David Fischer

David Fischer

Education

Bachelor's

Montclair State University

Personal

Profession

Sales/substitute teacher

David Fischer was a candidate for at-large representative on the Brick Township Board of Education in New Jersey. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. David Fischer lost the general election on November 3, 2015.

Fisher ran unsuccessfully for election to the board in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Biography

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Fisher is self-employed in sales in addition to working as a substitute teacher in the Freehold Regional High School District. He earned a B.A. in history from Montclair State University, where he was pursuing an M.A. in history at the time of his candidacy.

Elections

2015

See also: Brick Township Public Schools elections (2015)

Opposition

The Brick Township Board of Education consists of seven nonpartisan members who are elected at large to three-year terms. Four seats on the Brick Township Public Schools advisory board were up for general election on November 3, 2015. The at-large seats of incumbents Michael Conti, Frank Pannucci Jr. and Susan Suter were on the ballot for three-year terms. A fourth one-year term was on the ballot due to a resignation on the board.

Newcomers Victoria Pakala, Stephanie Wohlrab and John Lamela won election to three-year terms, while George White defeated former board member John Talty for a one-year term.

None of the three incumbents filed to run for re-election, though Talty, the member who resigned from the board in April 2015, ran for his former seat. He left the board to recover from heart surgery and he faced challenger White in his bid to return. The race for the three three-year term seats attracted a total of 10 candidates: Walter Campbell, Madeline Colagiovanni-Iannarone, Leonard Figula, Victor Finamore, David Fischer, Lamela, Pakala, Lawrence Reid, Lois Turner and Wohlrab. Campbell, Reid, Turner and Talty were running as part of a slate called Progress Not Politics.

Results

Brick Township Board of Education, At-large (3-year term), General Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Victoria Pakala	16.6%	4,006
Stephanie Wohlrab	15.9%	3,831
John Lamela	14.5%	3,491
Lois Turner	10.1%	2,427
Madeline Colagiovanni-Iannarone	9.7%	2,338
Walter Campbell	9.1%	2,194
Lawrence Reid	7.3%	1,771
David Fischer	6.6%	1,591
Leonard Figula	5.8%	1,388
Victor Finamore	4.1%	993
Write-in votes	0.33%	79
Total Votes		24,109
Source: Ocean County, "2015 General Election November 3, 2015, Official Results," accessed November 20, 2015

Funding

Fischer reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission as of October 27, 2015.

Endorsements

Fischer did not receive any official endorsements in this election.

2014

See also: Brick Township Public Schools elections (2014)

Two seats on the Brick Township school board were up for election on November 4, 2014. At-large incumbents Sharon Cantillo and Lawrence K. Reid ran for re-election as a slate. Returning candidates John Barton and David Fischer challenged them in the general election.

Results

Brick Township Public Schools,
At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Sharon Cantillo Incumbent	35.1%	7,053
	Nonpartisan	John Barton	23.2%	4,658
	Nonpartisan	David Fischer	22.4%	4,505
	Nonpartisan	Lawrence K. Reid Incumbent	19%	3,814
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.4%	87
Total Votes				20,117
Source: Ocean County Clerk, "General Election Unofficial Results," November 12, 2014

Funding

Fischer reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission as of October 13, 2014.

Endorsements

Fischer did not receive any official endorsements.

2013

See also: Brick Township Public Schools elections (2013)

Fischer ran for election against Karyn Cusanelli, John Barton and John Talty on November 5, 2013.

Results

Brick Township Public Schools, At-large General Election, 3-year term, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Karyn Cusanelli Incumbent	32%	7,566
	Nonpartisan	John Talty Incumbent	24.6%	5,813
	Nonpartisan	David Fischer	21.5%	5,078
	Nonpartisan	John Barton	21.5%	5,076
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.3%	76
Total Votes				23,609
Source: Ocean County Clerk, "Official Results," November 14, 2013

Funding

Fischer reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

2012

Brick Township Public Schools, At-large General Election, 3-year terms, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Susan J. Suter	16.5%	8,464
	Nonpartisan	Frank Pannucci, Jr.	17.5%	8,970
	Nonpartisan	Michael R. Conti	14.3%	7,306
	Nonpartisan	Lois Turner	11.5%	5,896
	Nonpartisan	Richard Lau	11.5%	5,893
	Nonpartisan	David Fischer	10.7%	5,464
	Nonpartisan	Walter F. Campbell	10.5%	5,372
	Nonpartisan	Victor Fanelli	7.6%	3,880
Total Votes				51,245
Source: Asbury Park Press, "School board election results," November 7, 2012 These results are unofficial.

