To the Editor:

I urge the Princeton community to join me in supporting Michele Tuck-Ponder for reelection to the Princeton Board of Education.

I first met Michele in 1993, and served as her campaign manager in her inaugural run for Princeton Township Committee. We have remained friends over the past 30 years. I have observed, up close, her dedicated service to our community and her skills as a public servant. She listens well, carefully considers all views and opinions, gathers facts and data, and makes decisions grounded in integrity and accountability.

Our school district faces many challenges today and in the future, but two of the most important are fiscal responsibility and equity for all students. Michele has consistently demonstrated her commitment to both of these principles during her three years on the Board of Education.

As a 33-year resident of Princeton, former mayor and member of Township Committee, commissioner of the Princeton Housing Authority, and chair of the District Equity Committee, Michele has a deep understanding of the intersecting issues of fiscal responsibility and equity.

For example, in her first year on the Board of Education, Michele had the courage to stand alone and vote against a $129M referendum because she believed that there had not been sufficient investigation into the best possible use of existing space, expansion, and facility improvement. She also knows that all budget and program decisions must be made within the context of our educational strategy and goals for the future.

Michele is committed to ensuring that our facilities are the right facilities for developing the 21st century skills that all of our children need, regardless of their career and life goals. She also knows that we must make every financial decision through the lens of equity. That’s why she supported the purchase of laptops for every student, so that every student had equal access and opportunity to learn during the COVID pandemic via remote learning.

Michele is the right person to ensure that every decision, both financial and otherwise, will be made through the double lens of equity and financial accountability. She is a proven leader who has the experience and vision to guide our school district into the future.

I urge you to vote for Michele for reelection to the Princeton Board of Education. She is the best person to lead our district on a path of fiscal strength and equity for all students.

Karen A. Jezierny
Mount Lucas Road