I devoted most of my professional career working for educational reform. I spent 20 years of my retirement volunteering at Community Park School. I came to know hundreds of Princeton children, parents, teachers, and administrators very well. And I have followed the decisions and actions of our Board of Education for more than 50 years.
I am convinced that the time is ripe–some would say long overdue–to strengthen the effectiveness of the Board in governing the Princeton public schools. I think it needs fresh voices with the vision, the experience, and the temperament to get the job done. This year we are fortunate to have just the right candidate in Eleanor Hubbard.
Here are some of the reasons I intend to vote for her:
Eleanor has a clear-headed grasp of what the Board needs to get done: assign priority to academic excellence, continue the effort to improve the math curriculum, find and hire the right people to manage and teach, plan for the future now rather than wait for a crisis to occur, and proceed in a financially responsible manner.
Eleanor is fully prepared to hit the ground running. She is intimately familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the schools, both from her wide-ranging discussions with others and from her own experience as a parent of three children currently enrolled at the elementary and middle school levels.
Eleanor has the right background and experience for a position in public service. She has had a distinguished academic career as a student, teacher, researcher, and writer. She has taught disadvantaged children in a New York City school. And she has volunteered her time and effort to various school organizations.
Eleanor has an ideal set of personal skills for leadership. She is a patient listener. She is a forthright and eloquent advocate. She balances strong, well-founded views with the congenial, engaging disposition required to participate as an active and collegial member of the Board.
I therefore urge everyone to vote for Eleanor Hubbard as a new member of the Princeton Board of Education.
Fred Kreisler
Princeton