2011

Brick Township Public Schools, At-large General Election, 3-year terms, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Sharon Kight	22.4%	6,410
	Nonpartisan	Lawrence K. Reid	18.1%	5,177
	Nonpartisan	Vicky Leone	15.5%	4,434
	Nonpartisan	Konstantine Goulas	13.1%	3,752
	Nonpartisan	Robert Merola	13.1%	3,750
	Nonpartisan	John Barton	8.9%	2,540
	Nonpartisan	David Fischer	8.5%	2,430
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.5%	149
Total Votes				28,642
Source: Ocean County Clerk, "2011 School Election County of Ocean Official Results," accessed September 8, 2014

Campaign themes

2015

Fischer answered the following questions from Brick Shorebeat about issues in the district:

“	Do you currently receive any public salary compensation? If so, from what public agency? Yes, from the Freehold Regional High School System as a Substitute Teacher. Have you ever previously held an elected office in Brick or elsewhere? No. As it presently stands, the administration of the Brick school district remains in flux. What should the academic priorities of our administrators be over the next three years? The Brick school academics need to be addressed. We must work from the early grades to help the students understand the value of an education. It is not too early in the elementary schools to bring in speakers to engage the students in the wonders of learning that are yet to come. One of the tasks I would put to administrators is outlined in my answer to question #2. In addition, administrators should work with all teachers, especially those with many years of experience, in the implementation of curriculum and the policies that guide the academic growth of our schools. At its core, a public school district will always be judged based on the achievement of its students. Though Brick’s performance has improved in some areas in recent years based on state data, that same data has repeatedly shown that the Brick district lags in the category of college and career readiness. In a competitive state like New Jersey, what specific initiatives should be put into place to ensure that Brick students will be able to compete in both college and the marketplace with their peers who reside in the state’s highest-performing districts? In the middle schools we need to have speakers from various colleges visit and talk with students about the many opportunities available to them. Then show that it is a simple matter to focus on what they want to achieve and promote work with the advisors in the school to guide them to the correct courses. In the High Schools, we need to implement a college-course credit program. This would allow students to take high school classes and receive college credit. Many schools in the State have implemented this type of program with great success. It is simple to implement as it only requires a teacher with a Masters or Doctorate and the cooperation of a local college. Most Board of Education meetings are extremely lightly attended. On some occasions, concern has been expressed that not enough parents are engaged in the academic aspects of the school experience. What specific ways can the district better engage parents and members of the community with the aim of bringing them into discussions on academic achievement? I believe that more parents are engaged than the attendance at meetings may indicate. Since my wife teaches as does many of my friends (none of them in the Brick System), I hear of the great lengths that many parents go to insure that their children are receiving a quality education. The purpose of the school board is to insure that money is made available to ensure the proper education of the students and the maintenances of the buildings. The educators are directly involved with the parents. In addition, even though attendance may be light at board meetings, the parents and other residents of Brick can watch the meetings at their own leisure by accessing meeting videos on the BOE website. Rather than increasing attendance, an effort should be made to inform all residents of the easy access to the board videos. In recent years, some long-sought facilities improvements have been completed in various school buildings. With the condition and age of the district’s facilities continuing to be a chief concern among Brick residents, which improvements and/or upgrades would you prioritize, and which funding mechanism would you favor to finance those projects? I am very familiar with what needs to be done to repair the infrastructure of our schools. I was an active member of the ad-hoc Facilities Committee that was tasked in 2011-2012 by the Board of Education to determine the repairs, renovations and additions required for our schools to be brought up to date. I was able to see, first hand, the resulting disrepair caused by past Boards of Education neglecting to sufficiently fund maintenance which had resulted in numerous run-down and possibly unsafe conditions. All of our schools need renovations ranging in cost from a few dollars to many millions of dollars for major repairs. The multitudes of problems that need remedy are staggering and will require continued investment to prevent failure. Besides the buildings, an area that apparently has been underfunded is the repair and maintenance of the buses. A small investment to insure that each bus is safe seems to have been ignored for far too long. While the Brick High School has had its electrical system upgraded, the electrical systems and security required in all schools needs to be addressed. The current board still wants only to patch repairs. Money needs to be spent to repair and upgrade and not just ‘patch’ systems, as had been done in the past. Yes, we can do small repairs with $1-million or less but not the major repairs that are needed. Real money needs to be found for the repairs required for the schools and this will require a public vote once we, again, survey the schools. We must develop and rigorously keep to a schedule of maintenance, renovations and upgrades so as to prevent the neglect that had been a hallmark of past Boards of Education. Money has to be spent, not only on educating our students, but also on the infrastructure so as to insure a safe and clean environment for our children that promotes learning for the 21st century.	”
—David Fischer (2015),

