Dear Editor:
When I moved to Jersey City more than 10 years ago with my then fiancée, we were of course thinking about children as a part of our future but, we weren’t thinking about the schools or the level of education they might offer to those potential/future children. All we knew is that we fell in love with Jersey City and the city that offered a real sense of community so we decided to set our roots here. We bought our home in the Hilltop section of Journal Square area which like much of Jersey City combined many of the elements we loved about the city – diversity of cultures and a combination of people who had been born and raised with those who were new and embracing of the city.
After my first and second child were born, their education moved into the foreground of my mind and we had some tough decisions to make. We love Jersey City but were disappointed by the quality of the local public school education. I decided to utilize my skills and investment as a parent to become an advocate for better public schools in Jersey City. I became an active member in the Hilltop Neighborhood Association and in Jersey City Moms.
As a human resources professional for 15 years, I have worked with organizations to establish and advance talent and develop strategies for superior performance. I believe there is a real need on the Board of Education for these skills. As a parent, seeing the progress that Dr. Lyles, a professional educator, has already brought to the Jersey City public school system gives me hope. I intend to leverage my skill and my passion for the almost 28,000 Jersey City public school children and for those who are yet to become a part of the school system. There has been some real progress made towards a path of success now, we need a Board of Education that can push that agenda forward for a better future and I’m looking forward to being a part of that bright future.
Micheline Amy