In Jericho, the 2025 school board election is supposed to be quiet. Only one name appears on the ballot. No campaign. No platform. No Meet the Candidate Night.
But none of this was an accident — it was the final step in a process that began long before the public ever had a chance to participate.
That candidate, Jennifer Camhi, was the endorsed choice of the Jericho Teachers Association (JTA) in 2024. And now, she’s sliding into a seat without competition, without questions, and without a single voter having seen an updated position or policy stance.
This isn’t representation. It’s choreography.
Who the JTA Represents — and Why That Matters
The Jericho Teachers Association is not a neutral body. It represents over 300 teachers across the district and exists primarily to negotiate contracts, benefits, and working conditions on behalf of its members. It is a bargaining unit — not a civic group, and not a parent organization.
Its national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), defines its mission as advancing its members’ economic and professional interests through collective bargaining, organizing, and political activism.
So when the JTA endorses a school board candidate, it is not endorsing for the good of students — it is endorsing to protect its own negotiating position.
The same board that hires the superintendent and approves multi-million dollar contracts is now being filled by a candidate handpicked by the very group whose contracts she will soon help decide.
That’s not just unethical. That should be disqualifying.
The Endorsement Campaign They Don’t Want You to Remember
In 2024, the JTA ran a full-scale political campaign for Jennifer Camhi:
- Multiple social posts painting her as a defender of “teacher respect” and “consensus leadership”
- Messaging that portrayed dissenting candidates as divisive or harmful
- Clear alignment with PTA factions that boosted her visibility
It wasn’t subtle — and it wasn’t neutral.
Now, in 2025, that same candidate:
- Has not attended a single board meeting in the last year
- Has not issued a campaign platform
- Has made no public appearances or statements
- And yet — is the only name on the ballot
The JTA hasn’t said a word. They don’t need to. The deal is already done.
Whose Voice Will She Actually Represent?
In 2024, Jennifer Camhi promised to:
- “Support fiscal responsibility”
- “Advocate for transparent communication”
- “Collaborate with all stakeholders”
- “Support diversity, equity, and inclusion”
- And “foster a respectful environment where everyone’s voice is heard”
But in 2025, she is poised to take office through a silent, uncontested election — without presenting a single updated policy stance, showing up to a board meeting, or facing one public question.
And the group that championed her campaign? The Jericho Teachers Association — a union whose public endorsements focused not on student outcomes, fiscal policy, or governance, but on protecting curriculum from outside scrutiny and ensuring teachers are not “mocked or micromanaged.”
The messaging was clear:
“We need trustees who support what teachers teach.”
“We need trustees who won’t second-guess the system.”
“We need trustees who protect us.”
But here’s the truth: school board members don’t work for teachers. They work for children, families, and the public.
And when union messaging becomes a loyalty test — one where “support” means “don’t question us” — that’s not respect. That’s insulation from accountability.
Our Kids Don’t Need More Endorsements. They Need Defenders.
Students in Jericho deserve a board that will:
- Stand up for their mental health and academic needs — even when it’s uncomfortable.
- Ask hard questions about how funds are spent — even when it challenges the system.
- Ensure curriculum reflects not ideology or convenience, but balance, rigor, and transparency.
That kind of board doesn’t come from backroom deals, quiet filings, or political payback. It comes from leaders who owe nothing to internal interest groups — and everything to public trust.
Let’s not confuse consensus with compliance.
Let’s not confuse endorsement with merit.
And let’s never confuse alignment with independence.
Because our kids don’t need another seat-filler.
They need someone who serves the community — not internal politics.
This Is a Closed Loop, Not a Public Election
Let’s be clear: when the group negotiating public salaries selects the person who will vote on those contracts, you no longer have oversight — you have a feedback loop.
And when that process happens behind closed doors, with no community notification, no invitation for other candidates, and no opportunity for debate, it ceases to be a democratic process at all.
It becomes a handoff in silence — rubber-stamped by voter apathy and institutional convenience.
This Isn’t Just Unethical. It Should Be Disqualifying.
Let’s stop pretending this is just a process issue. If Jennifer Camhi takes this seat, the Jericho Board of Education will be compromised from day one.
She was openly endorsed by the JTA — the very entity she would help negotiate with and oversee.
If elected, she will vote on:
- Union contracts
- Salary increases
- Staffing ratios
- Healthcare contributions
- Budget approvals directly tied to teacher compensation
This is a direct, active conflict of interest — and it is precisely the kind of influence the Board is supposed to protect against.
What Jericho Policy Says
Jericho Board Policy #1350: Code of Ethics and Best Practices for School Board Members outlines clear ethical obligations for every trustee — obligations that directly apply to Jennifer Camhi’s situation.
Among the policy’s core directives:
“Represent the entire community without fear or favor.”
“Act always in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the School Board.”
“Not allow family, social, political, or other relationships to influence the Board member’s conduct or judgment.”
“Must recuse themselves in any decision process and/or vote in which the Board member’s impartiality might be reasonably and appropriately questioned.”
These are not abstract ideals. They are operational ethics, and they matter — especially when a candidate owes their position to the very group whose compensation and contracts they are charged with overseeing.
If Jennifer Camhi is elected, she will be expected to vote on:
- JTA contract negotiations
- Compensation structures
- Staffing levels
- Budget decisions directly impacting her endorsers
This presents an immediate and unavoidable conflict of interest.
By the district’s own ethics code, she must recuse herself from any vote or decision that involves the Jericho Teachers Association — the same group that endorsed and supported her candidacy.
And yet, no plan to do so has been shared. No recusal has been pledged. No disclosure has been made.
The ethical obligation here isn’t a gray area. It’s black and white.
If she cannot or will not recuse, she is not qualified to serve.
Where This Leads
If Camhi is seated, every vote on union matters will be tainted.
- Taxpayer dollars will be at risk.
- Board neutrality will collapse.
- Public trust will erode — not with a scandal, but with quiet, sanctioned insider control.
This isn’t governance. It’s capture.
Don’t Look Away
This isn’t about personalities. It’s about precedent.
It’s about whether Jericho’s Board of Education still belongs to the public — or whether it now exists to protect its own internal machinery.
When unions endorse the people who will approve their contracts, and when those same people arrive unchallenged on the ballot, we no longer have elections. We have appointments disguised as choice.
This board seat was not earned. It was arranged.
There Is Still One Tool Left: The Write-In
If you’re handed a ballot with only one name, and you know that name carries a built-in conflict of interest, you still have a choice.
You can write in another name — any name — as a vote against this process.
A write-in vote:
- Is legal.
- Is counted.
- Sends a message.
Even if it doesn’t win, it records your refusal to legitimize a flawed, ethically compromised handoff.
Reject the Illusion of Democracy. Reject This Candidate.
Jericho residents deserve better than a silent ballot.
We deserve:
- Independent trustees
- Transparent elections
- Ethical oversight
And above all — public institutions that serve the public.
Use the line they hope you ignore.
Write in your voice.
Because in Jericho, silence isn’t just the problem — it’s the plan.
