About Aimee Sharrock
Aimee grew up in Belmar, a small Jersey Shore town where resilience and community shaped her. The youngest of three sisters, she attended New Jersey public schools, but with multiple learning disabilities, school was a struggle and often felt like she didn’t belong. In high school, college felt out of reach. Her SAT scores were low and money was tight after losing her father to cancer. As resilience was the heartbeat of their family and watching her mother push through hardship, Aimee was inspired to do the same. She refused to let circumstances define her future and became determined to prove otherwise. In community college, Aimee discovered the importance of advocacy, recognizing that success meant speaking up for what she needed. She learned that her disability didn’t define her or limit her potential. Aimee transferred to Seton Hall University with a 4.0, to finish her degree. While there, she helped secure a $1 million grant to create a new disability resource center. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in Communications and later returned for a Masters Degree in Corporate and Public Communications. For more than 20 years, Aimee has called Jersey City home, raising her two children and serving her community. As a PS 37 parent, she led the PTA as President, revitalizing after-school programs, launching the annual holiday bazaar and securing national STEM grants. She now continues her advocacy as the PTA’s Neurodiverse Chair. Beyond the PTA, she is a Human Resources executive with experience in Fortune 500 financial institutions and leading tech companies, where she guides global teams through complex challenges by listening first, representing every culture, and turning diverse perspectives into shared success. Aimee is running for the Board of Education to be a strong advocate for what students, families and teachers truly need. She will champion open communication, transparency, and responsible budgeting; working across differences to build the relationships that get results. Above all, she will put students first, ensuring every child in Jersey City has the opportunity to succeed, feel included, and know they belong; because she’s lived the difference it makes when someone believes in you.
Why I’m Running
My name is Aimee Sharrock, and I’m running for the JC School Board. People often ask me, “Why?” Honestly, there are nights—after the kids are in bed, the work emails are done, and I’m prepping for the week ahead—when I ask myself the same thing.
To answer that, I have to go back two years to a night I will never forget. I was tucking in my child, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and asked, “Mom, why am I dumb?”
That moment stopped me in my tracks. No parent ever wants to hear those words from their child. I held her, reassured her, and did my best to help her see her worth—but deep down, I knew this wasn’t just about one tough night. It was about the system that was failing her and wasn’t seeing her the way I saw her. A bright, curious, capable kid who learns differently and needs resources to be successful.
...a night I will never forget. I was tucking in my child, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and asked, “Mom, why am I dumb?”
A Broken Process
Since that night, I’ve been on a difficult journey through the black hole that is the special education process in the Jersey City Public School District. From the start, I was met with confusion, roadblocks, and a total lack of guidance—starting as early as kindergarten.
In first grade, after countless conversations and hours spent researching, I finally learned I had a right to request an INRS plan. This information isn’t readily available on the district website, nor is there a clear map for parents to follow. Instead, you’re expected to rely on guidance counselors—many of whom are too overwhelmed, or unwilling, to help.
It took six months, one in-person meeting, and a long trail of unanswered emails to the guidance counselor managing the INRS I asked for my daughter’s file—another legal right I discovered on my own—I was ignored. So I showed up at the school in person. The guidance counselor flat-out told me, “No, you will not be getting the file today,” and then yelled at me in front of the principal, accusing me of being out of line for asking for the file.
The next day with the strong support of the principal I finally received the file. It was almost empty. No follow-ups, no documentation of progress, no plan. Just three sentences from our first meeting and a copy of her report cards.
That moment was a turning point.
I realized it wasn’t just my child who was failing—it was the district system and infrastructure failing families just like mine.
I’ve had countless conversations with other parents who’ve shared similar stories of frustration, kids falling through the cracks and of families feeling unheard.
After this nightmare unfollowed in front of me, I was fortunate enough to find a parent advocate to help me through the IEP process. My daughter I can now say is getting the help she needs to be successful and flourishing. But I know my story doesn’t end that way for many.
The districts of the special education designed: consciously or unconsciously to chipped away at our children's self-esteem and self-worth. Making them feel less than given the system is not teaching our children the fundamentals to be successful as our test scores show it: x and x.
Why I’m Stepping Up
This experience lit a fire in me. It showed me just how urgently we need transparency, accountability, and clear communication in our schools—especially when it comes to special education and student support services. It shouldn’t be this hard!!
I realized that waiting for change wasn’t enough.
We need advocates at the table who understand what’s at stake—not just from a policy perspective, but from personal experience.