Seven candidates have filed this year to run for three seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. Village Green has invited each candidate to submit a profile. The following profile is from Bethany Joseph. Read more Village Green election coverage here.
Bethany Joseph
I am a proud, life-long SOMA resident, parent, social worker, member of queer and Jewish communities, and community volunteer. I grew up in Maplewood and attended Delia Bolden (then Jefferson) Elementary School K-6 and South Orange Middle School. I am a proud member of the Columbia High School (CHS) class of 1987. Following CHS, I attended Brandeis University, earning a BA in American Studies with honors. I then attended the Boston University School of Public Health, where I earned a Masters in Public Health with a focus on Health Law, which cemented my belief in a patient’s right to self-determination. I later earned my Masters in Social Work from New York University and delivered the School of Social Work commencement address for the graduating class of 2003. My then-wife, Rachel Baum, and I moved back to South Orange-Maplewood in 2007 because of the schools, diversity, and inclusiveness. We are the parents of two kids, ages 15 and 19, who attended Seth Boyden Elementary School and Maplewood Middle School. Our older child graduated from CHS and is a sophomore at Clark University, and our younger child currently attends CHS.
Professionally, I am the Director of an Outpatient Behavioral Health program for a NJ hospital. Among my responsibilities is training all staff in Handle with Care, a de-escalation method for patient safety during conflict. I also serve on the hospital’s LGBTQIA+ committee, increasing education, awareness, and safe care for all patients, especially queer kids.
Prior to becoming an outpatient program director, I worked in Case Management, providing care and assistance to patients and loved ones. I worked in the hospital setting before, during, and after the COVID crisis. I also have my own consulting business, Bethany Joseph Elder Care Consulting, LLC, which assists adult children and older adults as they navigate the healthcare system and plan for compassionate and safe aging.
After returning to SOMA and reconnecting with my childhood YMCA for childcare for my two children, I volunteered as a class parent and fundraiser for the Y. The funds I helped raise supported hundreds of SOMA families for childcare, preschool, and enrichment activities. I was asked to join the Board of Managers for the South Mountain YMCA, where I served for five years, four as Chairperson. This volunteer experience was crucial in solidifying my belief in being an engaged, active community member. I learned valuable lessons in leadership, relationship-building, and board governance. I want to continue making a difference in the community I love by bringing common sense, compassion, and a collaborative approach to the Board of Education.
Goals (for the Board of Education)
If elected, I have one overarching goal for my time on the Board of Education (BOE): to be a reliable, reasonable, ethical and calm collaborator to the other 8 members of the BOE. It is crucial to come to BOE service with an open mind and without an agenda other than supporting the district in giving our kids an excellent education. This is an important moment in our district’s evolution. We have a new Superintendent, and we have seen the beginnings of stability on the Board under the leadership of my running mates, BOE President Dr. Qawi Telesford, and First Vice President Arun Vadlamani. Above all, the continuity of leadership and stability at the BOE level are critical with a new Superintendent, who needs both our support and guidance as a community to ensure both his success and the success of the District.
As someone with deep roots and a long future in our community, I can see the forest for the trees. I care more about the well-being of the district and the community than about winning a social media battle or pleasing any one special interest group. In a situation of limited resources and competing interests, I will make tough, fair decisions that are in the best interests of the kids and the classroom. Voters, I ask for your trust to be part of a Board that brings the change we need: getting our district out of a period of constant turnover and toward maturity, stability and the long term growth of an inclusive, stellar education for our kids.
