Behrend should continue to lead Princeton School Board
We are writing in support of Beth Behrend’s re-election to the Board of Education (BOE). We believe it is crucial and necessary for Beth to continue her dedicated leadership to the BOE, our students, and our schools.
Since being elected to the BOE in 2017, we have witnessed Beth devote limitless time and skills in finding significant cost-savings measures through the introduction of priority-based budgeting, reduced expenses and tighter controls. She has also been a steadfast promoter of the district’s equity goals through restorative justice, racial literacy, and the implementation of free pre-K. Her leadership during the switch to remote learning has been crucial.
Our schools face immense challenges with funding, overcrowding, equity, and aging facilities, to name a few. As President of the BOE, Beth’s stable guidance has been essential in tackling all of the district issues to achieve long-term success. She successfully lead the board in finding an interim superintendent and as we embark on finding a permanent one, we know her past experience will again guide our district to solid ground. We also know that Beth’s experience is needed now, more than ever, as we revamp and create a robust new way of teaching due to COVID.
We were fortunate enough to work with Beth, as officers of the PTO Council Executive Board, before her election to the Board of Education. During that time, we gained insight into Beth’s collaborative leadership and her ability to handle complex situations with thoughtful questions and consideration in her desire to be the voice for all of the children in the district.
We need an experienced, equitable, dependable, and dedicated leader in these times of constant change. That is Beth Behrend.
Sue Bowen
Christina Walden
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Clearly they don’t know Beth. Collaborative leadership is a skill she sorely lacks
I’d like to have a future BoE leadership team that don’t have to complain in newspapers about a grass-root misinformation campaign against them.
This has been a very weird year for the board. It would be good to have leaders who are spending all their time on improving our students’ education, and not on politics. Reading the board emails that were made public by the OPRA requests was very depressing. The superintendent and board leadership should not be engaging in such behavior. It was interesting that the complaints in the newspaper didn’t address the behind the scenes behavior unearthed by the OPRA requests.
The Princeton Schools give our community a lot of value. Yes, they are expensive, and Yes, they are among the most important reasons why living in Princeton is so desirable. I am fiscally conservative, I yet I believe that even with only one child, after 22 years of paying property taxes, we have received more in value than we have paid into the Princeton Schools.
Local school districts are confusing to oversee and manage amidst the myriad of regulations from many layers of government, a strong teacher’s union and conflicting interests from parents. “Unpaid and overworked,” is what the spouse of a former (excellent) School Board member used to tell me. It is not a job for a someone who isn’t prepared for the complexity of the many decisions, who doesn’t have experience working in government or on boards . . . or who isn’t already aware of all the rules and regulations with respect to the Charter School and Cranbury’s students. Beth Behrend (& Michelle Tuck-Ponder) has that experience.
They have already given hundreds of hours towards educating our children and making them better citizens. They have already shown by example, how they bring their hearts and souls into making our community better. With the upcoming challenges of choosing a new Superintendent and preparing for increasing enrollment, I support Beth (& Michelle) for the School Board
@Doug I am glad that your child did so well in the public schools. Unfortunately, this is not true for all our children. The school district resists making the change to be inclusive of all students, in all its aspects. That is why I did not vote for the incumbents. We need a change in this town.