To the editor:
In the six years that I have served on the Board of Education of Princeton Public Schools, I have never witnessed an election that is as consequential as this one is for our district and our children. Our public school system is in many ways our community’s crown jewel, and in the past six years, the board has strived to take a great system and make it even better – more inclusive, more equitable, and more sensitive to the natures of all our children, whatever their social and economic background or learning style.
We need to make sure we have good stewards on the Board who understand this, and truly care about kids first. This year, it is particularly important to elect incumbent Board members Betsy Baglio and Dafna Kendal, because they get it, and it’s not clear to me that all the candidates do.
Betsy Baglio is a mother and professional public school teacher, educated at Princeton and Harvard. Her educational credentials and experience are impeccable. Betsy has spent the past three years focusing on children, both as Chair of the Student Achievement Committee, Policy Committee and the Equity Committee, and as vice president of the board. Under Betsy’s guidance, our District has focused on fairness for all students, particularly the economically disadvantaged and those who learn differently. Under Betsy’s direction, we have implemented Meet the Board Sessions, Parent Feedback Surveys and have facilitated consistent and unprecedented dialogue related to race and equity throughout the district. Betsy speaks the language of not only a concerned parent, but also of a teacher and professional educator.
Dafna Kendal has been a passionate and tireless advocate for our children, our teachers, and our community. A mother and an experienced attorney, Dafna served on the Student Achievement Committee, chaired the Facilities Committee and Policy Committee, and also served last year as vice president of the board. Dafna has consistently advocated for equitable treatment of our minority population and those with special education needs, and, on her own initiative, also worked to secure new funding from Princeton’s not-for profit institutions, raising millions of dollars to be applied toward our operating budget in the years ahead. Dafna has been tireless in developing and supporting improvements such as a later start time at the high school, for a modified high school schedule, and for a reduction in burdensome homework for our stressed-out kids. Dafna also maintains excellent relations with our teachers, which will be crucial next year as we once again open contract negotiations with our teachers’ unions. This community is far better off with Dafna working on our behalf on the School Board.
Both Betsy and Dafna have the educational experience, institutional knowledge, and above all, the passion for excellence, fairness and equity that should be at the heart of any great public school system.
In the November election, the question before us is, “who will best look out for our kids and our broader community?” The answer, unequivocally, is Betsy Baglio and Dafna Kendal.
Patrick Sullivan
Princeton
(The writer serves as President of the Princeton Board of Education; he is writing in his private, individual capacity, and not as a member of the Princeton Board of Education.)