• Incumbent, up for re-election
• Column #2 on Scotch Plains Ballots

A dentist by trade and former professor at the School of Health Related Professions at UMDNJ, Dr. Kulikowski moved to Scotch Plains twenty-five years ago in order to raise her family here.

As her son attended SPF schools, she served the community by volunteering her time in countless roles, including various positions in the PTA and committees in the BOE, and is currently the Vice President of the SPF BOE. 

She is an experienced educator, regular volunteer and successful professional who says the district's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals are "very important" to her -- and her efforts reflect this. She'd like enriched curriculum and highly qualified staff to reflect the population of the diverse student body to help ensure all students and staff feel seen and welcome in our schools.

1. What accomplishments in your current Board of Education role and/or in your personal/professional life demonstrate your commitment to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district community? 

I have been a member of the SPF BOE since April 2009. I actively participated in several committees including Curriculum, Personnel, Finance and Facilities.

I have served as President of the Board and currently serve as Vice President.

I have completed the Certified Board Member training and Master Board Member training through the New Jersey School Board Association.

As a former Professor at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in the School Of Health Professions I taught for over 30 years in the Department of Allied Dental Education and feel comfortable speaking in front of groups. I continue to speak about career paths in dentistry at Nettingham MS Career Exploration Days as requested.

Although currently I have no children attending our schools I want to make sure the children of our community will have the same if not better opportunities that my son had when he attended our schools.

2. What is your vision for the future of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District?

My vision for our school district is to maintain reasonable class size, have the most qualified and diverse faculty members and offer courses that stimulate and engage our students and lead them to seek higher education &/or become gainfully employed when they graduate high school.

3. The SPF School District’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan’s first goal is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to “increase opportunities to develop a district committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion through hiring practices of educational and support staff, curriculum development and student empowerment.” 

How important is this goal to you? 

This goal is very important to me. I would like representation of all races, religions and ethnicities, as well as males and females as faculty and staff members and as administrators too

We empower our students by routinely seeking out their opinions when selecting textbooks, starting new clubs and for two years having student members on the Board.

What concrete actions will you take to actively help our district achieve these goals?

Board members supported the need to recruit new hires by requesting HR to seek out job fairs and recruit from other nontraditional places they had gone to previously.

Advertisements were placed in new and different publications to reach out to a more diverse population that may not have seen our ads in local publications before.

4. Which Representation, Equity, Anti-Racism and Literary diversity issues do you think are most pressing for SPF students?

I feel we need to continue to add books by new and diverse authors as well as stories about students from other lands to our school libraries/media centers.

Our elementary and middle schools have had various authors come and speak to the students. During Think Purple Week Mykee Fowlin had been a featured speaker at the high school for several years on diversity and seeing how the other person feels and how you don't know how they see things from their perspective. I think we should continue this.  

I also feel that lessons on behavior and citizenship should be taught and adhered to  in keeping with the students code of conduct so there would be less taunting or teasing during recess or on the way home from school.

If elected/re-elected, how do you think you could help improve those for our students?

As a member of the Board we make policies and insure that the policies are followed. 

The Board continues to monitor the new hires with HR.

The Board via the Curriculum Committee approves courses and textbooks on an ongoing basis.

Return to the 2024 SPF BOE Candidate Info and Election Resources page.

• Incumbent, up for re-election
• Column #3 on Scotch Plains Ballots

A realtor, small business owner, athletics volunteer, PTA volunteer, and mom of three, this current BOE member has demonstrated commitment to multi-tiered equity efforts throughout SPF for years.

Not only did Tonya Y. Williams grow up in SPF and graduate from SPFHS, once she had children of her own she moved back to the community she loved so they could experience it for themselves. She has the unique position of being able to see SPF schools in the past as a student and parent, and in the future.

A few things she would like to help with over the next three years are “bringing middle school sports back,” “focus on diversity and equity in our school district,” and continue to “focus on school environment and safety.” 

Her experience as a wellness coach "bridges the gap between wellness and academic success by advocating for programs that improve student health, which in turn enhances focus, attendance, and overall academic outcomes."

