Let me tell you about me: I’ve lived in Millburn 13 years; raised a family of four – children ages 9 to 18.  (First one leaving for college!) Each has different needs and we’ve been able to meet them in every way, including educationally, being in this area. We are fortunate for the choice.

Arrived from London where I lived and worked for 10 years. I became Managing Director, JP Morgan, a major Wall Street firm, but not the traditional route. Started in ops, moved to corporate finance, and then became executive business manager overseeing $500 million business with 150 people in many jobs across Europe.  I’m skilled in executive management and will bring those experiences to the board.

Education:  Carnegie Mellon University, math and economics, problem solving.
Community volunteer: Extensive, deep and widespread.  Most noted for my work with MSPEC, a start-up situation that filled district’s need to address a difficult problem, embraced and approached it positively. Strategic plan implemented and have had great success with education of community and collaboration with schools.  Sign of success with good relationships – asked to serve on committees from Hazing Task Force to Middle School Leadership Team by Administration but also joined grassroots campaigns for my expertise and link to community. (Homework survey, Race to Nowhere, etc.)

My depth in financial and business management combined with deep productive and successful community involvement gives me a great springboard for the Board of Education.  

What kind of person am I?  I work hard, am focused, very honest, ethical, compassionate, open minded. I embrace differences of all kinds, walk the talk.
What will I do for you, citizens of Millburn, as a BOE member?
"Campaign fever" is in full force…great signs, debates, catchy slogans.  
I’ve been on a listening tour—in each neighborhood—got the strong message for what residents want:  best advocate for our educational health and growth in the Millburn School District, productive, collaborative Board members, thoughtful, fact-based analysis to guide our decision-making.
Character and integrity of the Board members: "Who do I trust?"
As a Board Member, guided by my values of integrity, honesty, putting whole community first, not my own needs or my children’s needs first.
I will embrace the diversity of community and involve our community,  systematically look at what we  can do—not what we can't, respect and encourage civil discourse, recognize and appreciate varying views, allow each board member to present, persuade and decide and remind about our vision and shared goals, why we are here, rules of engagement—set the tone!

The Board should recognize public, not intimidate, and record their comments—they are important and should be followed up.
Rotate the seats! This encourages different relationships and interactions!
As a Board member, while I am very strong with finances, I will ask questions if I am uncertain about what something means. I will not vote based on what another Board member says or does unless I personally and completely understand the issues.  
I will lobby hard for our BOE to reach out to the community officially – using surveys and focus groups.  Not only can we learn about what is on the minds of the citizens of our town and educators, but the best ideas can be generated by those closest to our students.

You have a big responsibility to vote on April 27^th. What criteria will you use? Ask yourself: "Is the Board moving in the right direction for today's environment and challenges?" “Can Millburn be an even greater community and serve our students, teachers and administrators even better?” “Will this candidate ask questions, analyze before deciding on issues?” “Is this candidate a leader?”

I have demonstrated for 13 years a commitment to our children's education and future, and I have the skills, knowledge – and compassion – to be a dedicated effective member of the Millburn Board of education. I will be honored if you cast your vote for me.

Q. In what specific ways should the efficiency and management of our school district be improved?  For example, do you support zero-based budgeting?

A. I support zero-based budgeting process—standard practice in the business world.   Fiscal accountability: Every budget manager from department heads, principals, program heads, special services, and athletics has to justify all elements of budget from headcount to supplies. This forces all to think hard each year about what they need and why. Budgeting on past budgets has resulted in waste, inefficiency, lack of transparency and surplus – oversight was missing. …  Shine the light on spending! Full transparency:  Actual vs. budgeted YTD reporting with as frequent, as practical, reporting. How much is spent by departments in each category? This should be clear as day. …Need summaries and visual presentations of pertinent financial analysis to BOE members and to public.

[The board] should follow board policies -- 5-year financial forecast as required: State-of-department reports presented to Board and public: Constant review of efficacy of educational delivery in the classroom; accomplishments, spending, objectives and goals, top ten priorities, improvements, innovations, efficiencies related to their areas of expertise from curriculum to building maintenance to special education.   Identify essentials so as not to compromise educational outcome. Measure and analyze –“How we doin’ ” with what we have? Assess the quality of curriculum and don’t be afraid to change. Get rid of things that do not work.  Bring in new!

Practice More Oversight:

• Review – curriculum consistency across schools at elementary level, across teams at middle school and within levels at high school for each course.
• Technology plan: What do we have?   How is it used? How can we improve student usage that makes sense? Best practices? Research based?
• Streamlining possibilities, sharing of resources, leveraging to make labor-intensive processes more efficient—such as administrative paperwork.  Share services with other districts across all departments where this is feasible and practical.

Q. Please identify the top three priorities to be addressed by the BOE in the next six months and state specifically what you believe should be done to address them.

A. 1. Review and ensure BOE is following its policies:  oversight is the role of the Board and it needs to be actively doing it. …Must get fiscal house in order.  Follow BOE policies as fiduciaries regarding forecasting and reporting.

