Reinstated North Bergen, N.J. teacher Alexander Arango to run full slate in May 2027

HUDSON TV EXCLUSIVE

By Julio Reynoso

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — Alexander Arango, a 20-year North Bergen public school teacher who won a state tenure arbitration ruling on Oct. 18 ordering his immediate reinstatement after the North Bergen Board of Education tried to fire him for emailing special-education parents about a classroom left without a certified teacher, confirmed to Hudson TV on Monday, Oct. 26 that he will run for North Bergen Township Commissioner in the May 11, 2027 municipal election at the head of a full five-candidate slate.

New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) records uncovered by Hudson TV show Arango quietly registered a candidate committee—“Alexander Arango for North Bergen” (ELEC Entity 502806)—in January 2026 for the May 11, 2027 nonpartisan municipal election. In a detailed written response to Hudson TV on Monday afternoon, Arango confirmed both his 2027 candidacy and that he is the Horace Mann School teacher ordered reinstated eight days ago in North Bergen Board of Education v. Alexander Arango (N.J. Commissioner of Education Docket No. 102-3/26).

1. The January 2026 ELEC Filings & Arango’s 2027 Slate Plans

According to filings with NJ ELEC, Arango submitted an initial Single Candidate Committee Certificate of Organization (Form D-1, Document ID 3913907) at 11:27 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2026, followed by an amended Form D-1 (Document ID 3914123) at 12:25 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2026 naming the committee “Alexander Arango for North Bergen” for the May 11, 2027 municipal election. The filing lists Arango as candidate, chairperson, treasurer, and sole authorized check signer, with no campaign bank account yet designated and $0 in activity reported to date.

Asked by Hudson TV whether he is running for commissioner in May 2027 and whether he plans to field a full five-member slate, Arango replied:

“Yes. I plan to run for commissioner in the May 2027 election, and I intend to run with a full slate. This is a decision I made long ago, and I’ve already spoken with many people about my plans.

“Our slate will be made up of representatives who put the people first, address the issues residents face, and think ahead about how to move North Bergen forward. Leadership means representing the community, even when there is pressure to follow the status quo.

“During the last gubernatorial election, North Bergen’s mayor and commissioners supported a candidate I believe did not reflect the views of many residents. Not one commissioner publicly stood apart from that decision. That raises an important question: What kind of leadership do North Bergen residents deserve?

“I believe our town deserves leaders who will stand up and fight for the community’s best interests. The government should reflect the people’s needs (all the people) and priorities. We are elected to represent the people, and that responsibility must come first regardless of any pressure.”

Asked who else he expects to run alongside him on the slate and whether he has opened a campaign bank account, Arango said he is currently interviewing prospective running mates and plans to open his campaign bank account and begin fundraising soon:

“I’m currently speaking with people about building a slate whose shared purpose is to serve the residents of North Bergen. I want every candidate to bring integrity, a genuine commitment to the community, and ideas that can help move our town forward. Any slate I’m part of will have to be fully transparent in every aspect of government. That is essential. Residents need to know what their government is doing and be able to trust their leaders. I’m still in discussions, so I’m not ready to announce names yet.”

On the issues driving his campaign, Arango cited transparency, property taxes, sidewalks, schools, and municipal infrastructure:

“I’ve lived in North Bergen for more than 26 years, taught here for 20 years, and served as a committeeman for more than 12. Through those experiences, I’ve heard residents’ concerns and seen areas where our town can do better. I’m running because I want residents to be heard and their concerns addressed.

“Transparency is one of my priorities. People deserve clear information about the decisions their leaders make and how those decisions affect the community. Residents are also concerned about rising property taxes, the condition of our sidewalks, our schools, programs and infrastructure. These issues will be priorities for my campaign, and I’ll work to address them from day one. As the campaign goes forward I will show the plan on how I will fix each area of concern.

“Local government also needs strong relationships with leaders across the county and state so we can bring resources and services to North Bergen. I believe our town should work more closely with others, listen to all residents, and bring people together. My campaign will focus on unity, accountability, and standing up for residents who need support—not just during election season, but whenever they need their leaders.”

2. Inside the Oct. 18 State Tenure Arbitration Ruling: North Bergen BOE v. Alexander Arango

Arango’s confirmation of his 2027 slate comes eight days after state arbitrator Kinard Lang issued a nine-page decision on Oct. 18, 2026 (In the Matter of Tenure Arbitration Between North Bergen Board of Education and Alexander Arango, Agency Docket No. 102-3/26) rejecting the North Bergen Board of Education’s attempt to fire Arango from his tenured teaching position at Horace Mann School.

According to the joint stipulations quoted in the arbitration ruling, Arango has worked for the North Bergen Board of Education since Sept. 1, 2007 with an unblemished disciplinary record. At the start of the 2025–2026 school year, the teacher assigned to Room 108—a Learning-Language Disabilities (LLD) special-education classroom at Horace Mann School—resigned, and the district placed a substitute teacher in the room while recruiting a certified special-education replacement.

