Newcomer Michael Brennan files to run against slate of incumbents
By: Laura Toto
Six candidates will vie for five seats in the April 17 school board elections.
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‘I feel I have a lot of valuable qualities that can add to our school district.’ Joanne Taylor, candidate |
Incumbents Joan Sheridan and Joanne Taylor have applied for two, one-year seats. Ms. Taylor was voted in by the board in November to fill one of two unexpired terms created when board members Stanley Dunn and Robert Pagano resigned, last year.
For three of the three-year seats, incumbents Edward Plaskon, Steven Sloan, Neil Hudes have applied as well as challenger Michael Brennan. Mr. Hudes was appointed to fill the other unexpired terms.
Ms. Taylor has worked in a variety of education jobs, such as a high school teacher and in early childhood education. She is a director of registration and resource development at The Child Care Connection in Trenton.
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‘I want to make sure the curriculum can meet all of these different changes.’ Joan Sheridan, candidate |
"I feel I have a lot of valuable qualities that can add to our school district," Ms. Taylor told the board last year. Ms. Taylor saw communication, curriculum and long-range planning for redistricting critical issues the board would be facing over the next six months. Ms. Taylor said the public must be more involved and more aware of school board’s decisions and actions before they take place.
Ms. Sheridan has been on the board for three years and said she is running for the one-year seat because she is working on her master’s degree in Special Education and does not want to make the three-year commitment. But she wants to see some projects finished out, such as redistricting and the referendum.
Ms. Sheridan also said she wants to make sure the district’s curriculum continues to meet the state core curriculum standards at a time when there are changes in the student body’s needs, such as the need for English as a Second Language teachers and special education.
"I want to make sure the curriculum can meet all of these different changes," she said.
Ms. Sheridan was a teacher in Elizabeth schools and is the parent of three children. "I can bring a perspective of different things because I taught and have three kids in the school system," she said.
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‘Our future means of communication can be increased through the use of e-mail and electronic bulletin boards.’ Steve Sloan, candidate |
Mr. Sloan, an attorney, who joined the board filling an unexpired seat in May, said he feels he can make a very positive impact on the school board in the communications aspect as well as in redistricting, strategic planning and the task force.
He plans on working to develop an interactive exchange with the public, including researching what other districts have done to communicate frequently with the public.
"Our future means of communication can be increased through the use of e-mail and electronic bulletin boards," he said.
He also said he would like to work on reducing the district’s legal expenses.
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‘I can bring leadership and an understanding of what a board member’s responsibility is.’ Neil Hudes, candidate |
Mr. Hudes also has teaching experience and had served on the Hillsborough Education Foundation. Mr. Hudes is an administrator at Hunterdon Medical Center. Mr. Hudes believed the board’s biggest issues would be the budget, the upcoming Auten Road and middle school construction projects and filling vacant personnel positions within the school system.
"I can bring leadership and an understanding of what a board member’s responsibility is," Mr. Hudes said in November.
Mr. Plaskon has been on the board for six years. He works for AT&T in Basking Ridge in product responsibilities.
He finds three items facing the board in the next three years: The first is the implementation of the facilities project, which will also include maintaining buildings and keeping them safe. The second is staff recruitment and retention, and the third, Mr. Plaskon said, is "maintaining educational excellence while maintaining a reasonable set of taxes."
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‘People talk about issues and I’m good at getting to the bottom of the issue based on fact.’ Ed Plaskon, candidate |
Mr. Plaskon also said he could bring "common sense" to the board.
"People talk about issues and I’m good at getting to the bottom of the issue based on fact," he said. Since he has served on the school board he can also bring his experience, he added.
Challenger Mr. Brennan works in planning for Informative Systems Services, Inc. and ShopRite in Hillsborough. He said he has been finding issues with the board and will have four children coming into the school system over the next few years.
"I would like to see Hillsborough be the leader of education in Somerset County," he said.
He also said taxes continue to rise but the education is getting worse. Mr. Brennan said he could bring strategic and analyst planning to the board.
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‘I would like to see Hillsborough be the leader of education in Somerset County.’ Michael Brennan, candidate |
He said he could try to keep the board on track with budgets and projects and what is or is not a good way to proceed for the future.