Letter: Re-elect Costanza & Kochberg to Robbinsville school board

From: Vincent Costanza & Keith Kochberg, Robbinsville.
To the editor:
   We, like many of you, have found the difficulties of the past few years challenging and anxiety provoking. As taxpayers who work hard to make a living, we have seen the time needed to make that living increase dramatically, which challenges the very family we are working to build. Yet, we also find these times motivating. Rather than succumb to the challenges associated with the realities of our time, we have chosen to view difficulty as opportunity and work on solutions for this community that we love.
   Our choice is reflective of the ethic that our parents have instilled in us that holds solving problems in higher esteem than merely admiring them. For many years, our parents sacrificed to give us a life that was better than theirs. From our point of view, there’s no greater way to respect the compassion of our parents than to provide the same opportunity for our children. While education is undoubtedly the catalyst for that better life, we are concerned about the opportunities that will be afforded our children during these times.
   As fathers of young children, we are running for the Board of Education to protect the investment in our children as nothing captures the promise of what is possible than the hopes and dreams of our children. Whether the decisions involve advocating for adequate funding levels, overseeing the course offerings that our children will have from preschool through high school, or ensuring that all of our children are educated in facilities and classroom spaces that meet their needs, the decisions we make now will shape the experiences of all our children for years to come. In short, this moment in time is theirs.
   We consider ourselves fortunate to volunteer on a board that is focused on the important issues of our time and not distracted by the local politics and inappropriate advocacy that many boards encounter. Furthermore, the district’s administrative team has placed the district on a path that is both responsive to taxpayers and focused on the needs of children. While we support the Board of Education and advocate for its continuity, we are running together because independent voices are essential to considering the fresh and innovative ideas that are required of this time.
   Not only do we bring such independent voices to the board, but we are unwavering in our commitment to tireless advocacy that is focused on overseeing the best schools possible for our children, period! Yet, while our voices are independent, we are not soloist. We cannot accomplish what we want without the support of our board colleagues and without the support of our neighbors.
   As we stand on the shoulders of the Robbinsville families that have come before us to put kids first, we ask that you place a vote for independence. We ask that you place a vote that will help keep the district focused on the work of schools, namely the social and academic development of our children. On Tuesday, Nov.6, we ask that you vote for Costanza & Kochberg for Robbinsville Board of Education.

Vincent J. Costanza

Keith Kochberg

Robbinsville