Hi, I’m Trish Azeez, and I’m running for the South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education.

For more than a decade, my husband, our two children, and I have called South Orange home. Like many families, we have experienced both the strengths of our school district and the frustration of seeing children’s needs go unmet. Our children have very different learning needs, and their experiences have reinforced a belief that I hope we all share: every student deserves to be seen, challenged, supported, and valued as an individual.

One of my greatest strengths is that I see children. I recognize their potential, even when it may not be immediately visible to others. My background in economics and finance taught me to weigh evidence and consider long-term consequences before making decisions, while my experiences as a parent and martial arts teacher in our community showed me what children can accomplish when someone understands how they learn, believes in what they can become, and gives them the tools to succeed.

Careful analysis. Meaningful accountability. An unwavering belief in the potential of every child. That is the mindset I will bring to the Board.

A PERSONAL NOTE ABOUT MY FAMILY

I'm one generation removed from poverty, and education is the reason I'm where I am today. I know the stakes and the chance an education can make – sometimes the only chance. And that's exactly why, after seven years of navigating SOMSD for my own children, I made the hard decision to pull my children out the district this year. The district couldn't meet either child where they were – unable to provide the support they required: a IEP that was never delivered; the other, unable to provide a plan to keep her academically challenged. As a result my son is now homeschooled, with the hope that he’ll return to the district in the future, and my daughter is at a STEM school.  Families shouldn’t have to face that decision - and that is why I am running for BOE. Every child deserves the chance.

Read my full candidate statement to learn more about me and why I'm running.