In support of Natasha Joly – The BOE candidate Berkeley Heights (still) needs

Here’s why I think so:

Civil Discourse and Community Engagement

I was pleased to hear Ms. Joly comment on the need to “bring back respect” to the BOE meetings. Agreement among all is unlikely, but mutual respect is a must.

Given the new BOE policy precluding parents from asking questions via Zoom, despite the investment in new equipment and the obstacles to in-person attendance facing many parents, it is more important than ever to elect a candidate who doesn’t just permit stakeholder participation, but seeks it out.

Ms. Joly stressed how important it is to “solicit feedback from all stakeholder groups” and that “parents need to have a voice at meetings.” Likewise, Ms. Joly emphasized the knowledge of our District teachers and the necessity of including their views in educating BOE members. She observed that many of the people involved “are smart, have opinions and valid ideas that need to be considered.” I found her recognition that “none of us know everything” to be a humble and inclusive approach to problem solving.

Solving problems, adding value, & providing accountability – using data and metrics

For anyone who has listened to Ms. Joly or read her answers to questions, you will likely have noticed that she is keenly focused on data and metrics. In my opinion, it’s not just because she is highly skilled in data analysis, it’s because she sees the opportunity to use metrics to set goals, measure progress or deficiencies, create accountability, and identify insights and thoughtful recommendations. I believe this could help our District better identify what’s working well and where we face challenges so that we can adjust the details of our strategic plans accordingly, in real time. The best schools and the most successful organizations are using data in this way – Ms. Joly can leverage her skills to help elevate the Berkeley Heights School District to be even more competitive. 

For example, at the LWV debate Ms. Joly addressed learning gaps, explaining that  “it’s very difficult to understand where the gaps are if you don’t have the data to measure them” and “we know that we receive funds that are meant to address that learning gap and I don’t have clarity as to exactly how those funds are being used, what programs are being put forth or how we are measuring progress… The data is important to see, otherwise how will we understand what we need to address?”  As part of that conversation, Ms. Joly also referenced leveraging that data for students at every level, astutely recognizing that “success looks different for different students.” These observations really hit home for me. I know many are deeply concerned about the learning gap; Ms. Joly’s ability to interpret key metrics can help us address it.

Ms. Joly also supports making this macro level information (excluding private information) available to all stakeholders including parents, residents and taxpayers. This is an excellent idea as it would allow stakeholders to better understand our District’s plans and progress, enabling us to hold our administration, BOE and the District accountable for progress against those goals. Perhaps more important, this helps eliminate stakeholders’ frustration in continually having to ask for information to which they do not have access.  Instead, Ms. Joly’s suggestions would keep the focus on how we can use the data to help students at every level, understand why the District fell short on a particular goal, and enable us to further leverage successful programs, so we can keep getting it right.

Putting it all together – what’s the PLAN?

It is my impression that questions to the Berkeley Heights Administration about “how” we will achieve a certain end goal are often answered with reference to interim goals. But how do we meet those goals? Ms. Joly’s point is that the interim goals are not, themselves, “the plan.” Ms. Joly has emphasized the need for the District to have and share the (appropriate) details of its plan to meet those goals. This, too, promotes buy-in from, and partnership with, key stakeholders.  Ms. Joly’s steady focus on ensuring that our District takes a research-based approach to setting a detailed plan for success, sets her apart from the other candidates.

Let’s Elect Ms. Joly to the BOE