Erica Snyder and Chris Santarpio Will Be Ready for Board of Ed on Day One
To the Editor:
With a critically important national election less than a week away, one could be forgiven for paying slightly less attention to some of the other races at the state and local levels. But, in a democracy, who we choose to lead our institutions has a significant influence on our daily lives, from elected officials in the White House to the “schoolhouse.” The race for Board of Education, here in Princeton, is no exception. The coming year will bring a number of pivotal decisions that will shape the school system, and — by extension — the town, including the hiring of a new superintendent, the advancement of a referendum to fund the needed improvement of our schools, and a continued focus on closing any learning gaps that opened up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At this pivotal moment, Princeton needs a Board of Education that is values-driven, and ready to take the necessary steps to continue to ensure a brighter future for our children on day one. We couldn’t think of two better candidates to join the Board than Erica Snyder and Chris Santarpio. Erica and Chris are currently the co-presidents of the Community Park Elementary School PTO, where our daughter has been enrolled since kindergarten and is now in third grade. To put it simply, we believe they are the best candidates to fill these important roles.
Erica and Chris go out of their way to bring their experience and values to the often unsung and heroic work of the PTO each and every day. From coming up with ever-creative (and fun!) ways to raise funds for the PTO, to featuring sustainability for the first time as a theme for STEAM day, to just being there — before school, after school, at every PTO event, and beyond — you know that Erica and Chris sincerely care about the students, the parents, and the teachers. And with young children of their own in the public schools, their interest in joining the Board is both personal and long-term.
As PTO co-presidents, Erica and Chris give freely of their time and effort to continually improve our schools. And the better our schools are, the better our community is. They are intricately linked. This makes them uniquely qualified to be elected to the Board of Education where they would pick up exactly where they would leave off as PTO co-presidents, working as hard for our kids as they do for their own.
So, as you consider your ballot this Election Day, please join us in voting for Erica Snyder and Chris Santarpio for School Board.