Scotch Plains School Board Election 2022: Amy Winkler

SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD, NJ — The Scotch Plains-Fanwood School Board election is coming up on Nov. 8, and five candidates are running for three seats on the board.

Two seats are open on the Scotch Plains board, and one seat is open on the Fanwood board for the election this November.

Incumbents Nancy Bauer and Stephanie Suriani are both running for re-election to maintain their current seats on the board. Resident John Greenblatt has also filed to run for the Scotch Plains board.

On Fanwood's board, current member Amy Winkler is running for re-election against newcomer Gary Morris.

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 Amy Winkler's answers below:

Amy Winkler

Position Sought:

Board of Education member, 3 year term, Fanwood

Educational Background:

BS Geology, MS Environmental Science

Occupation:

I worked as a hydrogeologist and project manager in the environmental field, cleaning up soil and groundwater at Superfund sites, federal military sites, and various commercial sites. I was fortunate enough to be able to leave work to stay home with my kids when they were born. Since then, I worked for 6 years as the administrative assistant for the religious school at Temple Sholom, where I am a member, and I have volunteered as a Board of Education member for the last 13 years, as a board member of Social Justice Matters for the last 8 years, for the local PTAs, through my temple, and other efforts in the community.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them.

My husband and I moved to Fanwood just about 24 years ago. We knew this was a great community to start our family. I have a daughter and a son. My son recently graduated from SPFHS; my daughter graduated a few years earlier. Both attended our district schools from Kindergarten through high school.

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

This is an excellent question in any given year, but the last couple years have been extraordinarily difficult for Boards of Education all across the country. One might wonder why anybody would want to run for Board of Education now. Board meetings have brought out yelling parents, trolling and threats on social media, angry emails and phone calls, lawsuits, and even the occasional accosting on the street or in the supermarket. It's a lot to take for an unpaid volunteer position and not what most of us ever expected. But I am dedicated to moving our district forward and doing what I can to help our students find success. Our schools should not become a political battleground. We need to stay focused on helping our students reach their fullest potential.

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

I have served on the SPF BOE for the past 13 years.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to serve on the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education?

Individual board members cannot act alone; our power lies in our successful collaboration with each other and administrators. In the past I have been proud to work with the board to bring full day Kindergarten to our schools and to support arts integration, anti-bullying efforts, and other initiatives in our classrooms. I hope to work with the board and administration to bring an expansion of our facilities in the near future and implementation of the strategic plan.

What do you think is the most pressing issue for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District?

The three issues I think are most pressing right now are transportation, capacity, and staffing. The pandemic only exacerbated a shortage of bus drivers across the state, and supply chain delays have created a shortage of buses, both factors driving up costs significantly. While SPF continues to provide busing in accordance with statute, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain while simultaneously eating more of our budget. At the same time, increased development in our community adds additional students to our schools which are currently at capacity. It's a mixed blessing, as our schools are highly ranked in the state, drawing families to move to our beautiful community. We need to expand our facilities and our staffing to accommodate the expected students and to maintain class sizes at optimum levels for learning. Meantime, locally but also across the country, fewer and fewer people are choosing to become educators. We have had some issues finding substitutes in the last couple of years and will likely have difficulty filling staffing positions in the near future.

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

It is important for our schools to be safe spaces (both emotionally and physically) for our children to learn and grow. I have supported and encouraged district anti-bullying initiatives, efforts to increase the mental health resources available to our students and staff, and wellness practices in the classrooms so students can learn to self-regulate their anxiety and emotions. I support district efforts to ensure all students feel recognized and accepted in our schools and have a trusted adult at school (whether that adult is a teacher, an aide, a coach, etc). In terms of physical safety, I support the work of the district with community stakeholders (OEM, first responders, etc) to review and update safety plans for all of our facilities annually and as necessary, including our emergency contact system, secure entry vestibules for our buildings, law enforcement familiarity with our floor plans, etc.

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

This question reflects the widespread misunderstanding of how curriculum works. In 2020 the NJ Department of Education passed new standards that will take effect this year for sex education in our schools. It is up to each school district to either create or select the curriculum they will use to meet these standards. In SPF our administration is working closely with the community to determine the best ways to adjust our existing curriculum to meet these standards.

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

Of course, I will be focused on the goals laid out by our community in the Strategic Plan. I have been and will continue to be focused on finding ways to incorporate student voice into our decision-making. The new state mandate for student representation on boards of education is a positive development and I am looking forward to implementing this. Having students participate in our strategic planning meetings last year ensured the work was both authentic and relevant. I am dedicated to incorporating student voice systemically into our work in all of our schools. I am also focused on finding ways to implement dual enrollment so our students can earn college credit during their high school experience. Another area I will focus on this coming year is teacher retention and what we can do as a district to ensure we hire and retain the best teachers for our schools (through professional development, peer coaching, etc).

Anything else voters should know about you?

Besides my wonderful family, I have a dog and a cat. I love reading, cooking, traveling, and walking with friends around our beautiful community. If you live near LaGrande Park you've probably seen me walking with my dog.