SOMA Action Endorses Callahan, Diaz, and Meyer for Board of Education
Group urges state lawmakers to fix the school funding formula
SOUTH ORANGE/MAPLEWOOD, N.J. — SOMA Action's Board of Trustees has endorsed Liz Callahan, Kevin Diaz, and Will Meyer for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. The group cited the candidates' knowledge of how the district operates and their vision for its Intentional Integration Initiative. SOMA Action also called on state lawmakers to fix the school funding formula, which it says lies at the root of the district's budget pressures.
"We appreciate every candidate interviewing with us and stepping up to serve during a challenging time for the district," said Erika Malinoski, co-president of SOMA Action. "After an extensive evaluation, Callahan and Meyer stood out for their depth of knowledge about how the district works, and Callahan, Diaz, and Meyer stood out for their vision for the future of the Intentional Integration Initiative."
Co-president Allison Posner emphasized that the coming term will again be difficult for the district. "Experienced leadership matters, even when we don't agree on everything," she said.
Posner called integration a core part of the community's identity. Of the hundreds of districts in the New York City area, she said, South Orange-Maplewood is one of only a relatively small number that are stably integrated. She added that the consultant working with the district on the Intentional Integration Initiative believes that South Orange-Maplewood may have some of the most integrated elementary schools in the country.
"Even as we wrestle with challenging decisions, we can't lose sight of who we want to be as a district,” she said. “What we have here in SOMA as a result of the integration initiative is much rarer than people realize, especially when compared to the rest of the country. That's something we should be proud to lead the nation on, not something we should abandon.”
Malinoski added that while the Intentional Integration Initiative can be improved, even zeroing out its transportation budget—a change she says would require either six years or significant disruptions for students already placed—would not solve the district's structural problems.
"We have skyrocketing healthcare and energy costs combined with capped revenue," she said. "No decision the Board of Ed makes will let the district maintain its current level of services over the next several years unless the state fixes the funding formula and the federal government restores the billions of dollars the Trump administration cut from education.”
Malinoski urged residents to do four things in addition to voting:
call their state legislators to push for more school funding,
help elect a Congress that will restore federal funding for public schools,
check their voter registration and vote early, and
encourage their friends to vote, especially those in swing districts.
"We particularly need volunteers to canvass in the 7th Congressional district to help flip the U.S. House and prevent Trump from doing whatever bizarre thing he thinks of next to raise prices and dismantle what’s left of federal support for schools,” she said. “New Jersey's elections remain safe and secure, but it will take all of us working together to get a working government and fend off Trump’s attempts to create chaos and contest the results.”
Residents can sign up at somaaction.org for the group's weekly e-blast, which includes calls to action on competitive races and policy advocacy. Candidate interviews, along with a summary of how each candidate aligns with SOMA Action's priorities, are available at somaaction.org/voter-guide.
Changes to the Endorsement Process
Starting in 2026, SOMA Action's endorsements are decided by a two-thirds vote of its Board of Trustees rather than a membership vote. This matches standard practice at other advocacy organizations.
“Over time, SOMA Action has been able to provide much more extensive interviews and information about candidates, and we have successfully moved our timeline earlier to make recommendations in time for mail ballots to arrive,” Malinoski said. “However, as the volume of information and how early it needs to be reviewed has grown, participation in endorsement votes has dropped to the point where we felt it was best to own that SOMA Action’s endorsement is really an expert recommendation by our leaders rather than a poll of community support. SOMA Action has numerous opportunities for leadership, and we encourage anyone interested in helping drive progressive change to join a committee and get involved.”
About SOMA Action
SOMA Action is a grassroots organization in South Orange and Maplewood whose mission is to drive progressive change. Formed after the 2016 election, it mobilizes residents of both towns and neighboring communities to advocate for progressive policies at the local, state and national levels.