Monique has lived in Highland Park with her husband and three sons since 2014. During her sons’ years at the middle and high schools, Monique became an early member of HP Parents of Students of Color (POSOC), advocating alongside other families for a culture of inclusion, academic achievement, and empowerment for students of color in Highland Park’s diverse school communities.
Monique is a long time K-12 educator and business owner. An active member of the Highland Park community, she is a trustee of several local non-profit organizations and a social justice advocate.
Elected to the Board in 2018, Monique has been chair of the Equity and Excellence Committee throughout her tenure. In this capacity, she works collaboratively with colleagues to advance the District’s strategic goals with a sharp focus on equity. Monique led an audit of all District policies and has worked with colleagues to address any policies that reinforced inequitable opportunities and outcomes.
Monique was a strong advocate for the District’s one-to-one computer initiative, which provided every student access to technology they need for learning both at school and home. She also helped move the District’s traditional discipline model to a restorative justice framework centered on repairing harm, building relationships, and fair and respectful conflict resolution.
As a member of the Curriculum Committee, Monique hs been a steady voice for inclusive, culturally responsive, and anti-bias curriculum. She worked to bring the District into compliance with New Jersey’s Amistad Law, which requires the accurate and complete teaching of the history of Africans and African-Americans in the social studies curriculum. She also supported the return of play-based learning at Irving, an essential part of a strong educational foundation for the District’s youngest students.
Over the challenging past year of education during the COVID-19 pandemic, Monique has remained committed to promoting the best possible education in safe environments for all students. She is grateful for the opportunity to run for reelection with respected peers, Marilyn Pruce and Alison Casal-Dunn
