Reader Submitted
To the editor:
I am wholeheartedly endorsing Jane Staats as a candidate for Hillsborough Township Committee.
I have known Jane for 17 years while we were both teachers at Hillsborough High School. We first met when I was a new teacher in the district, and she had volunteered to be my mentor. She played an integral role in the success I had transitioning from another high school into a teaching position in Hillsborough. She was always available if I had any questions, and she offered me advice on dealing with the various issues that arose in my classroom. She had an open door policy with me, and she did not hesitate to share her creative and student centered materials with me. During her time spent nurturing students, Jane loved teaching mathematics to all of her students, especially those who struggled with grasping the complex concepts that are so common in a math course. Jane would spend numerous hours before and after school helping her students find success in the classes that she taught. In her spare time, Jane also spent numerous hours volunteering to help paint the scenes for the Hillsborough High School plays, as well as the Somerset County Players Theater.
During Jane‘s time at Hillsborough HS, Jane developed a smoking cessation group for students. Under Jane’s leadership, the group was instrumental in both lowering the number of students who used tobacco, as well as providing a judgement free place where students struggling with addiction could go for support.
As the years have passed, Jane and I have continued to remain friends, and even though she has since retired from teaching, I often use Jane as a resource, and I am lucky to call her my friend.
I know Jane Staats personally and as a colleague, and I know that she will give 110 percent to improve the quality of life here in Hillsborough Township. Jane Staats is first and foremost, a leader, yet she is also a great listener, and willing to accept others opinions. In short, she is the right choice for Hillsborough Township Committee.
Joanne Brush
Hillsborough
