Todd Hochman, Plainsboro
To the editor:
My name is Todd Hochman and in 2009, I upset the applecart by defeating an incumbent by 14 votes and surviving a court-ordered recount to win a Plainsboro seat on the West Windsor–Plainsboro Board of Education. Seven years later, I have decided to run again and am asking the voters of Plainsboro to re-elect me to a second term on the board.
During my tenure as a board member, I never hesitated to question the status quo, form my own opinions, and speak my mind at board meetings. Sometimes this resulted in my criticism of the board, and more than once required that I vote “no” on measures. I was one of the first board members in a long time to vote against a budget. In the process, I ruffled more than a few feathers. But I held to my beliefs and ultimately won the respect of my fellow board members.
The board works through a committee structure. I served on the Administration and Facilities Committee which, among other things, is responsible for the district’s Policy Manual. During my tenure, the Policy Manual needed a full update. This was tedious work and not glamorous. But as the only attorney on the board at the time, I felt it incumbent upon me to use my skills and training to do the “heavy lifting” on the Policy Manual update. This is the type of work that doesn’t get headlines in the newspaper. However, it is also the type of work that a board member needs to be willing to do for the district.
Should the voters of Plainsboro re-elect me to a second term, I will continue to question the status quo, form my own opinions, and speak my mind at board meetings. But I will also continue to work hard for the board regardless of whether that work is glamorous. The voters of Plainsboro deserve this type of board member and I am the person for the job.
I am asking the voters of Plainsboro to re-elect me to a second term on the Board of Education.
Todd Hochman
Plainsboro
