A mother, a grandmother, a substitute teacher and a children’s book author—there’s no doubt that Bergenfield resident Leah Escott really cares for kids. And so, when she discovered that her local Board of Education had an opening, she seized the opportunity to demonstrate her passion for helping children learn and grow.
“My father was a physics and chemistry teacher, and my mother was a substitute teacher,” Escott shared about her childhood, noting that education has always been a value of hers. “I went to public school myself, so I really feel a connection to the children here who are attending Bergenfield schools.” After living in Bergenfield for over 20 years, she felt like it was the right time to take action.
Escott explained that her goal is to “protect children” from what she described as the “nonsense” of the progressive movement. “I feel so protective over public school kids,” she said. “My motto is ‘conservative values,’ and that’s where I stand.”
When asked to describe the message behind her platform, Escott said that she firmly believes that “parents know what’s best for their children,” and that schools should not be involved in teaching students about gender identity, nor should students be made to feel the need to apologize for history’s atrocities like slavery. “Children have been exposed to so much, and we need to protect them from all of it.”
If elected, Escott hopes to be a “strong voice in ensuring that children are respected and safe,” amid an environment that is “frightening” for students and parents alike. She expressed an understanding that she would have to seek a middle ground with other members of the BOE, as “no one on the board works alone … everyone has a certain goal in mind.”
“Watching [the conservative television network] Newsmax has really opened my eyes to the things that our kids are being taught,” Escott said about the spark that ignited her interest in running for the Board of Education. “So many people don’t know what’s really going on in the world, and the silver lining of COVID was that a reality was uncovered for many parents about what children have been exposed to.”
The tipping point came when Escott’s husband asked her what she planned to do with all of the information she had absorbed from Newsmax—and it dawned on her that she could make a change in her own community of Bergenfield. “They suggest on Newsmax to ‘put yourself out there.’ It really is not my personality nor was it something that I ever saw myself doing. But then the seat on the BOE remained vacant for quite a while, and I decided that I’ll go for it.”
Escott continued that it’s been interesting to run a public campaign and see her own name on signs everywhere, but that “desperate times require desperate measures.”
A few weeks ago, Escott wrote a letter to the editor of The Jewish Link announcing her run for the Bergenfield Board of Education. “We have a duty to make sure that our public schools are educating our children properly,” she wrote. “Throughout the country, approaches to education have been forced upon public schools without the knowledge or consent of the parents. If we just let things take their course, it doesn’t always turn out well.”
In her interview with The Jewish Link, Escott echoed those same sentiments; as a self-described “straight shooter,” she shared that she hopes local parents will put their trust in her. “I want people to know that I will never be a political animal and I cannot be bought. I’m really in it to protect the children.”
The Bergenfield Board of Education elections will take place on Tuesday, November 7. Leah Escott can be reached at [email protected]
Channa Fischer is the digital editor of The Jewish Link and is the resident 20-something in the office. She resides in Washington Heights.
