Debbie Robl, West Windsor
I have known Michele Kaish for many years and in many capacities. She and I are neighbors, but I didn’t really get to know her until I had the pleasure to interact with her when she was president of the Village School PTA.
As a former Village School teacher, I saw Michele handle the rigors of organizing and planning activities that served our students and our staff. During her tenure as president, Village School students and staff flourished because of the commitment that Michele brought to her position. She energized parent volunteers, and she led them to create events and activities that were entertaining and educational for the children.
Michele was always eager to seek out new ideas and to listen to others in order to create an environment in which the children could thrive. She devoted many hours to bringing the parents and teachers together in collaboration on behalf of the students. Not only did Michele organize, plan, and lead, she also pitched in to help however she could. She continues to do that now. Even though her own children are no longer attending Village School, she is always eager to participate in the school’s activities each year on Read Across America Day.
Not only did Michele volunteer her time and share her talents with the students and staff at Village School, but while serving as president there, she was also actively involved in other schools in the district. As a PTA volunteer, Michele saw the value of keeping other PTA members informed and took on the roll as the official “email blaster,” sending valuable updates to parents and teachers throughout the district. That practice is still in place today, and it has become an important vehicle to keep parents informed about what is happening in their children’s schools.
As a board member, Michele listens to all stakeholders in the district. She wants to hear the different views of all of those who play a part in the WW-P community, and she brings to the board the views of those who reach out to her. This requires a lot of time on her part, and it also relies on the fact that Michele’s time in this community has allowed her to form relationships within the district that foster a lot of open communication.
Additionally, Michele’s experiences as a parent, a volunteer, a long-term West Windsor resident, and a current member of the board provide her with the background to help make decisions that will propel our district forward in the coming years. I feel confident in knowing that, at the heart of her decisions, are the students. She tries to do what she can to ensure that all of them will have access to the fine quality of education offered in all of our schools.
For that reason, I endorse Michele Kaish for the West Windsor-Plainsboro school board.
Debbie Robl
West Windsor
