints, as well as the oratorical, analytical, and negotiating skills that I have developed and honed over the years makes me an ideal candidate as a Board member.
There is no easy answer to that question. It is a tightrope that must be carefully traversed with precision and balance. Unfortunately, sometimes achieving one of those goals will adversely impact your ability to achieve the other. Rising health care costs and salaries makes retaining good teachers more expensive, and the retention of good teachers is crucial to ensure a high quality of education provided to our students. However, as labor costs constitute the chief component of the school district's budget, retaining good teachers through competitive salaries and benefits also makes it more difficult to lower taxes.
I believe that a carefully thought out and preemptive evaluation of future costs, before labor negotiations begin, provides a necessary baseline in which to evaluate the prospective cost of retaining teachers in subsequent years. Board policies and curriculum should be subject to consistent reevaluation and review to determine whether they are being properly implemented and providing students with the maximum foundation for a quality education.
The district's curriculum is predicated on the NJ Student Learning Standards, which set broad academic benchmarks and learning goals across multiple content areas. It is the job of the individual school districts, through their boards of education, to implement the NJSLS through the approval of a day-to-day district curriculum, courses, and instruction materials.
While I do not believe that the current curriculum requires wholesale changes, I am a firm believer in constant review and evaluation of the curriculum to ensure that it is meeting the current educational needs of our students.
