Cranford School Board Election 2022: Thomas Grasso

CRANFORD, NJ — Eight candidates are running for four open seats on Cranford's Board of Education this November.

There are three open seats on Cranford's board for three-year terms and one open seat for a two-year unexpired term. This seat is vacant due to the recent resignation of Maria Loikith from the board.

Incumbents Brett Dreyer and Patrick Lynch are running again to maintain their current seats on the board. Nicole Sherrin Kessler, whose term is also up this year, did not file to run again.

Candidates Brian Lopez, Susan Shaw, Thomas Grasso, Francis N. Riccio III, Christine Bradley and Jessica Soltys are also running for seats this year.

Brian McCarthy, who previously filed to run, withdrew from the race.

Patch asked all the candidates a series of questions ahead of the November election. (All of the candidates were given the same questions).

Here are candidate Thomas Grasso's answers below:

Thomas Grasso

Campaign website: https://sites.google.com/view/...

Facebook: @TomGrassoforCranfordBOE

What office are you seeking?

Cranford Board of Education, 3 year term

Educational Background?

1. University of Akron School of Law, Juris Doctor
2. United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, Bachelor of Science,
Marine Transportation; Commission in U.S. Naval Reserve; U.S. Coast Guard
Third Mate Unlimited License

Occupation?
I am an attorney in private practice specializing in Admiralty and Transportation law and litigation for over 25 years.

Formerly I served aboard U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command underway replenishment vessels as a navigational officer. I served five years in the U.S. Naval Reserve, and attained a U.S. Coast Guard Second Mate / Limited Master Mariner’s License.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them.

Yes. I am married and the proud father of three wonderful children who have focus in theater, music and sports in Cranford. Olivia, my oldest daughter graduated from Cranford High School in 2018. At CHS she was very active in the school theater, was Crew Chief her senior year, and earned Thespian of the Year Award. She recently graduated from Montclair State University summa cum laude. My son, Julian, is a seventh grader at Orange Avenue School. He is a voracious reader, plays violin, and participates in enrichment programs. He loves playing baseball in Cranford Rec and
Travel Baseball teams primarily as a pitcher and 3rd baseman, and road cycling. Joanna, my youngest daughter, is a fourth grader at Brookside Place School. She too plays violin, is an avid reader, artist, and participates in enrichment programs. She also plays softball for Cranford Rec & 10U Travel teams. She loves animals and especially horse riding.

My wife, Rebecca, is a native Australian and works for a Swiss-based insurance company. We also have a sweet sheepadoodle, Nellie. Our family enjoys camping, cooking, and traveling. We also enjoy taking part in many Cranford community activities including Scarecrow Stroll, canoeing at the Canoe Club, Cranford Street Fairs, Memorial Day parades, CBSL Fundraisers, Octoberfest, and shopping and dining locally.

Why did you decide to run for the Board of Ed this year?

Our public schools are the crown jewel of Cranford. Our public schools and our children are the backbone of the town and a reflection of its core values. The Cranford Board of Education consists of many dedicated volunteers who give countless hours serving our community. As an experienced attorney and service academy graduate, I highly value rigorous education and understand its importance in building the foundation for a career and good citizenship.

As a Board member, I will volunteer my skills and experience that I developed in my professional career to build upon our school’s successful foundation to achieve academic excellence in a safe and modern learning environment. I would be the only attorney on the Board but, like other Board members, I am also a parent and local small business owner. As such, I am fully vested in seeking what is in the best interests of Cranford. I firmly believe that a diverse group of professionals and education backgrounds will provide a balanced, well rounded board that will only strengthen the quality of our teachers, students and administration. I also believe that education is the foundation for good citizenship and a strong community that relies on those who volunteer in good faith.

Have you previously run for Board of Ed or served on the board before?

No. This would be would be my first time that I volunteer for the Board of Education as a member.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to serve on the Cranford Board of Education?

I have three main priorities: Academics, Safety, and Modernization, that I look forward to cooperating with the Board members on.

The first is Academics. My top priority will be to focus very strongly on academic excellence and achievement to address pandemic-related learning loss, especially among young and special needs students. We should focus on students’ individualized learning needs that both challenge students and provide special support where needed. We should also prioritize enhanced course offerings such as Advanced Placement, specialty careers and trades academies for the High School to prepare our students for the varied challenges of the 21st Century, including those in STEAM and trade opportunities. I will also promote a safe learning environment in which the civil discourse and exchange of ideas, through critical reasoning and open debate, is encouraged and celebrated, as in a competitive debate team. As a lawyer, I trained in the Socratic method and appreciate how important civil discourse and critical thinking are to successful outcomes as a whole.

The second area where I will focus is Safety, both physical and emotional. In my past work for the Navy and as an attorney, I developed a special appreciation for the importance of safety and safe working spaces. I support social-emotional counseling programs as preventative measures to recognize red-flags and focus attention before tragedy occurs. Of critical importance is providing school environments that are free of all forms of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination, where one’s individual dignity is always respected. Discrimination of any sort cannot be tolerated. I will promote a two-pronged approach to school safety that includes partnership with Cranford Police Department along with social-emotional counseling. I will also renew discussion of School Resource Officers (SROs) for each school to help form a bridge of trust for students, and seek to modernize training, technology, buildings and equipment to better meet evolving safety issues.

