The Kids First team recently praised Dana Kalczuk as:
“A radiant force of love, strength, and community spirit… a fierce advocate for children… a true champion.”
Nice words. But school boards don’t run on adjectives - they run on judgment, qualifications, and results.
⚠️ The Record
Here’s what her actions actually show:
- Residency questions handled with thin affidavits instead of clear proof.
- Calls for investigations into staff and residents, based on speculation.
- Reported online attacks against school employees.
That’s not steady leadership. That’s conflict and poor judgment.
🚫 The Qualifications Gap
Kalczuk’s campaign paints her as a “fierce advocate” and “true champion,” but school board service demands more than passion - it requires relevant experience and expertise.
According to her campaign materials, Dana Kalczuk’s professional background is limited to being a personal trainer. There’s no mention of roles in education, administration, policy-making, or community governance.
- No education experience: Parenthood alone doesn’t prepare someone to oversee curricula, manage budgets, or navigate legal requirements.
- Fitness over finances: The campaign leans on vague claims of being a ‘pillar of health and fitness’ but avoids specifics - and it has little to do with the skills a board member must bring.”
- Missing leadership track record: Voters expect candidates with proven involvement in PTAs, volunteer boards, or community leadership - not just polished endorsements.
This qualifications gap raises serious questions: Is Kalczuk equipped to lead our schools, or is she relying on “shiny words” to mask a lack of substance?
🎭 Who’s Really Pulling the Strings?
The Kids First filing shows her campaign is less about local leadership and more about a setup of insiders and outsiders:
- Joseph Branco, Hoboken Outsider (Chairperson): Living over 50 miles away with no stake in our schools, yet running the campaign. How can someone so far removed guide the future of Hardyston’s schools?
- Tony Alfano, Local BOE Insider (Treasurer): Already a sitting board member and now chasing a town council seat, Alfano’s track record has been more about division - like obsessing over Zillow ratings - than lifting up students.
This puppet setup explains the shine without substance. Review the campaign filing (PDF).
🔎 The Bullying Claim
Her campaign says she’s a fierce advocate against bullying. Yet her own behavior - pressuring staff, escalating disputes, targeting critics - looks a lot like the very thing she claims to oppose.
🕵️ Transparency vs. Spin
Board President Donna Carey, also under the Kids First banner and a vocal supporter of Kalczuk, has shown the same style: polished slogans in public, pressure and attacks behind the scenes. Kalczuk’s campaign suggests she’s following that same path.
🗳️ Why It Matters
Hardyston deserves more than slogans. It deserves leaders with qualifications, independence, and sound judgment.
Shiny words, missing qualifications, and outside influence don’t add up to leadership for Hardyston families.