Candidates Forum, April 12

CANDIDATES FORUM, April 12

Michael Mostoller

Princeton Regional Board of Education
   
It has been a privilege to serve on the Princeton Regional Board of Education these last three years as the district has added new facilities, reached a new contract with the teachers mutually arrived at early in the process, appointed a new superintendent and developed an energetic, pro-active approach to student achievement.
   There is still much to be done. I ask for your support in voting yes on the budget questions.
   Particularly from my standpoint as head of the Facilities Committee, now that we have created the spaces to help achieve our program goals, it is necessary to operate and maintain them. This budget provides that support in the most economical fashion.
   Please come to the polls to affirm the budget questions — and for those of you living in Princeton Borough, my candidacy. We have a great school district. We can only keep it that way with your participation.
Charlie Jacey

Montgomery Township Board of Education
   
As a candidate for the Montgomery Township Board of Education, I have met many sincere people, all of whom share the same motivation I do — providing all of the children a first-class education at an efficient, affordable price. Such education, coupled with strong ethical character, will create within them the important foundation needed for success.
   My experience is built on 40 years in the business world, having served as a vice chairman and senior partner of a major international accounting and consulting firm. I have spent considerable time working with successful businesses. This experience enables me to know what works.
   I served on my firm’s executive committee for 15 years. In my retirement, I serve on the boards of several organizations. This experience allowed me to gain insight into how effective committees get things done. The necessity to operate in a transparent way was always present.
   As a frequent attendee at Board of Education meetings, I know the issues. I have ideas to assist the district and the board to operate in a more business-like manner and to avoid budgetary and communication crises.
   Working with the newly organized board, I will strive to introduce greater discipline to district operations. This should begin with district development of a five-year strategic agenda. This will include appropriate public participation on a timely basis. Each year, district goals will be prepared with greater specificity than at present. The goals will be dollarized to enable more effective board evaluation. The board, too, should seek to improve its effectiveness. In my opinion, this can best be achieved by selecting the subcommittee form of operation. Such structure will allow members to self-appoint to one of three standing subcommittees (budget/finance, academic/curriculum and buildings/operations), which will consider district matters in depth before bringing them to the full board. This will allow for better utilization of board members’ skills and will provide support and strategic direction to the district administrators. The committees’ governance will improve and full board meetings will be crisper, shorter and more interesting and informative. The increasing number and increasing complexity of issues make this an organizational form whose time has come.
   I am inspired by family and friends, old and new, who have challenged me to advance the cause of affordable, quality education. With the help of the voters of Montgomery, whose support I seek, I continue my pursuit of that goal — knowing, as Theodore Roosevelt said, "Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."