Down 18.
Time for Change.
Brad Herman: An Independent Voice for Our Schools.
The current BOE has acted like a closed circle, protecting incumbents and blocking new voices. Twice, they’ve bent the ballot process to their advantage — tactics that may pass legal review but fail the test of fairness. Brad Herman is different. He’s not beholden to the status quo of insiders . He’s running to open the board, bring in fresh ideas, and restore trust. Together, let's drive positive change and create a more inclusive educational environment.
This decline is no accident. The Board of Education has been stuck in inertia, insider politics, and resistance to change. Students and families pay the price while the same voices recycle the same failed ideas.
As a candidate for the SPF Board of Education, Brad Herman is committed to transparency, diversity of thought, and active participation for all.
My name is Brad Herman. I’m a proud father of four and a deeply involved parent in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood (SPF) school district for nearly two decades. I’ve volunteered every school year since 2007, serving as room parent, PTA First Vice President at Evergreen Elementary (2019–2021), 4th Grade Committee co-chair, and Pre-K grade representative. I care deeply about education and even donated math books to local classrooms to help build early enthusiasm for STEM.
Professionally, I’m a credentialed actuary with a PhD in Biomedical Science, master’s degrees in Financial Engineering and Chemical Engineering, and experience teaching and tutoring math and science, including SAT and MCAT prep. I work with data, risk, and real-world problem solving every day.
I’m running for the Board of Education because SPF’s math performance and high school ranking have declined sharply over the past six years, while taxes keep rising. Last year alone, the high school dropped 18 places as the school tax levy increased by $5M. More than half of graduating students lack grade-level math skills. I believe this is unacceptable, and my background in math, science, and education uniquely equips me to help fix it.
I have four children: my eldest graduated SPF High School in 2020 and Rutgers University in 2024. My son is a sophomore at SPFHS and plays football and hockey. My daughter is in 8th grade at Nettingham, and my youngest is a kindergartener at Evergreen. Two of my children have had IEPs and one has a 504 plan, and I will be a strong advocate for students with special needs.
I come from a family of public school educators—my mother, grandmother, and godmother were all teachers—and I deeply respect the work of SPF’s teachers. If elected, I will fight for five key priorities:
-
Stronger academic performance, especially in math.
-
Common-sense decision-making.
-
Transparent communication with the community.
-
Accountability when concerns are raised.
-
Responsible use of taxpayer resources.
I’m running because I love this community, believe in our students and teachers, and know we can do better.
I am a family man and football/hockey/girl scout dad looking to bring change for a smarter SPF. I want better academic performance, transparency, & less waste for our kids, families, and members of the community of the SPF district.
Being actively involved in drop-off and pick-up daily, I understand the challenges families face. If elected, I will push for parent-friendly policies — like banning garbage pickup, non-emergency construction, and leaf removal before 8:45 AM on school days — to ease stress and reduce tardiness.
Our family is proudly multicultural; we have Chinese, Trinidadian, Indian, and Jewish heritage. This is my younger son proudly wearing traditional clothing to celebrate the year of the Snake this past Chinese Lunar New Year. We proudly celebrate this holiday in our household and read books such as: "Bringing in the New Year" by Grace Lin which goes through how the Lunar New Year is observed and celebrated, "Two New Years" by Richard Ho to reinforce that our family celebrates both the Lunar New Year as well as Rosh Hashanah (and of course, the January 1st New Year), and "Mixed-up Mooncakes" by Christina Matula & Erica Lyons which is a story that illustrates the similarities between the Asian Mid Autumn Festival and the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, both observed by our family.
I am also a "Girl Scout dad". I support the mission of the Girl Scouts especially in inspiring girls to achieve leadership roles. Anna Maria Chavez, former CEO of Girl Scouts, gave a very inspiring speech at the Casualty Actuarial Society's (I am a member of CAS) 2024 Annual Meeting last November. I also recently volunteered to assist my daughter's troop for their "Take Action" project. I am attaching photos taken of me with my daughter at the annual Girl Scouts "Father/Daughter dance" as well as from the "Take Action" project site
I am also a football and hockey dad.
Go SPF Raiders!
M Juniewicz
I have known Brad for nearly a decade since our girls started their educational journeys at Evergreen together. Brad is a man of strong moral character and will always stand up for what is right. He has been an active PTA member, class parent, and has served on the executive board giving him a solid understanding of not only the intimate details of the inner workings of schools, but is concurrently able to identify challenges and issues within that need to be addressed and has insider insight on how to effectively resolve them.
Brad has an extreme passion to fight for things he believes in and is hyper loyal to causes he values.
Brad is one of the most committed individuals I have ever met. His son plays hockey with mine and he never misses a game, nor Girl Scout event for our daughters. He is ever present at school and is always one of the first to volunteer when needed. He juggles four children along with his other duties flawlessly. I am confident that Brad would show the level of commitment to the Board of Education that he does in all other aspects of his life.
Brad is diligent, detail oriented and committed. He is a passionate man of integrity and would be an exceptional asset to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education.
Maggie Fram
Brad is not a politician, he’s a parent who refuses to accept declining standards and silence from leadership. What I respect most is that he does his homework. He knows the data, the budgets, and where things have gone off track. He isn’t running to make friends or prop up his own ego, he’s running because he believes our kids deserve better than slipping rankings, rising taxes and excuses. Brad is practical, direct and deeply invested in this community. I truly believe he will ask the questions no one else wants to ask and fight for answers that actually help students and families
Yuriy Bortnik
I’ve known Brad for as long as I’ve lived in Scotch Plains, and in that time I have not met anyone more present, persistent or invested in this community. We do not agree on everything, but when it comes to the future of our kids and the students in this district, we are completely aligned. He cares deeply about student success, fairness and making sure every child has the opportunity to grow and succeed.
What I admire most is his ability to take on more than most people would even consider and still follow through. He manages four kids, school commitments, sports schedules and volunteer work, and he somehow still finds the energy to help wherever he is needed. I will admit I am genuinely impressed by how he does it.
Brad is thoughtful and driven by what is best for students and families.
Contact our Campaign
Get in touch!
Feel free to contact us for any inquiries or to learn more about Brad initiatives. We welcome your feedback and ideas as we work together towards a more inclusive educational landscape.
