Cherry Hill school board interviews 4 board candidates; 16 residents applied for one vacancy.

Improving communications between parents and the Cherry Hill school district and how to handle students with behavioral issues were among the topics discussed Tuesday by the four candidates interviewed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education.

The school board has been down a member since Jennifer Fleisher resigned effective December 31. She cited the election of her husband, David Fleisher, to mayor of Cherry Hill as the reason for stepping down. Her replacement will serve out the remainder of her term, which expires at the end of this year.

Four candidates spent an hour answering questions from School Board President Miriam Stern and Vice President Joel S. Mayer. Each candidate was asked to answer the same questions and had a limited time to respond.

Three of the four candidates – Diana Frank, Nacovin Norman and Lee Plenn – work in education as, respectively, a literacy and dyslexia coach at Pennsauken Intermediate School, a school psychologist in the Camden City School District, and as assistant director of the Rowan University Academic Success Center and Disability Resources, The fourth candidate, Quadsia Niaz, is currently a technical recruiter for iQuasar, a company based in northern Virginia whose website states that it provides multiple services to government contractors.

The four were selected from a list of 16. The other 12 candidates were Anna Adler, Carolina Bevad, Mathew Brinn, Susan Dermer, Mohammed Jawaad Hussain, Rachel Lippoff, Samia Mian, Laurie Neary, Zeynep Ozdener, Eric Seader, Corrien Elmore Straton and Justin Watson, according to Barbara Wilson, the district's public information officer.

Board President Stern declined to answer a 70and73.com reporter's questions before the meeting about how the four who were interviewed Tuesday were chosen from the field of 16. She said the school board intends to fill the vacancy on or before February 13.

A video of the session is on the district's YouTube channel. View it here.

When Stern asked the candidates to discuss a recent school board decision that perhaps could have been handled differently, each candidate brought up some aspect of the district's recent preschool expansion.

"I wish there was more discussion that had occurred beforehand," Norman answered.

Plenn answered that there was a lot of confusion over the expansion. "I'd like to learn more about how we can make it more consistent (and) how we can make sure that that curriculum is not only accessible to all of our residents but also accessible to working parents."

Niaz stated: "The quality of (preschool) education is also very important in the sense that we need to make sure that our teachers are equipped to be able to have different methods of teaching so that they can cater to the different learning styles of every student." She said the district should hold more town hall meetings, such as a December one about the expansion, when other changes are being made.

Frank said there was confusion about the preschool expansion and said she would like the board to "reach out to parents more and listen to the parents to determine what would be best for their children."

At one point during the meeting, Mayer asked each candidate what, if they could wave a magic wand, they would like to see happen in the district, other than concerning its facilities. 

Niaz said that under such circumstances, the priorities should be ensuring that the district's high academic achievements continue, focusing on special education, finding common ground when disagreements are present, recognizing the district's teachers and providing them with the tools necessary to help each student.

Frank said a more robust and less outdated curriculum would be a choice and also that all students receive the same education regardless of where they attend school.

Norman said the district should ensure more equality in the district's special education programs, make the district the standard by which all school districts in New Jersey are measured and recognize the district's educators.

Plenn said there should be more open, honest and civil conversations between school board members and the public and that topics — particularly unpleasant ones — are not forgotten.

The school board president also asked each candidate if either discipline or restorative practices (defined as "proactive, prevention measures…to build positive school climates," according to the district’s website) was more appropriate for students with behavioral issues.

Frank responded that restorative practices coupled with a "very strong intervention" should be the norm since discipline does not work. She added that intervention needs to consist of having child study team of psychologists, school counselors and social workers with parents, teachers and students coming up with a plan and "providing the teacher with whatever professional development he or she needs to implement the plan."

Norman responded that discipline is part of restorative practice. He added that students must be held accountable for their behavior. "You go over the speed limit, you get a ticket that hurts, but it teaches us that maybe we have to be more careful. ...We have to train our students to be productive adults and part of that is making sure they have an effective discipline and effective strategies."

Plenn responded that misbehaving students are not always malicious and that sometimes the misbehavior is a cry for help. He added he does "not like the word discipline because it is not really a reality … Interventions need to be collaborative, parents (must be) involved (and) teachers also do not need to be isolated."

Niaz stated that more than one type of student misbehaves. She added that, regardless of the circumstances causing students to misbehave, the board should "try to work together with the teachers and other staff members and the parents to help find a solution."

All four candidates said they could balance the responsibilities of being a school board member with their personal and other professional responsibilities. All also said they would be willing to listen to others when unfamiliar with a topic brought before the school board.

Norman is a Cherry Hill zoning board member whose current term expires at the end of 2026.

All current school board members attended the meeting except for Adam Greenbaum. Public attendance at the meeting grew throughout the evening and was ultimately standing room only by the time the interviews of the four candidates were complete.