Dear Fanwood voters,

I am running as a “write in” on the ballot for the school board this November which will also be my 15th year anniversary as a homeowner and resident of Fanwood.

I am the mom of two SPF students and am also a 30+ year veteran educator with a Master’s Degree in Education who knows firsthand that pricey degrees in educational theory mean little compared to actual practice and classroom experience.

I briefly worked as an educational consultant for a huge company before I sat down with my bosses who were 24 years old at the time and admitted to running away from their hated classrooms. Although young myself at the time, I realized the big schemes and sales that drive educational trends and make a handful of people wealthy. I ran back to the classroom where I have been since. I’ve endured workshops that weren’t directly related to my instructional materials and commiserated with my colleagues that most were a waste of our time and taxpayers’ money. Experienced, autonomous teachers know the differences and what they need.

I have also been in the basements and closets of schools where brand new instructional materials were never used but were already obsolete. As a math coach in a school for 8 years, I was in charge of ordering materials and have since understood that accountability and auditing is so important.

As a person with a degree in administration and supervision, I can tell you that we are educated in data, school law, scheduling, and budgeting as principals. If you have competent and intelligent principals who spent many years in the classroom, you won’t need extraneous directors, associate superintendents and such to do what principals are already educated to do.

We’ve all gotten here in life by hard work and dedication either on our own or with the help of our teachers. Mine had a piece of chalk, books, and a lot of devotion. We all want even better for our kids. Schools and companies know that and bank on it. But there has to be a balance. That is what school boards do. Balance. If you think our administrative overhead can’t get bigger, I can tell you where there’s a will and a doctoral degree, there’s a way.

My husband and I moved to this town to provide our kids with a wholesome, safe, living and learning environment where our cultural and religious beliefs would be respected. I strongly believe that parents, not political agendas or school policies, raise children. This belief along with my expertise in education has led me to this decision to represent us as parents and taxpayers on the school board. If you agree, write my name, Gina Walsh, on your ballot for Fanwood Board of Education in November.

Sincerely,

Gina Walsh

2026 Candidate for the Fanwood BOE