Meet Steven Redfearn, Cherry Hill BOE General Election Candidate

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The ballot season is in full swing in the Garden State, and Patch has asked local candidates aiming to win a seat on the Cherry Hill Board of Education to share their thoughts before the General Election on Nov. 3.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all contested candidates via the email addresses listed for their campaign. The responses received will be published between now and the general election. Contact edward.callahan@patch.com with any questions regarding coverage.

Name: Steven Redfearn

Age: 57

Town of residence: Cherry Hill

Position sought: Board of Education member

Party affiliation: N/A

Family: Married. Have a son (Camden County College) and daughter (Cherry Hill West High School)

Education: Bachelors in Education and Masters in School Administration

Occupation: NJEA UniServ Field Rep

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Cherry Hill Education Association President (nine years) for a membership of over 1,110 members

Why are you seeking office?

I am running for Cherry Hill Board of Education to share all my knowledge in the field of education so that we can continue to provide a positive culture and climate for all members of the school community.

My experience and background in my work with NJEA as well as working in the Cherry Hill School District will be an asset to the BOE.

What additional measures would you suggest to build on one or two things that are done right now within the district?

I believe the district is moving in the right direction with seeking community input as was seen at a recent "Technology Discussion" forum for parents of the school district. It's important to continue to facilitate community stakeholders into conversations concerning our schools.

If you were to start your own board or commission, what would it be for and why? What issues would you want to address, or areas would you want to highlight?

We are facing a budget crisis that is being exacerbated by less state aid and rising costs in education.

I would like to establish a stakeholder group involving all school community members to discuss creative ideas that could help us get through difficult budgets without compromising the education of our students and the well-being of our staff.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My background experience in the Cherry Hill School District. I am a parent of two students who went through, and my daughter is still currently at Cherry Hill West High School.

I worked as a teacher in the district in multiple schools for over a decade, and I was also the Cherry Hill Education Association President for 9 years. In my last three years as CHEA President, I was also working part-time as a consultant for the New Jersey Education Association in Burlington and Camden County.

Despite being retired from education, I am still working in the field as a New Jersey Education Association UniServ Field Rep in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties. This current role in NJEA has me still very much involved in educational issues and topics in New Jersey.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence that you can handle this job?

In my role as Cherry Hill Education Association President, I represented over 1100 school employees in the district.

During this time, I worked collaboratively with the board of education, district and school administration, and the parent community, specifically with the Cherry Hill PTAs.

What's a motto you live your life by?

What's popular isn't always right and what's right isn't always popular.

What does it mean to you to represent the district?

It would be an honor to be a Cherry Hill Board of Education member for the district that my children attend(ed) school in and that I worked in for over two decades.

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