Candidate Profiles for Lawrence Board of Education

Candidate responses from Horan and Waters were not immediately available, but below are Drake's and Evans' response. 

NAME: Dana Drake 
AGE: 34 
OCCUPATION: Human Resource Professional  

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and why you should be elected. 

I’m a product of the Lawrence Township school system, graduating from LHS in 1996. After living in RI, FL and Northern NJ, I returned to Lawrence Township in 2007 with my husband Adam and our son Owen who is now a 4th grader at LIS.  I loved growing up in this community and consider it a great place to raise a family in part due to my confidence in our school system.  As a former student and now parent, I believe in its quality and the potential for student success.  As a home owner I understand the value resulting from a top-rated school system. I was encouraged to run for the board by my father, Leon Kaplan, who has served on the board the past nine years and chose not to run for reelection as his latest term comes to an end.   Throughout his time on the board he has sought my advice and opinion on various human resource related topics. 

2. What do you think distinguishes you from other candidates? What do you bring to the table? 

I hope to add to the board’s expertise by bringing fresh ideas and sensible solutions to the table.  With a degree in Management and concentration in Human Resources (HR), I have been employed in HR management roles for nearly a decade.  My professional experience has given me knowledge of budgeting, identifying top talent, training and development, labor and employee relations and performance management.  Most of these competences will be a new addition to the board and I hope to act as a resource as we face transitions with recent state-mandated changes. 

3. What are the most pressing issues facing the Lawrence Board of Education today? How would you approach and resolve these issues? 

The board’s most pressing issues include maintaining academic excellence in the face of financial pressure and the new teacher evaluation system. A school system is a people enterprise.   Students cannot excel if the school system cannot attract, retain and develop the highest quality employees.  New state-mandated changes, such as the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system that links tenure decisions to evaluation ratings can stress staff and damage morale.  A background in labor and employee relations and performance management can help reduce the problems by assisting with a smooth transition. Focusing on the district's budget and curtailing rising expenses, while maintaining a high standard of excellence, continues to be a top issue.  One of my growing concerns is allocating and prioritizing funds and resources to provide programs that support a child's entire well-being, including enrichment activities, athletics, music & arts, and technology. Additionally, I think we need to do more to encourage parental and community involvement in our schools.  When our son was at EPS my husband and I were proud to be a part of a very active group of parents, and a community that took interest in our child’s development.  We need to encourage this involvement, from both parents and the community, beyond the elementary school level.  We have a diverse student body, and therefore a diverse group of parents whose increased involvement can foster student growth and achievement.  Also, continued community support will help save additional money and provide opportunities to enhance the student’s learning experience.

I am Patricia Evans, most know me as Pepper. I work part time as an independent living specialist offering solutions to those who might otherwise need residential care. I am also a consultant for the Silver Century Foundation headquartered here in Lawrence.