Jason Bradley sees school board role as policy maker

Lewes resident Jason Bradley brings decades of management experience to his bid for Cape Henlopen school board, but he sees the board's role as policy maker.

The Queens, N.Y., native lived in Maryland for 20 years before moving to the Cape Region permanently in 2002. Bradley, 51, is running against Gary Wray for the area B seat up for grabs Tuesday, May 12. Board member Sandi Minard Johnson is not running for re-election to the seat that covers an area north of Savannah Road in Lewes to the Broadkill River.

With two teenage sons – one at Cape High, the other at Southern Delaware School of the Arts – Bradley says his schedule has opened up enough that he has time for a commitment such as school board.

“It's my way of giving back,” he said.

Although Bradley's experience is in restaurant management, he said, the school board's role should be to set policy. Administrators are hired to manage the district, he said.

“The school board needs people who are decision makers, more of a policy role,” he said.

Bradley was well on his way to a bachelor's degree in psychology from University of Maryland when he realized his passion for restaurant management. He catered and worked for restaurants starting in high school and continued through college, but by the time he realized the restaurant career was for him, he said, he was too far invested in a psychology major and switching to restaurant management would have extended his college years.

Besides, he said, the psychology courses he studied prepared him well for the restaurant business.

“I use those skills every day,” Bradley said.

Over the years, Bradley has worked for T.G.I. Friday's, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel and Outback Steakhouse. TGIF holds a special place for him because that's where he met his wife, Melanie. His job with Outback Steakhouse is significant because it brought his family to the Cape Region when he was sent here to open the restaurant on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach.

“We had decided we wanted to live here anyway,” he said. “It's a great coincidence that it worked out.”

The couple moved to Lewes in 2001 when their son Aaron was 3 and son Ryan was 1. They now live in Edgewater Estates.

Melanie is an organist with Lewes Presbyterian Church and also works as musical director for Clear Space. Bradley is general manager of Cracker Barrel and has served on several local boards: Rehoboth Cooperative Preschool, vice president of Lewes Little League and president of Seaside Jewish Community.

Bradley said he has no particular agenda but does have some concerns with Common Core. In particular, he said, math is less about simplifying and more about using the right learning strategy.

“I don't see the value in making it more complicated to the point that when parents try to help their kids with their homework, they can get the right answer but do it the wrong way and the kids are left trying to figure out the difference,” he said.

Bradley said state tests are causing anxiety among many children who are struggling with the timed and written parts of the test just so a school can maintain a good academic rating. The Smarter Balanced test now given to students is the third type of standardized test his children have taken, making them wonder why the test has changed again.

“I found that when I tried to explain the whys to them, I too was left scratching my head,” Bradley said.