Meet Hazlet's Newest Board of Education Member

Thomas Herman is throwing himself into his children's education before they even enter the Hazlet School District.

"It's important to get involved in the community," Herman said. "I'm a teacher, and I was looking around at opportunities to get involved. The Board of Education seemed logical."

Herman, who has a 2 and a 4-year-old at home, is the Hazlet Board of Education's newest member, replacing Sameer Doshi. Doshi was voted off the board in July after accumulating too many absences from meetings.

After an application and interview process, Herman was chosen to complete the nine member board. Herman has been teaching English at Holmdel High School for 13 years, and even created the Philosophy class he now teaches.

"What's interesting is, a lot of people decide to get on the Board of Ed because they are upset about something or they want to make a dramatic change," Herman said. "I really appreciate where the district has been going the past few years, and their long term vision."

And while Herman recognizes every district will face challenges, he said he believes in how the board has handled obstacles.

"There are a lot of challenges and a lot of issues every school in New Jersey is going to face. Hazlet has been doing a really good job addressing the needs of the students."

Core curriculum standards and staying ahead of the technology curve are issues Herman said he's aware of, especially as a teacher.

"What I look at is what types of challenges the district will face in the next few years," Herman said. "Staying ahead of the curve when it comes to investing in technology I think is really important."