2012

Fischer provided the following answers to questions from Brick Patch:

“	Question 1: The issue of school district facilities is frequently on the minds on Brick residents. Please describe your specific priorities in terms of where tax dollars and capital funding should be directed for facilities projects. Do you favor looking into the possibility of holding a referendum for a future capital outlay? I am very familiar with what needs to be done to repair the infrastructure of our schools. I was an active member of the ad-hoc Facilities Committee that was tasked in 2011-2012 by the Board of Education to determine the repairs, renovations and additions required for our schools to be brought up to date. I was able to see, first hand, the resulting disrepair caused by past Boards of Education neglecting to sufficiently fund maintenance which had resulted in numerous run-down and possibly unsafe conditions. All of our schools need renovations ranging in cost from a few dollars to many millions of dollars for major repairs. The multitudes of problems that need remedy are staggering and will require continued investment to prevent failure. Besides the buildings, an area that apparently has been underfunded is the repair and maintenance of the buses. A small investment to insure that each bus is safe seems to have been ignored for far too long. The current Board has been promoting a laptop initiative but they have failed to consider the electrical systems and security required to fully implement this project over the next few years. Money needs to be spent to repair and upgrade and not just ‘patch’ systems, as had been done in the past. Yes, we can do small repairs with $1-million or less but not the major repairs that are needed. Real money needs to be found for the repairs required for the schools and this will require a public vote once we, again, survey the schools. We must develop and rigorously keep to a schedule of maintenance and upgrades so as to prevent the neglect that had been a hallmark of past Boards of Education. Money has to be spent, not only on educating our students, but also on the infrastructure so as to insure a safe and clean environment for our children that promotes learning for the 21st century. Question 2: Some members of the community have voiced concern over the rigor of the district’s academic program, as well as the availability of honors and advanced placement courses at the high school level. What specific policy steps do you feel the district should be taking to ensure students receive a rigorous and competitive college preparatory education in our public school system? I believe that a child’s education is greater than the sum of the parts leading to graduation and beyond. School districts must adapt their academic programs to fit the mix of students and educators so as to maximize their learning potential. The way to do this in Brick is to tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience held by our faculty and supervising educators as well as the current research that furthers our understanding of the learning process. In addition, we must build strong relationships with colleges and universities so as to insure that our programs are helping to make our students college and workplace ready. The laptop initiative recently taken by our Board of Education does not go far enough in this regard. In today’s technological world, we need all our students working with computers on a daily basis to aid in the learning process. School systems that have totally embraced technology have shown that this leads to greater gains in student achievement. I would task the superintendent of our schools with creating an environment where the teachers are free to bring new ideas to his attention, ideas that would be vetted with the goal of increasing academic excellence in all of our programs. Promptly adding, improving or removing programs that coincide with current research in education, which our educators are exposed to constantly through professional development, is the only way to keep our students on track to excel in their chosen educational and life careers. These programs would have to include using the latest in methods, technology and research as well as a strong partnership with colleges to insure that the correct direction is being taken by our schools. Constant evaluation of all programs would also be a requirement