News articles - Statements - Answers to Questions
- Elissa Malespina Wants Your Vote - Tapinto
- Elissa Malespina Declares Her Candidacy for SOMSD BOE - Village Green
- Elissa Malespina Candidates Profile - Village Green
- Elissa's Statement about the new K-2 and Middle School Virtual Schedule
- Elissa Answers to the SOMA Families for Effective Instruction Part 1 Questions
- Elissa is the Advocate We Need on the Board of Education
- Elissa will ensure real change for all students in our district
- Elissa's answers to the SEPAC questions
- Elissa's answers to the SOMA Effective Parents Questions
Black Parents Workshop Questions and Response:
The BPW sent all the candidates the following questions. Here is my response. I hope all candidates chose to respond to the questions and publish their answers.
Dear Candidates,
At this point we have seen everyone’s position on equity. As you know, the Black Parents Workshop has settled its lawsuit with the South Orange Maplewood School District.
Have you read the settlement? Also, what is your view on the Board’s role regarding the requirements of the lawsuit and specifically addressing issues regarding equity in education and discipline? I have attached the settlement agreement for your convenience.
Generally, you all correctly state in your various responses that board members are not responsible for implementing policies, but only passing policies.
However, in your view, does that also apply to legal settlements? What do you view the Board’s role to be in ensuring the district’s compliance with the settlement agreement and respective requirements since all there will be is the implementation of Dr. Fergus’s K-12 comprehensive equity plan that has yet to be released?
In addition, since the lawsuit is settled, there is no conflict of interest or recusal issues that prevent your response. Further, no potential conflict of interest or recusal matter can be imputed to a candidate of public office. Of course, you are always free to obtain advice of counsel for any matter as a candidate.
My reply:
One of the main reasons I ran for BOE was to make sure that the terms of the settlement are implemented properly. Our district has a long history of not doing what it is supposed to do, even after it agrees to do so. Had the district followed through on its agreement with the Office of Civil Rights and the ACLU there would have been no reason for my family, and four other families to sue the district and force it to take the steps necessary to address equity issues. I am happy that there are checks and balances built into the settlement which make it so that the district will be held accountable if it is not adhering to the terms of the settlement. I would not have signed the settlement agreement if those checks and balances were not in place.
The BOE is supposed to be a policy and governance body. For too long the Board has seen this as cause to be hands-off. While I don’t think it is the board’s role to constantly overrule and micromanage the professionals it hires to run the day-to-day operation of the district, it IS the board’s job to ensure that the district is working hard to adhere to policy. It is the board’s job to constantly revisit policy with district administration to make sure It is working as expected. It is the board’s job to draft policy, yes -- but the piece it constantly neglects is governance. I will not be a board member who blindly trusts the administration to do the right thing because I’ve seen far too many instances where that trust was misplaced.
As an educator, I know the right questions to ask the administration, who are ultimately in charge of the implementation. I will vote no on any budget, policy, or program put in front of the BOE by the administration that does not include the resources or supports necessary to make sure this settlement agreement succeeds. I will also explain to the public exactly why I am voting no.
I believe the BOE must make sure the following things are being done as laid out in the agreement.
That there is money in the budget to fully fund the integration program and the support necessary to make sure more students are not only enrolling but succeeding in advanced level courses.
That the public is receiving in a timely and ongoing manner reports from the administration on the class enrollment of students by race & gender in grades 6-12 and also on the number of kids suspended and expelled.
Dear Candidates,
At this point we have seen everyone’s position on equity. As you know, the Black Parents Workshop has settled its lawsuit with the South Orange Maplewood School District.
Have you read the settlement? Also, what is your view on the Board’s role regarding the requirements of the lawsuit and specifically addressing issues regarding equity in education and discipline? I have attached the settlement agreement for your convenience.
Generally, you all correctly state in your various responses that board members are not responsible for implementing policies, but only passing policies.
However, in your view, does that also apply to legal settlements? What do you view the Board’s role to be in ensuring the district’s compliance with the settlement agreement and respective requirements since all there will be is the implementation of Dr. Fergus’s K-12 comprehensive equity plan that has yet to be released?
In addition, since the lawsuit is settled, there is no conflict of interest or recusal issues that prevent your response. Further, no potential conflict of interest or recusal matter can be imputed to a candidate of public office. Of course, you are always free to obtain advice of counsel for any matter as a candidate.
My reply:
One of the main reasons I ran for BOE was to make sure that the terms of the settlement are implemented properly. Our district has a long history of not doing what it is supposed to do, even after it agrees to do so. Had the district followed through on its agreement with the Office of Civil Rights and the ACLU there would have been no reason for my family, and four other families to sue the district and force it to take the steps necessary to address equity issues. I am happy that there are checks and balances built into the settlement which make it so that the district will be held accountable if it is not adhering to the terms of the settlement. I would not have signed the settlement agreement if those checks and balances were not in place.
