The “Leadership That Listens” Hoboken Board of Education slate is formally kicking off their campaign, announcing plans to strengthen academic outcomes, enhance engagement, and increase transparency.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“When most schools were fully remote during COVID, Hoboken’s public schools were ahead of the curve, giving each parent the choice of full-time in-person or remote learning” Trustee Alex De La Torre said in a statement.
“In-person learning was particularly important to those children that have difficulty learning remotely, and additional learning tools for students and teachers are necessary to continue to close students’ COVID-learning gaps.”
De La Torre, like his two running mates, is a district parent and has served on the board since being appointed in 2018. Additionally, he has been working in the financial planning an analysis field for 25 years.
“A strong, safe community starts with good public schools, and the district has made major strides resulting in a 26% percent increase in K-12 enrollment since 2014 and exceptional student achievement,” added Graña, who was the chair of Friends of the New Hoboken High School campaign account, which supported the vote yes effort in January.
“We need to build on this momentum and continue to improve our schools through prudent investment in our students and their teachers.”
Graña is also a veteran member of the local zoning board of adjustment, as well as an officer on the Connors Elementary School and Hoboken Middle School PTO. Furthermore, he has 25 year experience in the business management and governance field.
“As taxpayers and long-time residents, we believe the goals of improving academic outcomes and upgrading aging facilities need to be undertaken with fiscal responsibility and accountability,” Norwood stated.
“The January referendum process needed more transparency and community outreach; being good stewards of taxpayer money requires transparent plans for the District’s future.”
Norwood is a 24-year resident of the Mile Square City who is married with two children in Brandt Elementary School and has been a Hoboken Public Education Board member since 2017.
Additionally, she has volunteered for the Brandt Parent Consortium for Pre-K, Brandt PTO, and the Hoboken Special Needs Parent Advisory Group while working as a securities attorney and federal lobbyist focusing on infrastructure finance.
They will face off with the “Kids First” team, which consists of Pavel Sokolov, Cindy Wiegand, and Donna Magen, as well as independent candidates Patricia Waiters and John Madigan – a former BOE trustee.
All eight candidates will via for three, three-year terms in the non-partisan November 8th contest.
Funny, they say they listen but a 2-1 loss on that Hockey arena and now their attempt to bring it back is proof they dont listen
Too bad they dont listen to anyone that doesn’t have kids.
More WHITE CIS men running the town… NO THANKS
Aren’t all the candidates running CIS? Aren’t there 4 women and 4 men running for BOE, including one on this slate? Some pretty Hispanic sounding names on this slate. If you want diversity, vote for Patricia Waiters.
Seems they only listened to themselves on that 400 mil high school.
Too bad
Doesnt that vote yes group have a ton of Debit still?
Uhm ok, no thanks! I’ll stick with Kids First over this monument brigade!
If you think these people will ever actually listen and do what the majority of Hoboken’s voters made very clear they want in the January referendum then I have a $400,000,000 sports center masquerading as a high school to sell you.
The referendum was for $241 million. Even if you add in interest, that comes to $331 million. If you are making up lies, why don’t you go for it and call it a billion-dy dollar referendum?
Is that name a joke?
How dumb do they think we are?
Vote them all out – it will take 3 years, but that is the answer. This entire administration benefitted from covid fatigue and tried to run the city behind closed doors. Trust is gone – its over.
To each other…
Ask Antonio about all the ” Parents with Kids Only ” secret/ exclusive meetings he and a select few wealthy Hoboken Public School parents were allowed to attend while anyone without kids were BANNED! ( excluding especially LGBT residents ?) hmmm…
Same group that had a leader who called out a councilwoman’s reproductive choices while Antonio and team said nothing
This name is an insult to all of us.
Almost as much as an insult when they thought we wanted a hockey arena
But Daddy I want a Hockey Arena for my kid and I want it now!
Screw the park sunlight or neighbors windows or tax bills!
We are the rich white folks who want to push out the HHA kids and replace with our suburbanites
The BOE tried to erect a $330 million monstrosity of a high school, but they couldn’t get it up after the voters said no. Now instead of listening to the voters, they are pursuing an aggressive pr campaign. Instead of calling themselves Leaders That Listen, they should call themselves Leaders That Listen to Sharyn and Malani.
More of Club Zimmer Legacy and their bleaching of all things Hoboken…
The rich white folks send their kids to private or charters that demand huge donations to keep them going. The HHA kids go to the public schools. Where do you think HHA kids go to school?
Big Spenders Not Wanted. Dawn has no Legacy. She was a blip on the screen. Packed up her toys and left as soon as possible, after she handed her dirty baton to the worst choice for Hoboken. Gunk in-between the knees couldn’t save a legacy of tomatoe gardens OR THE FACT SHE NEVER BELONGED.
Funny how he’s always been Alex when he’s in the parks… at fancy parties for school and on the board… but when he’s campaigning on the west side he’s now ALEJANDRO! Spending Star!
Leslie Norwood wants us to believe that she had concerns about the bond, but she was one of the biggest cheerleaders on Facebook, at school board meetings, and at elitist cocktail parties. Two-Face Leslie wants us to believe that she will represent the voters who voted against the bond, but if elected she will only represent her elitist group of parents.
These guys are a complete joke. Alejandro lied about the school tax increase on CBS. Vote these guys OUT in November.