MANCHESTER – There are six candidates from two different teams competing for three, three-year terms on the Board of Education on November 3.
This article focuses on the “Putting Kids First” team. A separate article is dedicated to the “Manchester Kids First” team.
“Putting Kids First” includes Board incumbents Gloria Adkinson and Laura Wingler, and challenger Paula Ann Fazio. This team has been endorsed by the Manchester Democrats and the Manchester Republican clubs.
Wingler is seeking her third term on the board. She was first elected in 2020, and was re-elected in 2023.
Initially Adkinson, who is seeking her second term on the school board, and Fazio, were running individually but they later chose to run together as a team.
The second team is the “Manchester Kids First” slate that includes incumbent Timothy Poss and challengers Paula Nowakowski and Steven Giordano.
Poss, who was appointed to the school board in 2023 after the resignation of Ken Pate, ran with Wingler and Adkinson during the 2023 election cycle.
The Manchester Times reached out to both teams with questions about their background, reasons for running, what they hope to bring to the table and what the most crucial issues facing the school district are and how they would address those issues.
Wingler said she was running for re-election because “I believe in the progress we’ve made in Manchester, and I want to help build on it. I’m not running on a message that our schools need to be changed because they’re already great. I’m running for stability, consistency, and continued progress. After six years of service, my reason for being here is still simple: making sure our students have the support, opportunities, and education they deserve and keeping our schools strong.”
Adkinson said she was running for re-election “because I believe consistency and stability matter, especially when our schools are moving in a positive direction. During my first term, I’ve seen what can be accomplished when the Board, administration and staff work collaboratively and keep students at the center of our decisions. I want to continue that work, build on the progress we’ve made, and provide the steady leadership our students, staff and community deserve.”
Fazio said she believers “every child deserves the structure, guidance, resources, and opportunities necessary to become successful, confident, and prepared for the future just as I experienced growing up in public schools.”
Wingler and Adkinson in a joint statement noted, “one thing we all agree on is that our schools are running well, and we want to maintain that stability and consistency. We have strong district leadership, and our Board, superintendent, administrative team and educators have developed positive working relationships. Everyone may not always agree, but we work together, and that creates a healthier environment for our staff and, most importantly, our students. We want to keep that going.”
Wingler said she brings six years of Board experience, “including two years as vice president and now serving as president. I’ve completed extensive training through the New Jersey School Boards Association and one of my biggest priorities is maintaining the quality and stability of our schools while navigating complex financial challenges, particularly changes in state funding and the significant increases in health benefit costs affecting schools and government agencies across New Jersey.”
“We have to manage those pressures responsibly while protecting opportunities for students, supporting our staff, and remaining mindful of the impact on taxpayers. That also means continuing to strengthen career and college pathways, special education and student supports, and the academics, arts, athletics and activities that give students opportunities to succeed and feel connected to their schools,” she added.
“I bring 33 years of experience as a public-school educator and coach, as well as experience in negotiations, government relations and community leadership. I served on negotiations teams in my district, on the NJEA Government Relations Committee and as an NJEA Congressional Contact,” Adkinson said. “Today, I serve on the executive board of the Ocean County Retired Educators Association, participate in NJREA Government Relations where I meet with state legislators, and serve on the executive board of the NAACP and with several civic and community organizations.”
Adkinson added she earned “the experience and training I’ve gained during my first term on the Board, including earning my Certified Board Member certification through NJSBA.”
The candidate said “one of our biggest priorities is maintaining the stability and quality of our schools while navigating rising costs and other financial pressures. We want to protect the programs, services and opportunities our students have while remaining fiscally responsible. I also want to continue strengthening career and college readiness, supporting our educators and staff, and making sure students have opportunities to succeed both in and outside the classroom.”
Fazio said “I’m retired but I also bring more than 23 years of management, human resources, and administrative experience. I am currently self-employed as a Certified Holistic Health Coach, where listening, communication, accountability, and understanding individual needs are central to my work. I believe those skills translate well to Board service, where you need to listen to different perspectives, ask questions, work with others, and make thoughtful decisions.”
“I see financial sustainability as one of the biggest challenges facing the district, particularly with rising insurance costs and the need to continue providing students with the programs and support they need. I also believe we need to continue preparing students for life after graduation by giving them different pathways and practical skills that can lead to successful careers,” Fazio added.
Previously, members of this team ran with Poss who is now running with two challengers on another team. Adkinsin said she “wasn’t pleased when it became clear that Tim Poss sought candidates to run against our board members last year who were dedicated, competent, and model board members. We are volunteers serving the students and the community.”
“My role is to support the educational process and respect those who serve alongside of me, not to act as a candidate recruiter. Encouraging or discouraging specific candidacies undermines the neutrality I need to maintain,” the candidate added.
Wingler had an opinion on this as well. “I did consider running with Tim Poss originally, but I was very clear that I wasn’t going to run with him against Gloria. You have to be able to disagree and still work together. Tim and I can work together, and I respect him as a fellow Board member, but I became concerned when discussions turned to replacing administrators or professional appointments and him advocating for particular people for those positions.”
“Through my Board training and experience, I’ve developed a strong understanding of the boundaries of our role. None of us holds a superintendent or school administrator certificate, and we weren’t elected to administer the district. Board members govern; we don’t run the schools or choose who gets hired. I believe strongly in independent judgment and respecting the line between governance and administration. That boundary matters to me.”
As to the two municipal political clubs in the township endorsing their slate Adkinson and Wingler responded jointly. “We don’t see this race as Republican versus Democrat. This is a nonpartisan Board of Education election, and we’ve received support from both sides and our education association. The three of us aren’t even registered to vote the same way and we celebrate that.”
“That’s what unity means to us. We can come from different backgrounds, bring different perspectives and voices to the table, and still work together. We won’t always agree, and we shouldn’t. What matters is listening to one another, exercising independent judgment, and finding common ground around putting kids first. That’s what we believe a nonpartisan Board should look like,” they added.
