Who We Are​

As current members of the Board of Education, we are seeking to continue our service to the Montclair community. We are parents of students in the Montclair Public Schools ranging from fifth to eleventh grade, several of whom have special needs. Our service to Montclair’s children began long before our time on the BOE, and we are all dedicated to educational excellence, equity, mutual respect, openness, and appreciation for the differing perspectives of our beautifully diverse Township.

Melanie Deysher

Melanie has served on the Montclair Board of Education since April 2022, serving on the finance, curriculum, personnel and special ed committees, and on the negotiations committee with the Montclair Principals’ Association. She has also been the BOE’s interim liaison to SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council), liaison to the Montclair Community Pre-K (MCPK), and a member of the District Leadership Team.

  • 16-vear resident of Montclair
  • Occupational therapist
  • Advocate for literacy programming
  • PTA member at Nishuane, Hillside, Glenfield and High School
  • Co-Chair, Grow Lab Nishuane and Hillside
  • Co-founder of Let’s Talk About Smartphones
  • Co-founder of the SEPAC-Dyslexia Parent Network
  • NAACP Education Committee
  • NAACP Dyslexia Task Force
  • Decoding Dyslexia of NJ
  • Reading League of NJ
  • Completed special New Jersey School Boards Association-Certified New Board Member

Phaedra Dunn

Phaedra has served on the Montclair Board of Education since April 2022 serving on the finance and personnel committees, She has been the chair of the communications committee and is the chair of the policy committees.

  • LCSW-Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Therapist in private practice
  • New Jersey Certified School Social Worker who has worked in private practice and in the school setting, both at the K-12 level and in post-secondary education
  • Child Study Team leader and administrator
  • Co-chair of the School Action Team for Partnerships (SATp)
  • Co-chair of the Montclair PTA Council’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee
  • Co-founder of Montclair Moms of Color
  • Member of the Book Chat and Antiracism Committee at Bradford Elementary School
  • Completed special New Jersey School Boards Association-Certified New Board Member

Allison Silverstein

Allison has served on the Montclair Board of Education since September 2020, and as President from January of 2023. A member of the policy, curriculum, special education, finance, personnel and communications committees, she has also been involved in negotiating contracts with the Montclair Principals’ Association, and the union representing head custodians.

  • 16-year resident of Montclair
  • 20-plus year career as an attorney
  • Employed by Progressive Insurance Company since 2009
  • SEPAC Leader
  • Advocate for inclusion and acceptance for disabled students
  • Nishuane PTA Vice-President, and Nishuane SAT, Grow Lab and Class Partner
  • PTAC participant
  • Hillside Make-A-Wish and Coat Drive chair
  • Competed New Jersey School Boards Association training, including three years at NJSBA conventions