To the editor:
I am writing in support of Dafna Kendal and Betsy Baglio for Board of Education re-election.
With each school board election, we put our trust into people we believe will have the commitment, energy, thoughtfulness and experience to make the best decisions for our kids and community. These two outstanding women have each proven over the past three years that they possess all of these qualities, in spades.
Betsy and Dafna are invaluable board members, each serving as board vice-president, chair of committees, involved with student achievement and equity committees, among others.
The institutional knowledge and experience they have gained are crucial, and will be indispensable as they continue to commit time and effort towards the many important decisions facing the board of education, including moving forward to address equity concerns and the referendum. Between the two of them, they have served on all seven of the board’s permanent and ad-hoc committees and have chaired five of the seven in their first term. Dafna and Betsy will also be key members in helping the new board members get up to speed.
During the many years I have known Dafna, she has proven herself to be committed to improving our students’ experiences at PPS. She has volunteered in many additional ways – from Littlebrook Elementary PTO to softball coach. She is a founding trustee of the Princeton Children’s Fund and volunteers with the Give Back Program.
Education has been Betsy’s life work, as a teacher and educational consultant, and a PPS volunteer since 2011. In an effort towards board transparency and clear communication, Betsy implemented Meet the Board sessions and parent feedback surveys.
Who better to vouch for their re-election than our current Board President Patrick Sullivan, who has seen first-hand the tireless and passionate ways they have served our students and broader community. As he wrote in a recent letter to the editor, “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.”
Please join me in voting for Dafna Kendal and Betsy Baglio. Vote for experience, commitment, and competence.
Abigail Rose
Princeton