To the Editor:

I write in support of Beth Behrend for reelection to the Princeton Public Schools Board and to urge Princeton voters to join me in voting for Beth. 

We have been favored by Beth’s leadership on the Board for the past six years and fortunate that she is offering to continue serving for another three. Her experience and proven capability are very much needed as the Princeton Public Schools navigate this challenging time of increasing student population, heightened cultural awareness, and the increasing variety of educational needs from an increasingly diverse student body.

Beth is thoughtful, hard-working, diplomatic, and committed. She cares about the health and well-being of all our students, about environmental sustainability, about the value of long-term planning, and about ensuring that every dollar of taxpayers’ money is justifiably and wisely spent. Her service on the PPS Board has focused on supporting student achievement with targeted new initiatives and hiring; stabilizing school finances and developing priority-based budgeting; long-term facilities planning that anticipates capital spending to minimize the effect on taxpayers; Board governance by developing clear and measurable goals and through updated Board policies and training; and district advocacy (she is one of only two invited Board-member representatives of the Executive Board of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a leading advocate on behalf of all N.J. public school students).

Princeton’s public schools are at a pivotal moment. We need a strong and experienced School Board. We need Beth Behrend on that board to ensure continued success.

Scott Sillars
Patton Avenue