On Nov. 14, 2025—two and a half months into the school year—Arango sent an email titled “student neglect” to District Superintendent Dr. George Solter and Horace Mann Principal Alonso, and blind carbon-copied (BCC’d) several parents of students in Room 108. As quoted in the arbitration award, Arango’s email stated:

“I am writing to formally express my deep concern regarding the current situation in Room 108 at Horace Mann School. We are now two and a half months into the school year—an entire quarter—and the students assigned to this classroom have been without a certified teacher since the beginning of the year… As a District, we have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that all students receive the services and educational opportunities mandated by their IEPs and protected under federal law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE)… I cannot, in good conscience, be complicit in a situation that compromises the educational well-being of these children… I will advocate for these children and will let the parents know of what is happening. It is illegal if we don’t.”

After learning that parents had been blind-copied on the email, Solter and the North Bergen Board of Education (represented at the Aug. 24, 2026 arbitration hearing by Mark A. Tabakin, Esq.) certified tenure charges seeking Arango’s permanent dismissal under District Policies 3150 and 3321, arguing that Arango misused non-directory parent contact information, disclosed confidential disability and IEP information, and caused institutional disruption by forcing special-services supervisors to meet with parents.

In his Oct. 18, 2026 decision, Arbitrator Lang rejected the Board of Education’s bid to terminate Arango across every major dismissal factor:

• No confidential student information disclosed: While the district claimed Arango violated student privacy by referencing Room 108, special-needs students, and IEPs, Lang noted that the parents on the email already knew their own children’s classifications and wrote: “my reading of the record discloses no direct naming or attachment of any specific student to any educational procedure. That being so, I find Respondent did not, per se, disclose confidential information.”
• Parents were not all aware Room 108 lacked a certified special-education teacher: Lang observed that while the Principal and Superintendent knew about the staffing shortage in Room 108, “the record does not convince me all the affected parents knew their LLD children had not had the services of a certified LLD teacher from the beginning of the 2025-26 School year until the November 14th date of Respondent’s email.”
• Unblemished 19-year record & no evidence of lasting harm: Lang wrote that Superintendent Solter’s testimony “displayed his pique with Arango’s audacious email,” but found “no compelling evidence of the breadth or depth of enduring damage arising from this single isolated event,” and rejected the district’s argument that Arango’s nearly 20-year clean record deserved no weight.
• “The Superintendent’s overreaction” and failure to hold a Policy 3150 hearing: While finding that Arango committed a procedural offense by bypassing the chain of command and BCC’ing parents sub rosa, Lang pointed out that during the three-month contemplation period before tenure charges were certified, the Superintendent failed to give Arango an opportunity to be heard as stated in District Policy 3150. That failure, Lang concluded, “within the context of what the evidence demonstrates was the Superintendent’s overreaction, results in the following Award: The proven misconduct does not warrant Alexander Arango’s Dismissal. He shall be reinstated immediately with backpay for the period of his Disciplinary Suspension in excess of 120 calendar days.”

3. Arango: “What Does It Say About a System That Suspends an Employee With a Perfect Record for Protecting Its Very Students?”

Asked by Hudson TV about the Oct. 18 arbitration award and whether the tenure battle influenced his decision to run in May 2027, Arango confirmed he is the teacher in the case and said the district has still not returned him to his classroom eight days after the arbitrator ordered his immediate reinstatement:

“Yes, I am the teacher in that case. The arbitrator ordered my immediate reinstatement (10/18), but I have not yet been returned to my position.

“The North Bergen Board of Education overreached in seeking my dismissal. The arbitrator ruled that this case did not warrant my dismissal, and I feel vindicated. I spoke up because I was concerned and attempted to do what I am obligated to do by the law, protect my students. This victory shows that standing up for a just cause can make a difference.

“This experience strengthened my decision to run. I will stand up for the people of North Bergen, including our students and teachers. There are other reasons behind my decision, and I’ll share them as the campaign continues.

“I’ll leave voters with this question: What does it say about a system that suspends an employee with a perfect record for protecting its very students? Is this the system we deserve? I say it’s not.”

4. A Reshaped May 2027 North Bergen Race

Arango’s entry sets up a potential three-way contest for North Bergen’s five-member Board of Commissioners on May 11, 2027, the first municipal election since 79-year-old Mayor and former State Senator Nicholas Sacco announced earlier this month that he will step down as mayor on Wednesday, Oct. 28 after four decades on the commission.

Sacco and the township administration have already lined up behind Commissioner Hugo Cabrera—who is scheduled to be sworn in as mayor on Oct. 28—alongside a 2027 administration slate of Cabrera, sitting Commissioners Allen Pascual, Claudia Rodriguez, and Anthony Vainieri, and Assistant School Superintendent Nick Sacco Jr. (whose joint candidates committee, Cabrera, Pascual & Rodriquez 2027, is already raising funds). Meanwhile, longtime Sacco opponent Larry Wainstein has an active “Larry Wainstein for Mayor” committee for the May 11, 2027 election backed by more than $500,000 in candidate loans.

North Bergen and Hudson County homeowners who want to check how township and school-district budgets affect their property taxes can run a free assessment check with GardenState.ai’s Property Tax Appeal tool and model levy changes with the Tax Shock calculator.

Hudson TV asks: Should the North Bergen Board of Education immediately return Alexander Arango to his Horace Mann School classroom following the state arbitrator’s Oct. 18 reinstatement order—and would you vote for an independent slate in May 2027? Share your take in the comments.

Have a tip or documents on North Bergen schools, contracts, or the 2027 municipal election? Email info@hudsontv.com.