Who I Am
Andrea Podgarsky grew up in a suburban, middle-class neighborhood in Long Island, New York, surrounded by her extended family. Her father owned a plumbing and heating supply store and her mother worked as a clerk in the Suffolk County Police Department. Andrea has one younger brother and they both benefited from a strong public school system with excellent teachers, and availability of a range of resources and programs.
After obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Bryn Mawr College in 1997, Andrea transitioned to city living in New York to work at a large law firm and then at an investment bank. In 2002, she moved to the United Kingdom to obtain a Master’s Degree in Gender and Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Upon returning to the United States, Andrea was accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows. It was at this time that she earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Mercy College while concurrently teaching special education at a middle school in the Bronx, New York.
In 2008, Andrea began work at Kumon North America as Center Director of a company-owned center for Kumon North America, where she was an instructor to children from ages 3 to 16. Kumon’s mission to develop students to their maximum potential and contribute to the global community, has allowed her to feel true value in her work. In 2013, she began serving as Manager of the Manhattan Company Owned Centers and in 2015 as Manager of the Kumon North America Company Owned Centers across the United States. In 2017, her employer asked her to move to New Jersey for a new position as the Instructor Training Team Manager at the regional headquarters (then Teaneck, NJ). Andrea, her husband, and her then six-year old son left Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and temporarily landed in Midland Park, New Jersey.
After an extensive search of homes in Northern New Jersey, Andrea and her husband relocated to Nutley because they were seeking a vibrant community with a tradition of caring, excellent schools, and inclusion. The parks really sealed the deal! She and her husband are proud to be putting down roots in Nutley and her son is now a sixth grader at Spring Garden School.
Andrea is presently the Assistant Vice President of Kumon University at Kumon North America (now located in Rutherford). In this executive role, she oversees training and development of new Instructors and the associates that support them. Andrea’s responsibilities include communicating strategic plans, collaborating across departments and measuring the results of the programs, tools and courses implemented by her department.
Andrea is an active member of Moms Demand Action for Common Gun Sense in America and has served in leadership with the Essex County Chapter.
Why I Am Running
To know my qualifications to run as a Nutley Board of Education member is to understand that my professional life and personal life converge around a passion for education, family, and hard work.
My family moved to Nutley three years ago because we were seeking a safe and stimulating community with a tradition of neighborly support, and excellent schools. Nutley fit the bill! I know this especially as a mother whose son is enrolled here in elementary school.
I hold two Master’s degrees in Gender and Social Policy, and Education. My experience as a former special education teacher and current role as Assistant Vice President of Kumon University at Kumon North America, combined with advocacy for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, endows me with a well-developed grasp of the range of pertinent issues.
My professional background includes a twenty-year track record in educating children with special needs in an underprivileged environment, training and coaching teachers, and facilitating parental engagement. My career and advocacy experience, coupled with my demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate across diverse teams and organizations, positions me as an ideally skilled candidate for the Nutley Board of Education.
As a Board member, I will partner with the district and parents to develop optimal policies to educate students within an emotionally and physically safe school environment. Further, I will work with my fellow Board members to make transparent, evidence-based policy decisions; promote critical thinking in our curriculum to foster analytical skills across content areas; advocate for the support of mental and physical well-being programs that guard against violence and bullying, as well as promote acceptance and empathy.
Nutley families want their children to thrive physically, emotionally, and academically so that they can lead accomplished lives. I know the impact that strong initiatives, engaged administrators, and effective allocation of funds can have on students’ futures, and I look forward to serving as a Board of Education member to provide our students with the skills and resources to be happy and successful in school and beyond.
“I am proud to announce that my campaign to serve on the Nutley Board of Education has been awarded the 2022 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction. If elected, I will serve with gun violence prevention and gun safety in mind.”
Looking Forward Nutley 