The BOE is supposed to be a policy and governance body. For too long the Board has seen this as cause to be hands-off. While I don’t think it is the board’s role to constantly overrule and micromanage the professionals it hires to run the day-to-day operation of the district, it IS the board’s job to ensure that the district is working hard to adhere to policy. It is the board’s job to constantly revisit policy with district administration to make sure It is working as expected. It is the board’s job to draft policy, yes -- but the piece it constantly neglects is governance. I will not be a board member who blindly trusts the administration to do the right thing because I’ve seen far too many instances where that trust was misplaced.
As an educator, I know the right questions to ask the administration, who are ultimately in charge of the implementation. I will vote no on any budget, policy, or program put in front of the BOE by the administration that does not include the resources or supports necessary to make sure this settlement agreement succeeds. I will also explain to the public exactly why I am voting no.
I believe the BOE must make sure the following things are being done as laid out in the agreement.
That there is money in the budget to fully fund the integration program and the support necessary to make sure more students are not only enrolling but succeeding in advanced level courses.
That the public is receiving in a timely and ongoing manner reports from the administration on the class enrollment of students by race & gender in grades 6-12 and also on the number of kids suspended and expelled.
- That our curriculum is in compliance with the state-mandated Amistad Black History curriculum.
- That the district is recruiting, hiring, supporting, and retraining minority staff members.
- That the Black Parents Workshop has a say in the development of the integration plan
- That the implementation plan is beginning in the Fall of 2021. COVID can not and should not be an excuse.
soma justice - pares report card response
My Personal Statement:
To SOMA Justice and PARES Committee,
I have a proven track record of fighting for our special needs and BIOPIC, LGBTQ +, and LATINX students. The Black Parents Workshop lawsuit in which I was a plaintiff and was recently settled will bring substantial and historic changes to our district. I stand firm on my record and beliefs I have set forth in my platform.
I welcome any and all questions and am available during weekly zoom meets and greets, at my email emalespina@gmail.com and at my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/emalespina4BOE and my website https://www.elissaforboe.com/.
I have always believed we learn more when diverse voices are allowed to be heard and civil discussion is allowed to happen without fear of retaliation. I believe in looking for ways to collaborate, even if it means we might not always agree. We must all work together to make SOMSD the best school district for our children.
Thank you!
To SOMA Justice and PARES Committee,
I have a proven track record of fighting for our special needs and BIOPIC, LGBTQ +, and LATINX students. The Black Parents Workshop lawsuit in which I was a plaintiff and was recently settled will bring substantial and historic changes to our district. I stand firm on my record and beliefs I have set forth in my platform.
I welcome any and all questions and am available during weekly zoom meets and greets, at my email emalespina@gmail.com and at my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/emalespina4BOE and my website https://www.elissaforboe.com/.
I have always believed we learn more when diverse voices are allowed to be heard and civil discussion is allowed to happen without fear of retaliation. I believe in looking for ways to collaborate, even if it means we might not always agree. We must all work together to make SOMSD the best school district for our children.
Thank you!
Joint Statement by Elissa Malespina and Melaine Finnern
Independent of one another, Melanie Finnern and Elissa Malespina have chosen to opt out of the scorecard questionnaire put forth by SOMA Justice and PARES for the 2020 Board of Education election in South Orange and Maplewood.
As last year's candidates who did not participate stated so eloquently, “We believe that the process to ‘grade’ each candidate is not a true and honest reflection of any candidates’ beliefs and stances.”
We believe in uniting people to work together to make sure our most underserved students have the resources they need to succeed. Our diversity is what makes SOMA so special, and this report card has become a point of division every year due to the subjective nature of its scoring.
Instead of completing a scorecard we offer our individual platforms, which can be found at https://www.melaniepfp.com/ & https://www.elissaforboe.com/ respectively. You can also learn more about us during the numerous debates and forums in October.
We expect that our decisions may bring backlash and negative social commentary that is in no way reflective of our actual beliefs, but we stand by our decision.
Independent of one another, Melanie Finnern and Elissa Malespina have chosen to opt out of the scorecard questionnaire put forth by SOMA Justice and PARES for the 2020 Board of Education election in South Orange and Maplewood.
As last year's candidates who did not participate stated so eloquently, “We believe that the process to ‘grade’ each candidate is not a true and honest reflection of any candidates’ beliefs and stances.”
We believe in uniting people to work together to make sure our most underserved students have the resources they need to succeed. Our diversity is what makes SOMA so special, and this report card has become a point of division every year due to the subjective nature of its scoring.
Instead of completing a scorecard we offer our individual platforms, which can be found at https://www.melaniepfp.com/ & https://www.elissaforboe.com/ respectively. You can also learn more about us during the numerous debates and forums in October.
We expect that our decisions may bring backlash and negative social commentary that is in no way reflective of our actual beliefs, but we stand by our decision.
