Ryan Kline has announced he is running for the Nutley Board of Education. The election is in April.

"I’m an educator through and through. I feel I can contribute," said Kline, a school psychologist in Belleville. "I want to refocus the conversation and policies back to the needs of kids."

While the current board doesn’t have someone in the education system, Kline said the district is undergoing positive change. He voiced support for the "qualified board" and new superintendent Russ Lazovick.

Lazovick engages the community in strategic planning, and uses facts and research to guide decision making, Kline said. The superintendent also represents a district trend in hiring the most qualified candidate, versus what he called a pattern of nepotism, he added.

The candidate praised the new resume review system, completed online and directed to the superintendent.

"I’d like to get the community on board to think education first," Kline said. "It’s a culture change, and I think we’re moving in the right direction."

Nutley’s special education program is one of Kline’s top priorities. He previously worked in the Newark and Philadelphia school districts. He served as Belleville’s anti-bullying coordinator, and that district’s staff trainer for special education safety restraint and anti-violence response.

Kline holds a master’s degree in school psychology at Temple University and is scheduled to receive his superintendent’s certification in May. As part of the program, he studied educational finance and similar administrative duties, gaining an understanding of district operations and budget creation.

"I aim to keep the focus on improving [special education] so that we don’t have to keep sending students out of district," Kline said. He didn’t fault the parents for wanting to send their child out-of-district, but wants to create a better in-district program, lifting a financial burden for Nutley, which pays for placement. In-house services would also allow children to go to school with other local students.

Nutley is laying the groundwork to fuse academics with technology, something he wishes to advance if he’s elected, Kline said, using the example of Belleville’s smart boards, which he said are underutilized.