In both her roles as educator and attorney, Jennifer Levy has always known she was committed to creating a better life for children. Time and time again, Levy has found herself giving back to the community in different ways, and now she is intent on dedicating herself to the Teaneck Board of Education, utilizing her expertise in education and advocacy to improve the district. When speaking to Levy about her aspirations, it’s evident that her campaign slogan, “Committed to kids, community and transparency,” is not just a phrase for her—it’s a lifestyle.
Levy grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, and obtained her BA from Stern College. While attending Stern, Levy looked for ways to fill her schedule in between classes, and got her first teaching jobs at the Brotherhood Synagogue Hebrew School in Gramercy Park and the Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies. “Even though I was pre-law while at Stern, I ended up applying to Columbia Teachers College because I loved what I was doing so much,” explained Levy. Ultimately, she obtained her master’s in gifted education and taught informally in New York City for several years, as both a tutor and volunteer.
“I was a little bit dismayed with the bureaucracy in education,” Levy shared of her time as a student teacher in New York. She returned to her original plan by heading to Fordham University to pursue a law degree. While at Fordham, Levy came across an opportunity to be a volunteer teacher through the Street Law program, and began teaching economically disadvantaged students at MLK High School. At the same time, Levy also started her own SAT prep program, Bulldog Test Prep, and gave SAT tutoring pro-bono to the MLK students.
She also worked as an AP history teacher at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School, commuting daily to New Jersey to teach while finishing her degree at Fordham at night. She then took the New Jersey Bar Exam, while still maintaining her position at Ma’ayanot and running Bulldog Test Prep. And as if that wasn’t enough—“there was a lot going on at the time,” Levy noted—the newly minted attorney also obtained her certifications in K-5 elementary education and K-12 social studies education from the state of New Jersey.
“As soon as I graduated from law school, I got a job at the Bergen County Academies, and went straight into teaching in public school,” Levy recounted. “I went on to teach in New Milford, and was eventually poached by Magen David Yeshivah to be a principal.” After enduring an awful commute to Brooklyn, Levy decided to apply for the position of general studies principal at RYNJ, after hearing about the opening while looking into the school for her own child.
“After several board meetings, my move to RYNJ was approved, and I stayed on for six years,” she shared, adding that she also obtained her principal supervisor certification from Seton Hall. “When you’re in a position of educational leadership, it’s important to be certified for that.”
Around the onset of COVID, Levy embarked on another challenge: opening a Jewish high school for kids who are “off the beaten path.” Unfortunately, due to complications with the pandemic, the idea never quite came to fruition—but Levy was inspired. “I got pretty involved in educational advocacy during this time,” she explained. “While advocating for my own children, people began calling me and asking me for help with their children, given my legal and educational background. I felt like it was time to use my law degree for something good.”
Now, Levy works in the field of personal injury law, educational law and family law, all areas in which she can maximize her expertise and give back to the community. “I really love what I do,” she shared.
In her personal life, Levy has faced some obstacles in advocating for her own children, specifically for her son. While Levy’s son enjoyed his time at Lowell Elementary, problems began coming up after he transitioned to Benjamin Franklin Middle School, where Levy was informed that they would no longer have a resource room and that they had changed her son’s IEP to note that he didn’t need one—despite the fact that he clearly did.
Levy reported that her son faced “severe antisemitic bullying,” and that in addition to the lack of resources, Levy was very concerned for him. It was at that point that Levy noticed that the Teaneck school district “could not handle this well at all,” and she met with the vice principal to address the issue.” The whole thing was a little bit of a disaster, all because they don’t offer basic services to children like my son.”
Having worked in a variety of schools, Levy is keenly aware of the potential for an excellent education given the proper resources. “I think there’s really a lot of mismanagement,” she shared of the Teaneck school district. “For example, most boards plan ahead for major purchases or educational decisions, but at the Teaneck BOE, they’re jockeying for political gain. They fail to put topics on the agenda that are clearly important to the larger community, and they disenfranchise parents from having a voice. I’ve seen it firsthand with my son, and I know better as an experienced educator.”
Levy explained that the Teaneck BOE could “do better,” especially considering the whopping $127.9 million budget. “It’s very unclear what’s going on with the spending [at the BOE]…maybe it’s all done above board, but purchases are being made before receiving board approval, and we need more transparency. They’re playing games, and it’s affecting the lives of all of the kids in town.”
She also pointed out the “artificial divide” that the Teaneck BOE has created between kids in the community, noting that outside of school, many children attend summer camp together or play together at the Rodda Center. “It’s become a real divide, and ultimately impacts the socialization between children; they’re pitting the public school families against the private school families, and it really doesn’t serve the community. There is more than enough for the BOE to service the entire community in meaningful ways that unite us, not divide us.”
Levy believes that it is the school board’s responsibility “to take care of all the children in town…our kids must come first.”
“My number one is that every decision must be in the best interest of the kids,” she stated. “My number two is that everyone in the community should be engaged in our schools. I’d like to see more participation from parents—and have that participation be valued by the board of education, which requires a board that is welcoming and open to parent voices. My number three is transparency…I am all about the law, and I think that if the board is not careful with the little things, it’s very hard to trust them with the big ones.”
Levy shared the “heartbreaking” reality of students sharing their turmoil with the Teaneck BOE—whether about a lack of safety equipment, filthy gym uniforms or other issues—only to be given no solutions by board members. “There is a real lack of priorities on the board.”
If elected, Levy hopes to transform the Teaneck BOE with a budget overhaul, in tandem with prioritizing academic achievement in the schools. “Currently, there are a lot of programs being thrown at the teachers that don’t make a lot of sense,” she explained. “I have major problems with the approaches being used in the classroom, and I’m hoping to bring my expertise to bring back a structured literacy approach.” On top of that, Levy noted the “crazy” reality that many Teaneck teachers lack basic classroom supplies; something which could vastly improve the quality of education if corrected.
She noted that three current Teaneck board members—James Wolff, David Gruber and Gerald Kirschenbaum—all have a similar vision. “I fully intend on working with them on this…and I’d really like to work with the entire board to make sure we can make the progress needed and head in the right direction.”
Jennifer Levy can be reached at [email protected]. You can vote for Levy for Teaneck Board of Education in Column One on November 5.
