2011-12 Manalapan-Englishtown BOE Candidates Roundup

Three seats on the Manalapan-Englishtown Board of Education are up for contest, and four Manalapan candidates entered the race for the upcoming school board election on Wednesday, April 27.

The candidates, as they will appear on the ballot, are Ralph Cafaro, Martin Spindel, Michele Stipelman, and Dotty Porcaro.

Stipelman is the only incumbent in the race. The other two seats will be vacated by Board President Donna Formoso, who has served since 2002, and Board Member Dr. Valerie Maglione who was appointed to the Board to fill an unexpired term in late 2006 and then ran successfully for a three-year term in 2008.

When Superintendent John J. Marciante Jr. presented the school budget to senior citizens at Covered Bridge on April 7, Cafaro, Stipelman, and Porcaro introduced themselves in a meet-and-greet. Spindel, who said he was unable to attend that afternoon, spoke to Patch at a later date.

Here is some additional information about the candidates and what they had to say about their bids:

Ralph Cafaro is the only newcomer in the race and the only candidate with children who currently attend district schools.

“I know no other way to be involved but to take initiative and be active within the community and be part of the process – that was important for me,” said Cafaro to the seniors. “So I decided to run and basically, I want to be around to help get through this budget. And the times that we have ahead might be tough, but I think we can all benefit from the education that our children get and the time spent being part of this system and the school board itself,” he added.

He encouraged the seniors to be a part of the process as well by voting on April 27.  

Martin Spindel is a retired teacher, having taught history, special education, and driver’s education in New York City schools for over 30 years. He served two terms on the Manalapan Board of Education from 1999 to 2005. Following this service, he was honored by the Board of Education for his contributions, according to the News Transcript. 

Spindel also served on the board in 2010, contributing to the budget process, but his bid for reelection to a three-year term was unsuccessful.

“I have a great deal of respect for the people on the board now and for the administration. They  put the kids first and get most out of every buck,” Spindel said in an exclusive interview.

He said he is seeking reelection because he is increasingly concerned about the growing power of the federal government and its influence on the national curriculum.

“I’m very concerned about how they’re going to be evaluating teachers,” said Spindel.

He said that changes can be made to the way teachers are evaluated, but expressed concern about over-reliance on standardized test scores in that process as well as in the curriculum. Spindel said that his background as an educator will help guide the district as it deals with these pertinent issues.

Michelle Stipelman is the sole incumbent in the race. She has been a resident of Manalapan for 26 years and is the mother of three successful and grown children who all attended Manalapan schools.

“It is important that we continue to maintain that quality of education for those students who are going up,” Stipelman said.

Stipleman also talked about the school budget since she has worked on it with the current board. She said that she would have liked to have seen no tax increase, but ultimately the slight increase helps maintain quality.

Stipelman had asked the Board to introduce a budget with a tax levy under the 2 percent cap, but her colleagues did not support her motion. Ultimately, this is a school budget she supports and voted to introduce.

“I do hope that you will consider voting for me. I will promise that I do watch the budget, I watch the dollars – that’s my reputation on the school board, as somebody who does watch the dollars,” said Stipelman.  “But you have to waive the dollars with the value that we get, and we do get a good value for our money in Manalapan,” she concluded.  

Stipelman has previous experience on with the Board of Education. In 2004, she lost a reelection bid after serving for 13 years; at one point during her lengthy tenure, she held the role of Board President. In 2010, she ran successfully for a seat and completed a one-year unexpired term.

The final candidate on the ballot, Dotty Porcaro, has lived in Manalapan for about 20 years. She is the mother of two adult children, both of whom graduated from the Manalapan-Englishtown school system.

“I would appreciate it if you would come out and vote and support the budget. Because, I know a lot of people say, ‘Well you know, I don’t have children in the system anymore,’” said Porcaro. “But education is very important and you know the importance of that. And we do strive to provide a quality education,” she added.

Porcaro is also a former Board Member. According to the News Transcript, in 2006, she resigned abruptly in the middle of her second three-year term, citing frustrations with her colleagues and health concerns. (Maglione was appointed to fill the unexpired term.)

“I no longer have the will or desire to sit on this Board of Education because things are never going to change. I'm tired of feeling ineffective and watching the Board accomplish nothing," wrote Porcaro in her letter that was read before the board in October 2006.

Her attempt to rescind the resignation was denied by the Board.

In her introduction on April 7 to the seniors, Porcaro said she has always been a “staunch supporter” of the school system.

For local voting information, be sure to visit the school district website.

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