![\"\"](\"http:\/\/hudsoncountyview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leadership-That-Listens-e1787857332749.png\")
<\/a>Photos via Instagram.<\/p>\nBy John Heinis\/Hudson County View<\/p>\n
That team has Julietta Vogt, Videsh Bahadur, and Fernando Garcia running for three-year terms, while Zebedayo Masongo is seeking the one-year term.<\/p>\n
\u201cJersey City Public Schools are once again at a crossroads, and the decisions made by the next Board will have lasting consequences for our students, educators, families, and community,\u201d JCEA President Ron Greco said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need trustees who understand that good leadership begins with listening to educators, parents, students, administrators, and the broader community, and who are willing to work collaboratively to find responsible solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The JCEA further cited the Leadership That Listens team\u2019s collective experience and range of professional backgrounds as particularly important as the district prepares to navigate challenging economic circumstances and decisions involving staffing, facilities, academic programming, and long-term planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Leadership That Listens team brings a robust combination of skills and experience that we believe the Board needs at this moment,\u201d Greco continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have demonstrated a willingness to listen, analyze complex issues, work with people who may not always agree, and approach difficult decisions thoughtfully. Just as importantly, they understand that the focus of this work must remain on the children of Jersey City.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been over a decade since the JCEA endorsed a slate with no incumbents, making this endorsement a significant break from tradition, at least in recent memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn effective Board cannot operate in isolation. Trustees must be responsive and willing to work with everyone from the Superintendent and district staff to educators, parents, and the broader Jersey City community,\u201d Greco added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe Julietta, Videsh, Fernando, and Zebedayo understand that responsibility, and JCEA is proud to support the Leadership That Listens team for Jersey City Board of Education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trustees Dejon Morris, the board vice president, Alpa Patel, and Dr. George Blount are running with newcomer Vanessa Rodriguez, who is seeking the one-year term.<\/p>\n
In 2023, Morris, Patel, and Blount successfully ran with the backing of the JCEA.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are incredibly grateful to have the support of the Jersey City Education Association and the educators and school employees who dedicate themselves to our students every day. We know an endorsement comes with a responsibility to put in the work,\u201d Leadership That Listens said in a joint statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf elected, we are committed to building a collaborative relationship with JCEA, listening to the people working in our schools every day, and having the honest conversations necessary to move our district forward. We may not always agree on every issue, but we will always come to the table ready to listen, ask questions, and work together toward what is best for Jersey City\u2019s students.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s race has a third faction in the form of the \u201cFor Stronger Schools,\u201d where Jessica Taube, Chloe Williams, and Danielle Walker are running for three-year terms, and former Trustee Gina Verdibello seeking the one-year seat.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Yasmine Clark is the only candidate running independently in the non-partisan contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe JCEA has every right to endorse whomever they choose, and I respect their decision. But let me be clear: Education Matters has not lost anything. Endorsements don\u2019t win, elections voters do. Our focus remains on the scholars, families, educators, and future of Jersey City Public Schools,\u201d Morris said after this story was published.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue to stand on our record, our vision, and our commitment to the community. I wish the JCEA and their new group the best. Now, we get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note: This story has been updated with a comment from Jersey City Board of Education Vice President Dejon Morris.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Jersey City Education Association (JCEA) is endorsing the \u201cLeadership That Listens\u201d slate over the incumbents and other…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331477,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[116283,124735,124736,124737,116287,124738,9,24,63,134,136,135,124739,124740],"class_list":["post-331476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-2026-jersey-city-board-of-education-race","tag-fernando-garcia","tag-jcea","tag-jersey-city-education-association","tag-julietta-vogt","tag-leadership-that-listens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news","tag-videsh-bahadur","tag-zebedayo-masongo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}