The “Leadership That Listens” Hoboken Board of Education slate has rolled out their pro-public school platform that includes transparency, improving academic outcomes for students, increasing community outreach, ensuring student safety, and improving facilities.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The Hoboken Board of Education has oversight over the administration and education of over 3,000 students, and it is critical that we find a path forward as a community to serve those students,” Trustee Alex De La Torre said in a statement.
“We feel constructive criticism is important for continued growth and improvement; we are bringing new ideas based on our experiences as parents and community members.”
Antonio Graña, a zoning board member who chaired of Friends of the New Hoboken High School campaign account in January, said the district has achieved a lot since 2009, but there is still room for improvement.
For example, he asked for the board of education meetings to be livestreamed, as they are in Jersey City, as well as “to publish a strategic plan as part of a set of initiatives to increase transparency and better engage the entire community.”
As for Leslie Norwood, another district parent and first time candidate, she feels the district can do more to invest in their teachers and students.
“Teachers are the district’s biggest asset to improve academic outcomes; we need to invest in our teachers, enhance teacher training such as with embedded non-evaluative trainers, and updated curricula and teaching tools,” she said.
“Currently DRA literacy testing ends at second grade; we’d like literacy testing to continue until children ‘test out’, as it is important to know a child’s ability level to assess if they need additional or different resources from the district.”
More details about their platform can be found on their website.
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.
Looks like the Kids First slate really put the fear of god in the Referendum team since their entire platform is a cheap knock off trying to dodge accountability for their 241mil cash grab. They really should listen to the 66% of the town (mainly democrats) who hated their sneaky attempt to defraud Hoboken. First they hid the referendum last Nov, now what are they hiding? A 25K debt from the Friends of the Hoboken HS Pac?
The Kids First Slate is a bunch of Republican hacks who want to destroy the progress in our schools! A vote for Kids First is a vote for Trumpian ideology and will damage our schools and our city.
Vote Leadership that Listens!
A bunch? That’s usually more than ONE you idiots
Only 1 Kids First Member is a Republican.
But you knew that.
He’s a nice Republican UNLIKE that Leadership that Listens pal who attacked a woman’s reproductive choices… I think his name is uh… C Clark. Mr Grana and his lying crew all applauded him that night
Mr Grana you and your team are a bad examples for all kids
Your lying and unpaid accounts… What’s up with that?
Antonio is no Einstein
Interesting, but the ELEC reports for the Vote Yes campaign show no debts or unpaid accounts, and actually that the campaign ended in the black, not the red. Where are the ELEC reports for the Vote No campaign? There are none, despite spending money on printed material, robo-texts, call lists and advertisements. Vote No, and its leaders, broke the law by not filing reports on where their money came from and how it was spent.
Was curious, checked it out, 60K spent, 35K raised, 25K in debt. A bunch of political money, union money, and BoE family money. Looked into the vote no stuff, apparently HCV reports them raising so little money that they didnt even qualify for an elec. I would definitely think twice for a team that outraised 8-1 and then lost 2-1, a pattern of wasting money. And what was the deal with Antonio paying all those consultants in Connecticut, isn’t Hoboken in NJ?
Trying to turn a Hoboken school board election into a referendum on Trump reeks of desperation.
Try to stick till the subject, starting with the pros and cons of the $240 million high school plan rejected 2-1 by the voters and the dishonest way it was handled.
Trump is not on the ballot. Neither is Biden, abortion or the economy. But the high school/skating rink boondoggle sure will be.
The “progress” we seeing in our schools is, similar what we read from City Hall, a myth, a mirage. School rankings remain quite low, costs remain quite high, and the $241m plan, constructed behind closed doors, did not go nearly far enough on academics. The City is flailing right now and the November BOE Elections provide our next best chance for calling that out. We need 3 new BOE members who are not indebted to the current administration. Then we need to start re-shaping the council to one that is a bit more open minded, not a rubber stamp. Vote Kids First.
That fake comment reeks of Branco- level stupidity, an effort to turn off potential LTL support. Fake news.
True that Pavel is an ambitious Trumper partisan hack, who doesn’t give a rat’s patoot about Hoboken District schools. That is not true for his running mates. I look forward to their commentary on why their campaign has become mean and dirty and vacuous, why they can’t offer a vision for the district’s future. If Pavel’s running mates can’t control him, how can voters trust them with running the School Board?
LTL is running a positive and substantive campaign. They’re out engaging with future constituents, not throwing poo on internet message boards.
Clearly the paranoia has set in with the Leadership that Lies team. No running away from the 241 mil referendum you organized and lost. When your campaign has no platform other than smears and lies, its hard to keep track of who the trolls are. Friendly reminder, please tell Grana and Chris Clark that women are allowed to vote now, we all remember their sexism and vitriol towards council member Fisher.
Behind closed doors is Dr. Johnson is again working with her hand picked no bid architect on a new mega extravagant, high rise, sports center masquerading as high school ? Sure she is. She just doesn’t want the people who will have to pay for it know the facts.
The same School Board members who hid the costs the last time are doing the same thing now.
Time to vote for a few people who will not work in lock step with Johnson and tell the truth, the whole truth the people of Hoboken
Saying your not attacking the other side by attacking the other side by calling them names really doesn’t help you case.
The trust issue is not with Kids First it’s with LTL.
Where’s Ms Leslie’s and her Husband’s ( ABC Chairman ) position on the ABC board’s allowing noise and partying at McSwiggins to ruin that neighborhood
We dont need another power couple with double jobs…
They’ll be building a new school for all lawyers and labor unions while they try to push out Black and Brown students and replace them with elitists kids who have washed up Rugby dads that attack women’s choice to not have kids
Leslie’s kid is the only one in the picture who knows what’s up!
Leave Leslie’s kid out of this, he is not the one running. I am voting for Kids First, but Leslie looks great in this photo for comforting her son.
Then don’t put then your little kids in the photo EXPLOITING THEM for political gain
Maybe Melania Cat should have the cops make a visit
Lets hope the wonderful work at the Hoboken Public Education fund isnt diverted to some PAc for these 3
Leslie is a high ranking member of the 501 C 3 and MANY who donated to the HPEF never were told their money was being used for politics in the referendum!
What else will Ms Blanos hide?
Hides her Election Denying parten
Hides he’s an ABC commissioner
Hides He’s a republican while attacking the other slate
Misleeds Hoboken Catholic Parents in front of the HCA last week.
Wonder if she tells them her real positions on life, children reading about explicit sex in books and other important items a parent should know?
Has ms Blanos taken leave or resigned from HPEF during thsi political campaign? The IRS is watching…