As public school teachers, we do not select the students that are put in our classes.
Last year, in my fifth-grade class of 16 students, for some reason I was assigned just three male students. I cannot begin to tell you what it was like for those boys, trying to have their voices heard. And even though they always had a vote and a say, they felt continually outnumbered, which they were.
As the teacher in that classroom, I always allowed the boys to have a voice. Yet, whenever decisions were made, the boys felt extremely frustrated, which I could understand. And unless I overruled a decision, because those boys had some very good ideas, things usually went the girls’ way. Why? Essentially we had one-party rule in our class and that was “girls rule!”
My heart went out to these boys the entire school year. The other fifth-grade classes had more equal numbers of boys and girls and those boys’ voices were being heard.
I relate my class last year very much to the situation of the Township Council. Just because there are more Democrats in the township and they happen to have more money, it does not mean that the council should not be shared with Republicans. Our township contains both parties and should have representation by both parties on the council. The Republicans still represent a fair number of people in the township and their voice should be heard and represented on the Township Council, just as my boys should have had more representation in the classroom. It is the only fair thing to do if you truly care about all the citizens of South Brunswick as people say they do.
This year, I have 23 students in my fifth grade class, 12 boys and 11 girls. The voices of both boys and girls are being heard equally in my classroom this year, as it should be. It is time for not just Republicans, but unaffiliated voters, and Democrats as well to reach across party lines and do what is truly best for South Brunswick. Instead of just voting for the same people all the time and saying what a great job they did, give some other people a chance, too. Everyone has to start somewhere, as the current council members did, and like my boys, with the great ideas.
The Republicans running for council, Steve Walrond and John O’Sullivan, could also turn out to be wonderful council members, but you will never know if you don’t give them that opportunity and keep voting for the same old, same old. After all, this is the year for change. Let’s begin with some change on the Township Council by making equal representation for the citizens of South Brunswick and voting Republican for Township Council. Give the Republicans a voice — the voice that my boys did not have last year.
Laura DeRuve, of Kendall Park

