Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy

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Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy

Prior offices

Newark Public Schools Board of Education

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Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy was an at-large representative on the Newark Public Schools Board of Education in New Jersey. Thompson-Gaddy and fellow candidates Leah Owens and Tave Padilla defeated nine challengers to win seats on the board. These three candidates ran as part of the Newark Unity slate backed by Mayor Ras J. Baraka. The general election was held on April 19, 2016. Thompson-Gaddy did not file to run for re-election in 2019.

Biography

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Thompson-Gaddy earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Rutgers University. As of 2016, she was an organizer with the Clean Water Action Group of New Jersey. Previously, she served as an aide to former Newark Council president Donald Bradley. She also served as chief of staff to Newark Councilwoman Mildred Crump. Thompson-Gaddy was the founder and executive director of the South Ward Cultural Center, the founder of the Urban Environmental Institute's leadership training program, and, as of 2016, was the president of the International Black Women's Congress of New Jersey. She had served as the president of two local PTAs and as the vice president of the Newark Legacy Charter Parents Circle.

Elections

2019

See also: Newark Public Schools, New Jersey, elections (2019)

Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy did not file to run for re-election.

2016

See also: Newark Public Schools elections (2016)

Three of the nine seats on the Newark Public Schools Board of Education were up for at-large general election on April 19, 2016. No incumbents filed in the race. Newcomers Jason Dotson, Thomas Ellis, Carole Graves, Tamara Moore, Leah Owens, Tave Padilla, Jody Pittman, Juan Silva, George Tillman, Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy, Jimmie White, and former candidate Sheila Montague faced each other for the three seats. Owens, Padilla, and Thompson-Gaddy defeated the remaining candidates and won seats on the Newark board. All three of these candidates were members of the Newark Unity slate endorsed by Mayor Ras J. Baraka. There was no primary.

Results

Newark Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy	21.92%	5,909
Tave Padilla	21.86%	5,892
Leah Owens	18.62%	5,018
Sheila Montague	9.56%	2,576
Carole Graves	8.09%	2,180
Tamara Moore	6.59%	1,775
Thomas Ellis	3.32%	896
Jody Pittman	2.95%	794
Juan Silva	2.29%	618
George Tillman	1.87%	505
Jimmie White	1.68%	452
Jason Dotson	1.25%	338
Total Votes		26,953
Source: Essex County Clerk, "2016 School Board Election," accessed May 10, 2016

Funding

Thompson-Gaddy reported $10,200.00 in contributions and $7,251.12 in expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Additionally, Newark Unity slate reported $37,825.00 in contributions and $25,304.97 in expenditures on a joint candidate committee campaign finance form as of April 14, 2016. The three candidates named on the form were Deborah Kim Thompson-Gaddy, Leah Owens, and Tave Padilla.

Endorsements

Thompson-Gaddy was endorsed in the race by Newark Unity slate and by Newark Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins.

Campaign themes

2016

The following survey was included in a candidate profile written on Thompson-Gaddy by the Newark Trust for Education. Use the scroll bar on the right-hand side of the box to view Thompson-Gaddy's answer to each question.

“ Based on your qualifications and experience, what makes you a suitable candidate to serve on the Newark Public Schools Advisory Board? I have the direct benefit of having previously served as an elected member of the Newark Board of Education and my experiences as a board member coupled with my active involvement as President of the PTA at Weequahic High and Harriet Tubman Elementary Schools have provide the necessary insight to properly address the hefty challenges confronting the Newark Public Schools. These challenges include improving the quality of education for all students, securing adequate funding for our schools, and returning local control to the district. These are just a few examples of the challenges facing our district. Needless to say, there is much work to be done and I will dedicate my time ro finding remedies to eliminate these challenges once elected. Also, I have a son currently attending Harriet Tubman Elementary. As a parent of a public school child, I am constantly in contact with school Administrators and teachers who often share their concerns regarding the overall academic outlook for students. My interaction with school representatives is a tremendous asset. It provides me the opportunity to learn first-hand the most pressing issues facing our Administrators and teachers. Finally, I am a proud product of the Newark Public School system. Our schools have produced some of the most brilliant and talented students in the nation. So many NPS graduates have achieved greatness in their professional career. Today, we have so many students who continue to display greatness. One of my goals as a school board member will be to rewrite the narrative that nothing good comes out of the NPS. I hope to achieve this goal by partnering with parents, teachers, students and community leaders to highlight the success of students all schools. What are your reasons for running? Even though it has been more than three decades since I graduated from Weequahic High School, my appreciation for the high quality education that I received while attending NPS remain fresh in my mind. I vividly recall the extraordinary teachers who encouraged students to excel and made learning exciting. My personal experience as a graduate of the NPS and continued involvement as a parent of a Newark Public School child have inspired me to become a candidate for the school board. I believe that I possess the experience and wisdom to help develop a plan of action designed to improve the quality of education for all of our students. Moreover, the NPS can not educate unhealthy children so I will prioritize a Healthy Schools agenda to address the quality of the drinking water, the air they breathe and the food our children eat. Asthma is the number one reason children are absent from school and in Newark 1in 4 children have asthma verses 1in 10 in the County. Are you running with an organizational slate? I am running as part of the Newark Unity Slate, which includes Tave Padilla A 2, Leah Owens A-6 and Kim Gaddy A-8 Together we have the experience necessary to lead the district during these challenging times. Our goal is to produce high quality education for all students, fight to regain local control, seek full funding and resources for the district, increase school/parent partnerships, ensure compliance will all special education mandates, increase student career and college readiness and improve student graduation rates throughout the districts. Accomplishing these goals will lead to a more successful and productive school district. What are your priorities for the district in the coming year? The priority of the Newark Unity Slate over the next year is to enhance the quality of education for all of our students. We will accomplish this by working cooperatively with state, county and local leaders to make educating our children a top priority. What attributes and qualifications do you consider essential for effective school board members? An effective school board member must have a vested interest in establishing sound policies, which serve the best interest of our students. A board member must be willing to work with community stakeholders throughout the district and maintain an open mind about conventional as well as unconventional ways to expand educational opportunities for all students. A board member must be willing to challenge the status quo and remain committed to those ideals and principles that benefit the students within the district, which may be contrary to the overall expectations of the community. An effective board member must prioritize the interest of the students over politics and self interest. At the same time, board members must be deliberative when acting upon proposals and legislation which impact the students within the NPS. Board members must be mindful of the fact that not only do we represent ourselves, but we also represent the 48,000 students enrolled in the district. ” —Kim Thompson-Gaddy

See also

• Newark Public Schools, New Jersey
• Newark Public Schools elections (2016)

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Newark Public Schools