to insure we are meeting optimum goals. Question 3: Full day kindergarten is becoming more common in public school districts, and there is the possibility that the state could mandate its availability in the coming years. Describe your support for, or opposition to, such a program in Brick. If it becomes a mandate, what approach would you take towards implementing a cost effective full-day kindergarten program for the Brick district? In today’s educational environment, it is important that we give our children every chance to succeed. Full day kindergarten has been implemented by many school districts throughout the country and it is quickly becoming the normal course in progressive communities. Research has found that young children exposed to full day kindergarten, as opposed to half day, leads to an enhanced ability to read better for content, understand mathematics and science more readily and gives them a better chance to excel in almost all subjects. What’s more, it has been found that these advantages extend throughout the student’s academic career and into their lives beyond. Further, the implementation of full day kindergarten has been shown to narrow the achievement gap between all socio-economic groups. This, to me, is not a question of how we will fund it but why are we not already implementing such a far-reaching educational program as full day kindergarten. If we can find money to replace our bleachers, we can surly find the money to better educate the youngest of our future. Question 4: It is no secret that New Jersey – specifically, its suburban communities – has the nation’s highest property taxes. What specific ideas do you have to generate revenue or realize savings in order to stabilize the tax rate, while maintaining a proper scholastic program for students? Saving money in our school district will insure that we have the resources to properly supply our students with everything they need to succeed. Some of my ideas for helping to save money and keep taxes from growing as they have in the past are as follows (These are by no means everything I would do, but it is a start and will lead in the right direction): I would evaluate current revenue programs and continue those programs that are showing positive cash flow. I would promote and obtain greater business support for sponsoring all activities in our schools. I would task a Board of Education committee to study school districts in other counties and states as to how they get money. I would ensure that our BOE actively searches for donations and grants from not only state and federal agencies but also philanthropic organizations. I would push for a stabilization of health and benefit costs and I would be sure that all of those costs are evaluated yearly. I would require more justification from the various departments when they submit their yearly budget requests. A line-by-line evaluation has to be completed as we cannot just accept their word for what they need. I would re-evaluate the use of solar initiatives since not only in our district, but, throughout the country there have been great success stories with the implementation of solar power. I would ensure that the money and schedule is available for the proper maintenance of all facilities so as to keep repair and energy costs down. We all know that ignoring a small repair now will result in higher costs tomorrow. I would actively have the BOE investigate the possibility of more shared services with the township. I would ensure that the schools be more available to outside organizations when school is not in session and that the fees to outside organizations cover the true cost. Since we have new stadium bleachers, I would look to bring in more outdoor events. I would look to save energy through proper insulation of our schools. This would require yearly surveys of our facilities. I would create a system whereby the people working in the buildings can submit requests or information about problems that may affect the operation of classrooms or result in energy loss. I would utilize the GPS system to evaluate how our busses are being utilized and correct routes and habits to save gas and wear-and-tear. I would ensure that, when we are offered matching funds, that we take advantage of them and not just let them go to another district because of our inaction.	”
—Brick Patch candidate profile on David Fischer, (2012)

