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 has invited all candidates to submit a profile. Election Day is November 3. Read more election coverage here. The following profile is from Trish Azeez.
Patricia Azeez
Being just one generation removed from poverty, I know the stakes and the difference an education can make—sometimes it’s the only chance. I believe every child in our district deserves the opportunity to discover what they’re capable of.
My family and I have lived in South Orange for more than 10 years. Both of my children attended South Mountain, where I was often a class parent and served for two years as PTA Treasurer. Their needs were very different: one needed more support, but was denied an IEP; the other needed more academic challenge, but there was no clear plan to provide it. Where their experiences converged was that neither consistently received what they needed to do their best.
For a combined 12 years, I worked as an economist in Washington, D.C., and as an equity research analyst on Wall Street, where my job was to dig into data, ask hard questions, and make recommendations based on evidence. I later owned a martial arts school on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood, where I taught many local kids. It was in the dojo that I saw firsthand what can happen when you meet children where they are, give them the support and challenge they need to grow, and expect excellence: I saw potential become achievement!
I’m running because I want more families to feel confident that our schools can meet their children’s needs. My experience as a parent taught me how much it matters to listen to families; my professional work taught me to examine the evidence and ask difficult questions. On the Board, I would bring both perspectives—and a willingness to work with colleagues whose views and experiences differ from mine.
Every decision I make on the Board will start with one question: Will this help more children learn, grow, and reach their full potential?
Invest in Students and Teachers
- I expect every child to grow and reach their potential: Our most recent NJSLA proficiency rates were 70.4% in ELA and 56.8% in math, with substantially lower results for Black and economically disadvantaged students. Proficiency should be the floor, not the ceiling! This is a community that should be talking about mastery. We should be clear about where we want students to be and transparent about whether we’re getting there. I’ll advocate for clear achievement goals and regular public reporting at both the district and school levels.
- Are we giving every student the support and challenge they need? Our new K–12 Multi-Tiered System of Support should be measured by whether students who need additional support or challenge are identified early, receive effective intervention, and show measurable academic progress.
- Great schools depend on great teachers: Salaries matter, and educators should be among the last places we look to save money, not the first. I’ll bring that perspective to the teachers’ contract that expires in June 2027.
- Kids need more opportunities to discover their strengths: Expand arts, STEM, and hands-on enrichment, especially in elementary and middle school, so students can discover interests and develop strengths early.
- Let’s turf Ritzer Field already: Ritzer has been in the district’s facilities plan since 2019, and delays have only raised the cost. Meanwhile, our softball players and new middle school athletes still don’t have a safe, dependable field here at home.
Spend With Purpose
- I support the goals of integration, but our method is consuming resources we need elsewhere: We now spend more than $11 million a year on transportation. I’m advocating for easing the strict demographic balance requirement and prioritizing proximity so more kids can walk to school. This could reduce transportation costs, the time and effort spent on fixing inefficient routes, and burdens on families. Let’s measure whether the resources we’re spending are improving academic achievement and student experiences, adjust where necessary, and reinvest savings in classrooms.
- Students who need special education services deserve thoughtful investment: More than $13 million is budgeted for out-of-district tuition in 2026–27. Stronger in-district programs could serve more students closer to home. Staffing stability matters too: short-term savings aren’t savings if required services suffer.
- All our students deserve safe, respectable buildings: Our Long Range Facilities Plan lists more than $400 million in potential projects. We can’t do everything at once. I’ll push to prioritize projects based on safety, impact on students, state funding opportunities, and the cost of further delay.
Listen. Measure. Improve.
- Data should help us identify which students are underserved: I support using data we already collect to close persistent achievement gaps, expand advanced learning opportunities, and communicate clearly with families about both needs and progress.
- Our strategic plan should be something we can actually measure: I believe the district’s new five-year plan needs measurable goals, timelines, aligned budgets, and regular public progress reports.
- Black student achievement matters: I will support our Black students by continuing the work beyond the BPW settlement. Court monitoring has ended, but persistent achievement gaps remain. I’ll advocate for continued progress on the Rutgers recommendations while measuring whether that work is improving outcomes for Black students.
- Every student should feel safe, welcome, and like they belong: I’ll push for clearer public reporting from the NJ School Climate Survey and deeper HIB analysis to identify where students are struggling and how we can improve school climate and culture.
- I want to hear from families we don’t hear from enough: I’d like to create a Community Engagement Task Force with ambassadors from communities historically underrepresented in district conversations—to rebuild trust, broaden participation, and create a more direct path for families to bring concerns and ideas to district leadership.
Campaign manger: Nubia DuVall Wilson, Former BOE President 2025; 2nd VP 2023 & 2024
Website: trishforboe.com
Instagram: @trishforboe
Facebook: Trish Azeez for SOMA Board of Education
