Dear Editor:
I would like to introduce myself as a candidate for the Hoboken Board of Education in the upcoming November election. I am proud to be running as part of the Kids First slate along with current Board members Leon Gold and Irene Sobolov. My husband and I have two daughters enrolled in the Hoboken Public Schools, one in first grade at Wallace School and another in Pre-K3 at Brandt School. We have lived in Hoboken for many years and are fully committed to the Hoboken Public Schools. We have been thrilled with our daughters’ experiences in the district schools, finding them wonderful, energetic and diverse places of learning and exploration. We have also been impressed with the district’s commitment to a wide range of backgrounds, needs, personalities and learning styles, giving every child the opportunity to become a lifelong learner and to meet their highest potential. I have volunteered in the public schools in a variety of ways. I have been an active member of the Brandt PTO and District PTO. I am a Parent Representative on the Hoboken Early Childhood Advisory Council, where I serve as Secretary. I have also regularly attended the monthly Board of Education meetings since my older daughter entered Kindergarten at Brandt.
For me, becoming involved with the public schools is not just about my own children and their education, but about all the children in the schools. That is why it has been exciting to see the changes made under the Kids First majority in recent years. Today, every student is treated equally regardless of the school they attend, be it Brandt, Calabro, Connors, Wallace or the High School. Decades-old texts have been replaced with brand new ones, and curricula and classroom materials have received long-overdue updates including the adoption of Singapore Math, FOSS Science and Balanced Literacy curricula. Children also need school facilities that are safe and clean, and Kids First has fully funded a long term capital improvement plan that has realized a new school yard, science labs, refurbished gyms, renovated bathrooms and more. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Kids First has brought financial honesty and responsibility to the school district, enabling them to target the funds where they belong…with the kids in the classrooms. I am honored to be running with Irene Sobolov and Leon Gold and look forward to working with them to continue moving forward. I ask for your support Tuesday, November 5. Finally, please join me in wishing all of Hoboken’s students a successful and happy school year.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Evans