2. A strategic plan: Top priority is developing a vision for Millburn so that we have a reference point on which to make key decisions going forward.  I would make a presentation to my fellow board members to convince them to join me in exercising Board policy or making new policy by requiring the  CSA(superintendent)  to a) research best practices for strategic planning across the country amongst top-ranked K-12 school districts b) propose a strategic planning process for Millburn’s effort c) have process reviewed and approved by BOE and  requiring systematic and sustained community input in that process such as a community advisory council (like Westfield did ) made up of current and past administrators, teachers, past BOE members, community leaders, and randomly selected parents and community members who have the time to devote to this process. Immediately review key board policies and ensure they have been adhered to – one I have identified is the requirement for a 5- year financial forecast as required by BOE Policy #6017 and that should be done by the Finance Committee ASAP.     

3. Technology plan: $750K has been budgeted to spend.  What’s the plan?  Best serves the District and our children. Fast –paced changes, need expertise to do this wisely and be leaders, not followers. We are behind in technology yet money has been allocated every year to this??

4. Bullying and character education – the new law means more oversight required, more proactive approach from all schools. What are we going to do? How?   

Q. Identify three strengths and three weaknesses, if any, in the current functioning of our Board of Education and state how you would address any weaknesses you identified?

A. Strengths:

• BOE responded to difficult issues like redistricting and busing and attempted to deal with them. Willingness to discuss and debate with each other and public.
• BOE recognized management practices of district were weak and took steps to correct them by finding and approving new leaders with the requisite skills, strengths and experience that Millburn needs, particularly with the new economic reality we face.
•   Strong support of educators and administrators.

Weaknesses:

1. The Board is reactive, not proactive, lacks vision [on the following]:  

• Strategic plan, Adminstration initiates.
• Analysis [should be] required on every proposal.
• Voting without understanding full consequences.  Ask for guidelines alongside strategic plan from Administration so that priorities for our district are clear.  All decisions must be justified around those priorities.

2. Weak decision making processes:

• Policy adherence: Start by following BOE policies such as #6107 which dictates the responsibility to have a long-range financial forecast in place and notify the public of key issues that will impact the health of the district in years to come. I will advocate this be done.
• No more surprise surpluses: lack of fiscal management and control over our bloated cost base developed over many years.
• Committee assignments – place the best skills in the best job. Change the policy – qualifications, preferences, ensure the best qualified board members [on committees].

3. Lack of Transparency and Measurement:

• Information access: Minutes taken and shared – no exceptions.  These should be posted for the public. …Lobby fellow members that every other meeting be one where Board business is conducted in public.
• Measurement and controls: BOE “management dashboard” with key indicators of how the district is performing ongoing. We are No. 1 rated and have stellar individual student results, sports teams performing well and high test scores – but is that enough? Change how we evaluate ourselves as a district— assess what we do well and how we can improve.

Closing Statement: People with strong analytical skills are needed on the Board and people who are willing to educate fellow board members on their areas of expertise.  Together we must steer the district to uncover opportunities and find better ways to do more with less, but do it just as well.

With over 10 years in community service and a distinguished 20-year career in finance, I am excited to serve on the Millburn Board of Education. I believe passionately that the children of Millburn deserve an educational program that is commensurate with its reputation of excellence. In these difficult economic times, the Board will require members who are experienced and knowledgeable in matters of finance. I see the role of the Board as an overseer of the strategic direction of our education system and I believe the Board must guide the administration in an effort to spend wisely, make more happen with less and retain our leadership role in education in New Jersey and the U.S. I will bring integrity, transparency and a commitment to excellence in this role--as I have done as a mother of four, a community leader and respected and accomplished business executive.

I am running for this Board because we are at a crossroads. We do not have the luxury of spending without accountability anymore.  There is no more meaningful state aid and we will be working with a tight cap on tax revenues for years to come. Rather than be fearful of this scenario, I am energized!

I believe we still have the opportunity – even within the budgets we are facing – to improve the way we serve every single one of your children. I have done a thorough evaluation of the budget and I am certain that there is a lot more efficiency to be had. Our current administration, guided by our finance committee, thus far has eliminated what they describe as the “low hanging fruit” – also known as the single line items within the budget that are easy to discern: busing, world language in elementary schools, possible move to half day kindergarten – but they have yet to tackle  other areas that other districts have done.  Many are rebuilding by introducing 21^st Century curricula and adding teaching staff.  

We need to sharpen our pencils and dig in with an intensity never witnessed in the past. We need to cut non-essential administrative items and direct those dollars into the classrooms. We need to hold our teachers accountable for their performance and keep their salaries in line with current times. And despite what you may hear, I personally was the first candidate to bring up the common sense idea of zero based budgeting to the township. I have two things in my corner that I will bring to yours: I spent twenty years working on finance and I have been an integral and productive member of this community for ten years in many PTO and community roles.

With your vote and your support, I promise to deliver a new tradition of excellence and to make decisions with integrity, full knowledge and compassion for our community and our children.

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