Dear Editor:
As an expecting mother, I have been paying close attention to goings-on in the Hoboken school district as I determine whether my family and I will be able to stay in the city we love once our child reaches school age. We’ve been happy to see over the past couple of years that the school district has been improving dramatically and that more young families are starting to stay. The past year has been particularly interesting, as it’s the first one that reformers have had a majority on the school board, and we’ve been very happy with what they’ve done so far and are wholeheartedly endorsing the Kids First ticket in this election to continue the work they’ve started. Rose Marie Markle has done an outstanding job leading the Board of Education through an aggressive and effective series of sweeping changes over the past year, and Irene Sobolov has gotten off to a great start. Leon Gold and Jean Marie Mitchell have outstanding records of service to the community and engagement in improving our district, and make a fine addition to the team.
My husband and I consider it of the utmost importance that the Kids First team get an opportunity to continue the momentum it started last year. The team has made enormous headway already in trimming waste from the budget while improving the quality of programs — delivering, as advertised, an agenda that puts the kids first. Most impressive to us so far has been the quick and dramatic results of the district audit, which had an immediate impact and facilitated the replacement of the entire upper management and administrative staff. The Kids First team has implemented quality controls to address audit irregularities as well as an overhaul of the district and student distribution. Some exciting and valuable new programs include the 7th and 8th grade laptop initiative and the implementation of a new curriculum including staff development for all teachers in the district.
On Tuesday, April 20, let’s continue the tremendous progress our school board has made through the Kids First team – please join me in voting for Rose Marie Markle, Irene Sobolov, Leon Gold and Jean Marie Mitchell.
Sincerely,
Alison Waldman