Four candidates have filed to run for three seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education: Patricia Azeez, Liz Callahan, Kevin Diaz, and Will Meyer. Election Day is November 3, 2026. Terms are for three years. The following campaign announcement is from Patricia Azeez:
Patricia Azeez
I am running for Board of Education and am excited to introduce myself to the greater South Orange-Maplewood community. One of my greatest strengths is I see children. I see their potential as clearly as the shirts on their backs. My drive is simple: to help every child discover their inherent gifts and develop them to their fullest potential.
For more than a decade, my family has called South Orange home. Like many families, ours has experienced both the strengths and challenges of our school district. We’ve watched our daughter benefit from teachers who worked hard to challenge her while also acknowledging the difficulty of meeting the needs of advanced learners. Meanwhile, we made difficult decisions when our son’s needs changed, including leaving the district, returning when we believed it was the right time, and ultimately choosing to homeschool (anticipating he will again return to the district when ready). Together, our children have reinforced what I hope we all believe: every student deserves to be challenged, supported, and valued as an individual.
So what qualifies me to help make decisions for our schools?
During my 12 years as an economist and equity research analyst, I developed the ability to seek out and analyze information, weigh both the immediate and long-term consequences of decisions, ask thoughtful questions before reaching conclusions, and communicate clearly through both objective analysis and persuasive writing.
But my years as a parent and martial arts teacher sharpened something different, and arguably even more important: my ability to truly see people. To notice what others might miss, to hear what’s being said and what’s left unsaid, and to recognize when it’s time to change course.
For four years, I had the privilege of teaching martial arts to hundreds of children from our community. Every class reminded me that no two children learn the same way, are motivated by the same things, or need the same kind of support. I experienced what it feels like to be short-staffed in a room with students who needed more than I had to give. I also experienced something remarkable: when a child feels truly seen and supported, everything changes. Confidence grows. Expectations rise. Potential becomes achievement.
Here’s what I know. No one runs for the Board of Education hoping to lower achievement. We run because we care deeply about our schools and our community. What separates effective board members isn’t how much they care – it’s how they make decisions.
I’m not running because I believe I have all the answers. I’m running because I know how to observe, listen with humility, evaluate evidence, and work collaboratively to solve problems. When things don’t go as planned, my instinct isn’t to point fingers. My first question is always, “What could I have done differently?” Accountability begins with ourselves. That’s the mindset that has guided me as a parent, a business owner, and a leader, and it’s the mindset I’ll bring to the Board of Education.
Every decision I make will be guided by one question: Will this help more children reach their full potential?
When we truly see children (not as test scores, labels, or averages, but as individuals), we begin making different decisions. And we build schools that don’t ask children to fit the system, but schools that help them flourish.
That is how we build excellence together.