1. What accomplishments in your current Board of Education role and/or in your personal/professional life demonstrate your commitment to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district community?

I am running for re-election for a 4th term to the Scotch Plains- Fanwood school district. I am the mother of three children with a life-long commitment to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District. I am a proud graduate of SPFHS.

And I returned to Scotch Plains over 20 years ago to raise my children, because I wanted to share the wonderful experience I had in this District with them.

I have been active for many years in the school district through volunteering as a room parent and as a member of the PTA. In the greater Scotch Plains-Fanwood community, I have volunteered as a Girl Scout leader for 13 years, in addition to volunteering in the youth baseball leagues in both Scotch Plains and Fanwood and coaching in the Scotch Plains summer basketball league. 

I am passionate about my children and the children in our town and the educational achievement of students in the district. I want to do all I can to ensure our children receive the best education possible to prepare them for a successful future.

I am a Rotarian and that allows me to continue my community service efforts in Scotch Plains. I am also a local business owner for the past 25 years as a Realtor and a Senior Advisor supporting our seniors in the long term care process.

2. What is your vision for the future of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District?

My vision for our school district is centered on fostering an environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, ensuring equitable opportunities for all.

An inclusive curriculum that represents diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences, making all students feel seen and valued.

A wide range of extracurricular activities, arts programs, athletics, and community engagement opportunities to nurture students' talents and interests beyond academics.

If we could work on bringing back middle school sports that would be ideal.

3. The SPF School District’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan’s first goal is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to “increase opportunities to develop a district committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion through hiring practices of educational and support staff, curriculum development and student empowerment.”

How important is this goal to you?

What concrete actions will you take to actively help our district achieve these goals?

I am most proud of Chairing the Wellness and Equity Committee, or as we refer to it as the “WE” committee. Just recently, I recommended renaming Park Middle School to Malcolm E. Nettingam, our local hero and a Tuskegee Airman. 

As an elected official, my passion drives me to meet the equitable needs of the students. The WE committee is committed to bringing more diverse hiring in our staff, ensuring safety, health and wellness, and an excellent education. The emphasis is on the whole child and social-emotional learning. However, it takes more than passion, it requires the ability to collaborate, listen and respect others. 

Our referendum did not pass, however, my commitment remains the same, a school should be designed as a model of equity, setting a standard for inclusive practices that can be adopted across the district, with continuous feedback and adjustments based on community needs and data-driven assessments.

4. Which Representation, Equity, Anti-Racism and Literary diversity issues do you think are most pressing for SPF students?

If elected/re-elected, how do you think you could help improve those for our students?

The following issues are at the focus for me:

Lack of Diverse Perspectives in Curriculum: Many students still don’t see themselves reflected in what they learn. This includes a lack of diverse voices and narratives in literature, social studies, and history.

Diversity in Faculty: The demographic makeup of educators does not always reflect the diversity of the student body. A diverse faculty is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging and for providing diverse role models for all students.

If I am re-elected and focusing on these key areas, we can ensure that all students in SPF have access to a fair, inclusive, and enriching educational experience that not only prepares them academically but also instills a strong sense of belonging and respect for all cultures and identities.

Our teachers and professional development are ongoing and recently we received a grant for African American Studies to continue to be at the forefront for AP African American Studies.

Return to the 2024 SPF BOE Candidate Info and Election Resources page.

• Challenger
• Column #4 on Scotch Plains ballots 

INTERVIEW ANSWERS

Mr. Greenblatt did not submit answers to our questions.

"I’ve seen it under the guide of terminology like social emotional learning, educating the whole child, diversity, equity and inclusion–you know, terms that on the surface seem great, I mean, a lot of people can rally behind these terms...[but] It’s these social contracts and abstract ideas that we need to be wary of in the classroom."
- From his Public Comments at the 6/23/22 SPF Board of Ed Meeting, at the 01:15:34 mark

Return to the 2024 SPF BOE Candidate Info and Election Resources page.