This fall, four candidates are vying for three seats on the 9-member South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education: Trish Azeez, Liz Callahan, Kevin Diaz, and Will Meyer. Village Green is posting endorsements for candidates from current and former elected officials who hold or held townwide office or higher, as well as endorsements by local organizations. Read more election coverage here.
Will Meyer and Liz Callahan. Photo by Tracy Sham.
I am proud to endorse Will Meyer and Elizabeth Callahan for a second term on the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education.
Together, Will and Liz bring a deep understanding of our district, a commitment to our students and families, and a track record of engagement with the issues that matter most. We need leaders who are willing to stay at the table, build on the work already underway, and provide continuity during a particularly challenging period for our schools.
That is why I am particularly excited that Will and Liz are seeking another term
Over the past several years, our community has elected three new Board members each year, making it difficult to maintain institutional knowledge and carry important initiatives forward seamlessly. New perspectives are valuable, but so is experience. Progress requires not only the willingness to pursue change, but also the knowledge and persistence to see that work through.
And, let me tell you, there is much work to be done. From focusing on stronger student outcomes, addressing persistent achievement gaps for Black students, attending to chronic absenteeism and student mental health, to creating and following a multiyear financial plan and dealing with budget challenges stemming from transportation and infrastructure needs, this is a job in which we need our very best at the helm.
I first endorsed Will and Liz when I was serving on the executive board of SEPAC, the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Committee, where I previously served as president. In that role, I worked with them as an advocate for students with disabilities and their families.Â
Over the past two years, as Deputy Mayor of Maplewood, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Will and Liz as fellow elected officials on issues that directly affect our schools, students, and families. Our collaboration has included improving safety for students who walk or bike to school through improved crosswalks, drop-off procedures and cross guard placement.
One of the most important issues we are currently working on together is advocating for the state to fix New Jersey’s school funding formula so that our district receives the funding it needs. We are also working toward comprehensive long-range facilities plan that will address our district’s aged infrastructure. At a time when our schools face significant budget challenges and difficult decisions, we need board members who understand the complexities of the district, have experience navigating its challenges, and are prepared to do the hard work of finding solutions.
Both Will and Liz bring professional expertise that directly informs their work on the Board. As a special education attorney, Will brings a valuable understanding of the legal and educational frameworks that shape our schools. During his first term, Will has helped guide the district through a period of significant change, including a superintendent transition, shifts in senior leadership, and several difficult budget years. He has also worked to establish a five-year strategic direction for the district, introduce new academic programs and curricula, negotiate labor agreements, and advance major facilities improvements across our schools. This breadth of experience matters, particularly as the district continues to navigate financial pressures and work toward its long-term goals, including the Intentional Integration Initiative (III).
Liz brings more than 20 years of experience in education and special education. Having worked as a paraprofessional and taught in both self-contained and inclusion classrooms, she understands the needs of students and educators firsthand. Today, as a behavioral consultant working with school districts across New Jersey, she helps schools develop compassionate, evidence-based, and collaborative approaches to supporting students. I was pleased to see the Board move special education from an ad hoc to a standing committee and expand both the ASD and emotional regulation impairment (ERI) programming, for example. This shows the understanding and importance they place on the most vulnerable of our learners, who make up more than 20 percent of our student body.
This is not the time to lose the knowledge, professional expertise, and experience that Will and Liz have gained over the past three years. Our students, families, and taxpayers deserve a Board that can build on its progress while continuing to address the very real challenges ahead.
That is why I enthusiastically encourage our community to reelect Will Meyer and Elizabeth Callahan for another three-year term. They have my full support.
Malia Herman
Deputy Mayor, Township of Maplewood
The views expressed her represent Malia Herman and not the Maplewood Township Committee as a whole.
