To the Editor:

This year’s Board of Education election is a critical one for our community. All residents should be engaged and concerned. In its coming term the Princeton Public School Board of Education will be carrying out arguably its most important role: Conducting the search for and hiring a new superintendent to oversee the daily operations and long-range planning of the district, supervise school principals and district staff, and manage fiscal operations. 

The Board’s choice of a superintendent will impact the vibrancy, vision, and strength of Princeton Public Schools for years to come. As a community we need to entrust this choice to the Board of Education candidates with the deepest knowledge of the district and a demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of all students while effecting positive change. In short, we need to re-elect Beth Behrend and Michele Tuck-Ponder.

Beth Behrend and Michele Tuck-Ponder bring firsthand knowledge, proven experience, and unwavering commitment to the Board of Education at a time when leadership skills and dedication to impactful, equitable, and cost-efficient solutions are paramount. In recent years, the Board has, among its challenges and successes, stabilized district finances, moving from budget deficit and personnel cuts to surplus; increased opportunity and equity within the district by initiating state-funded pre-K and making technology and broad-band available to all students; hired skilled and experienced key administrators to drive progress; and improved facility maintenance with a focus on sustainability.  

We need our Board of Education to make an impactful superintendent hire and to continue building on the positive momentum of the past few years. We need to re-elect Beth Behrend and Michele Tuck-Ponder.

Melanie Stein
Prospect Avenue