To the Editor:

I am writing to urge fellow Princeton parents and taxpayers to vote for Eleanor Hubbard for Board of Education (BOE) on November 7.

There is a real need for new and competent leadership on the BOE, which is the elected body that oversees the Princeton Public Schools system. In recent years there has been a marked decline in the academic achievement of Princeton Public Schools students as compared with surrounding school systems such as West Windsor-Plainsboro and Montgomery, which now surpass Princeton on standardized test scores. In particular, the quality of the math program in Princeton schools has been degraded, for example through incoherent reforms in the Princeton Middle School that have dramatically weakened students’ understanding of algebra, reducing opportunity for advancement in math for Princeton High School students. At the same time, Princeton Public Schools’ spending, which accounts for over half of residents’ property tax bill, has increased significantly.

Both school curriculum and school spending are overseen by the BOE. Your vote for Eleanor Hubbard, as a candidate who was not on BOE previously and did not support these decisions, could help get the Princeton Public Schools system back on the track of excellence that our students and taxpayers deserve.

Eleanor Hubbard is exceptionally qualified to serve on the Board of Education. She obtained her own undergraduate and graduate degrees in literature and history from Harvard University, and taught for many years at Princeton University. She has a long record of service to children’s issues and to education as both a teacher and a parent. For example, she worked full time as a public school teacher in the South Bronx for two years, and in Princeton, is an active member of the Parent-Teacher Organization at Riverside Elementary, where two of her own children are in school. She has an astute grasp of the complex issues that the BOE members need to understand, including not only the educational but also the intellectual, financial, social, cultural, and interpersonal issues. Last but not least, she is an authentic and kind person who gets along with everyone, and who could help bridge the current gap between the BOE and dissatisfied Princeton parents and taxpayers.

Princeton residents are fortunate to have the opportunity to vote for Eleanor Hubbard on November 7. Please consider doing so!

Rachael Winfree
Moore Street