The third area where I will focus is Modernization of the school infrastructure. Outdated and inadequate facilities and equipment adversely affect academic achievement, safety, and overall student esprit de corps, issues that I have personally encountered in my career. Therefore I support the upcoming referendum and wishes of the community in order to provide necessary modern infrastructure enhancements identified in the town-wide surveys throughout the schools. I will advocate for prioritization of improvements with a reasonable, cost-effective approach, mindful of current economic conditions and forecasts, to focus on areas of greatest need and to serve the needs of the most students without overburdening residents’ taxes. I will seek development of flexible and adaptable new and upgraded school spaces to accommodate expected increasing student populations while adhering to the current school configuration. I will also explore creative funding opportunities and potential partnerships to help expand district capabilities, including full-day Kindergarten, middle school teams and clubs, the arts, and expansion of CHS Academy programming.

What do you think is the most pressing issue for the Cranford School District?

I will be focusing on academics to reverse pandemic learning loss, especially to special needs and younger grade children; providing a safe learning environment; and modernizing facilities and equipment to give our students the best opportunity for success, are highly important, interrelated issues. The schools’ academic success depends in part on them being safe and modernly outfitted. But there are surely many other important issues and factors that other Board members and the community wish to be considered, and I am open to discuss them and cooperate to resolve them.

For example, seniors may be concerned about tax burdens. Young families may be more concerned about full day kindergarten. Others may be concerned about the arts and theater. So ultimately the answer to this question depends on the perspective and needs of each household and what the Board as a whole can work out. I look forward to cooperating with other Board members to find reasonable solutions that address all issues of concern.

What will you do to ensure that students feel safe at school?

Our educators and counseling support staff are excellent resources to respond to this issue as they are closest with the students on a daily basis. Emotionally, we should continue and develop programs that address and adapt to students’ social and emotional needs, especially those affected most during the pandemic. The district has been making progress on updating security cameras and systems, and this process should continue.

We also need to ensure that administrative staff, who are the front line to any security threat, are well and regularly trained to deal with any potential situations. I will restart the discussion on School Resource Officers (SROs), who I believe would be a valuable asset to each school, not only for physical security to confront an immediate threat, but also to help form a bridge of trust between students and law enforcement.

What is your stance on the new sex education curriculum that has been introduced by the state?

For policies that the state leaves to local districts to develop, I will advocate that the Board develop and tailor bespoke policies that appropriately reflect our community values and that are age and content appropriate, politically neutral, and agenda free. Indeed, the NJ Department of Education guidance calls for community involvement in forming local policies that reflect the values of their own specific community, recognizing that one size does not fit all. I also encourage parents/guardians to exercise their rights to advocate on their child’s behalf in writing and at school board meetings to express their views on board policy. There is no greater advocate for a child than the parent/guardian. I will always listen to and consider the views of parents in forming policies.

Generally, the law requires instruction in certain subject matters. The Board must always comply with the law. The law also provides parents/guardians the ability to opt out of content that might conflict with their family’s religious beliefs, conscience, or morals. I would encourage any family with such conflict to exercise their rights to opt out, which may be found on the BOE website at
https://drive.google.com/file/... .

What is something new that you will bring to the Board in the coming year?

As the only lawyer on the Board, I will bring an enthusiastic, collaborative and open- minded, and fresh perspective to the Board. In my work as a lawyer, I interpret and analyze complex international contracts, study and apply domestic and international law and treaties, assess multilayered risk, and exercise professional judgment based on relevant facts. I represent clients in various viewpoints. I am extremely thorough and detail oriented. As an advocate and skilled negotiator, I seek reasonable solutions to resolve issues. I also empathize with and have represented students and employees who are victims of sexual harassment, assault and hazing, and am keenly aware of the long-lasting damage such abuse of one’s dignity causes. In my profession, I have learned that courage, resourcefulness, and attention to details make the difference—qualities that would serve the Board well. I firmly believe in and practice my Academy alma mater’s motto: “Acta Non Verba” or “Deeds Not Words.”

My background and experience in law and industry make me unique among the board members and would supplement the Board’s qualities.

Anything else voters should know about you?

I am the grandson of Sicilian immigrants who took up farming in South Jersey in the early 1900s. The family farm is still in operation and supplies stores (including Dreyer Farms) throughout New Jersey with tomatoes, peaches and other farm goods. As a 19 year old U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet, I steered merchant ships in the Mississippi River and visited Turkey, Syria, Egypt, South Africa, Somalia, Sri Lanka and India. Following graduation as a 22 year old, I worked for the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command as Third Officer aboard underway replenishment vessels serving combat ships in the 2nd and 6th Fleets. I then attended law school and have been in continuous private law practice since 1997, when I first moved to this area. I worked for law firms in Manhattan specializing in Admiralty and Transportation law and litigation. In 2011, I launched my own firm in Cranford. I am also a sexual harassment and assault victim advocate for U.S. Merchant Marine Academy midshipmen. I have held leadership positions in my church, including leading a group of men on a four-day 330 mile cycling pilgrimage to raise awareness for persecuted Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East which raised over $25,000. In my spare time, I enjoy endurance road cycling, reading, and traveling with my family.

I moved to Cranford with my family in 2009. We knew Cranford was a great town with strong schools where we could grow lifelong connections. We lived through Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy on a generator and the strength of our community. We are very optimistic for and proud of Cranford and its schools. I look forward to the opportunity to work with fellow Board members to make our schools as academically strong, safe, and modern as possible.