Elizabeth Callahan

is a behavioral consultant, lifelong educator, proud parent, and current member of the South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education. A Maplewood resident since 2018, Liz lives in the community with her husband, Mike, and their two sons, a sixth grader at Maplewood Middle School and a first grader at Tuscan Elementary School. She is an active member of the Tuscan PTA and Maplewood Middle School HSA, staying connected to both of her children’s school communities.

Liz currently serves as First Vice President of the Board of Education and Chair of the Special Services Committee. During her first term, she has also served on the Finance, Facilities & Technology and Curriculum & Instruction committees, as well as the Rutgers Implementation Committee and Negotiations Committee. In 2026, she earned the New Board Member Boardsmanship Certification through the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Board Member Academy, which provides training in the governance skills and responsibilities of school board service.

Over her first term, Liz has developed a deeper understanding of how decisions, policies, budgets, and priorities play out across SOMSD. She has gained firsthand experience with the work of governance—from asking questions and providing oversight to navigating difficult decisions and working collaboratively to move priorities from policy to implementation. She has also learned important lessons about what works, where the district can improve, and what it takes to pair good ideas with thoughtful implementation and accountability.

Professionally, Liz brings more than 20 years of experience in education and special education. She began her career as a paraprofessional supporting students with disabilities, went on to teach in both self-contained and inclusion classrooms, and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She has worked directly with students and families, led multidisciplinary teams across multiple schools, developed educator training and schoolwide systems, and consulted with schools on behavior, social-emotional learning, inclusion, and school climate.

Today, she works as a behavioral consultant supporting school districts across New Jersey, helping schools build their capacity to support students through compassionate, evidence-based, and collaborative practices. Her professional experience has given her a firsthand understanding of what happens inside classrooms and school systems, as well as a broad perspective on the common challenges families and educators encounter in public schools—particularly around special education, student support, and school climate.

Liz’s connection to public education is both professional and personal. As a parent of two SOMSD students at different stages of their educational experience, she has experienced the district from the perspective of a family navigating its schools—from Pre-K through elementary school and now middle school. She has worked with educators and school teams to understand and secure the supports her children need to thrive, giving her firsthand insight into the experience of families navigating the public-school system.

Together, her professional experience, lived experience as a district parent, and board service have given Liz three interconnected perspectives on public education: what happens in classrooms and schools, what families experience, and what it takes to govern a complex public school district. She believes that combination—along with the institutional knowledge she has developed during her first term—is an important foundation for the next phase of the work: building on the practices and priorities the Board has established, strengthening what needs improvement, and continuing to make meaningful progress for students, families, and educators.

Outside of school and work, Liz and her family spend their summers at Camp Uncommon, a sleepaway camp founded by her husband, Mike, for campers from under-resourced communities. Liz has provided consultation and professional development focused on social-emotional and behavioral support and most recently served as an Arts Counselor. She enjoys watercolors and drawing, hiking and shooting hoops, and spending time on the sidelines at her children’s flag football games.