2011

Fischer provided the following answers to questions from Brick Patch:

“	Where do you stand on balancing Brick’s resources between academics and sports programs? Given a tight budgetary environment, where would your priorities lie in this regard? I believe that a child’s education is greater than the sum of the parts leading to graduation. There are many factors that lead to a full education experience and it is hard to remove one without possibly hurting the outcome. Not all children participate in extra-curricular activities, but that does not make these activities any less important in a child’s overall experience. All activities, including sports and clubs, bring our community together and help to develop in our children a strong feeling of spirit, accomplishment and leadership skills. I believe that all avenues, including pay-to-play, fundraising and donation support, must be explored before eliminating any extra-curricular activity. The main focus of any school system is to ensure the proper education of all of our children and to this end I would do my best to ensure that our schools never lack in the tools necessary to reach this goal. How would you seek to bolster the academic experience of students with the goal of adequately preparing them for college? What specific types of programs and initiatives would you like to see put in place to make Brick the most academically challenging district it could be? I would make it my priority to ensure that our superintendent was actively evaluating all new educational pedagogies that may be presented through publications or suggestions from members of the educational community. It is important that all new technologies be explored, not only for what new programs we may be able to add, but also to gain knowledge in how to fully utilize what we have already installed. Our educators are our greatest asset, and constant training in the methods of using their resources to optimize the educational experience is important to help attain the goals of a successful student. It is also important that teachers be given the freedom to use innovative techniques to take advantage of a student’s learning style. We must also enlist the aid of our local business community in supporting the educational process through programs that reward those that reach the highest levels of achievement. Many colleges offer credit for select high school courses through programs such as “Course Ahead” and “Jump Start.” We must ensure that our courses meet college criteria so that this option is available to our students as an incentive to achieve their goals. A school’s dynamic is constantly changing and we must ensure that we have the right people and programs in place to fully take advantage of those changes. How should the board deal with public participation at board meetings? Also, briefly describe your views on how the Board of Education can achieve the most transparent relationship possible with the community, and specific policies you would propose that would help meet this goal. An informative and open board meeting is essential to the operation of a school district. The population must be allowed to see and question all decisions made by the BOE that affect the education of the children and the operation of the school district. No one should be prohibited from speaking and asking questions regardless of the time it takes or the time of day. Currently community members are limited to asking questions before the entire agenda is discussed by board members and then after the board members have cast all their votes. Since the agenda is divided up into voting sections I believe that the community should be able to ask questions after each section since actions of the board during discussions on these sections may elicit other concerns from the audience. No inquiry should ever be ignored and no member of the community should ever be chastised for getting up and voicing their concern. Kindness and respect must be shown to those who have opposing points of view; censorship of any kind should not be allowed. Questions must be answered at the meeting and, if the Board does not have the information on hand, then the question and answer should be posted on the BOE website within just a few days. The lines of communication must always be open and accessible by all members of the community. Capital projects – including repairs to aging school buildings – have long been a concern of many Brick residents. What improvements should be prioritized and what would be your strategy in mapping out a potential referendum to be presented to voters? As a member of the Facilities Committee, I am acutely aware of the many improvements that are required for the schools in our district. The heating systems in many schools are beyond end of life and the cost of maintaining and repairing them will increase over time. We have solar panels that supply electricity but to take full advantage of them we need to upgrade lighting systems to be brighter and more energy efficient. The HVAC system at our High Schools are past their life expectancy and almost all replacement parts need to be custom made at a high cost for most repairs. In addition, during the winter, some classrooms get too hot to use due to system controls that can no longer be repaired. A new system would be energy efficient and maintenance friendly, which would save tax dollars and improve the school environment. I would consider it a priority to put the replacement of the HVAC systems that have surpassed their end of life before the voters. In addition to the large ticket renovations that need to be made, there are many small projects that can be completed, including upgrades to communication, wiring and electrical systems, with the capital funds that are in our 2011-2012 budget. I would be sure to present to the public not only the work that has to be done but the benefit to the education of our students and the cost savings over time to the taxpayer. In 250 words or less, please describe why yousoughtelection or re-election to the board, and why you are qualified to represent the interests of the taxpayers and the students in such a position. I consider my background in education and business qualifies me to represent the students and taxpayers of our community. From the time I was 17, I have been managing businesses. I developed my team leadership skills and became proficient at implementing ideas as I elevated my hands-on self-taught experience to the level of managing small to multi-million dollar businesses. For the last 20 years, I have been operating my own successful sales business which allows me the flexibility to be available for all the duties of a board member. I have a BA in history from Montclair State University with an education concentration and I am well versed in conducting research. For the past 22 years, I have worked in various school districts as a substitute teacher and this has allowed me to gain insight into the operation of schools and the needs of the education community. I have many relatives who are educators and they are a rich resource for me whenever I need to discuss any aspect of education. I do not have any self-interest in serving on the BOE other than to ensure that our students are afforded a well-rounded education, that the educators are treated fairly and that our community and taxpayer’s interests are not overlooked. I have every confidence that my education and business background provides a good foundation for me to efficiently perform the duties of a member of the Brick Board of Education.	”
—Brick Patch candidate profile on David Fischer, (2011)

Recent news

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David Fischer - Google News

See also

• Brick Township Public Schools, New Jersey
• Brick Township Public Schools elections (2015)
• Incumbency no guarantee of success in Nov. 3 school board elections (November 6, 2015)
• What happened in Nov.'s top board elections? (November 4, 2015)
• Brick Township Public Schools elections (2014)
• Brick Township Public Schools elections (2013)

External links

Suggest a link

• Brick Township Public Schools