Today's letters: two more endorsements for Jordon DeGroote
I am writing this letter to call your support for Jordon DeGroote who is running for member of West Windsor Plainsboro (WW-P) Board of Education (BOE).
Known to those who have been following the school district news, there are increasing concerns regarding the reform actions that the school district has been taking. Many excellent, proven successful educational programs have been eliminated or on the edge of being eliminated soon. Those changes worried me and many fellow parents students and teachers. Furthermore, many of the changes occurred without inputs from the community. Apparently, there is a huge divergence between the Board's perception and the reality of the issues themselves.
Jordon DeGroote talked about his position, vision and ideas at the BOE meetings. I am impressed by his clear picture of his aspiration and his strong belief in improving transparency in decision making processes and communications between the board, school officials and the students/parents. As we all know, this becomes imperative in our school district now.
It is time to introduce fresh blood to the BOE, to have someone who genuinely cares about the school, who knows what the students need, who is willing to be the true conduit between students/parents and school official, and take inputs from the community. I truly believe, with Jordon DeGroote in BOE, there will be better communications between the BOE, school officials and students/parents. That is one step forward towards solving the problems this school district is currently facing.
Thank you for your attention and support!
Dr. Sophia Xu
Plainsboro
A series of controversial changes have hit West Windsor schools, leaving students and parents stunned in their wake: midterm and final exams in high schools were eliminated, option IIs were curtailed, advanced orchestra programs in upper elementary school were cut, just to name a few. Next on the chopping block is the A&E math program for 4th and 5th grades. Many parents were surprised and felt neither they nor students were given the chance to provide any input. It is not clear who made these decisions and how they were made. There is little if any transparency in this process. Residents were further exasperated when some of these decisions were found to be based on questionable analysis.
The call for transparency and public input on the board is nothing new, but it has historically met strong resistance and never came to pass. Now, our children are bearing the consequences. This community urgently needs board members who will listen to the public and implement a transparent decision making process in our schools.
I am so glad to see that Jordon DeGroote, a courageous young man with vision, vows to "give students and parents a voice", establish transparency on the board, and revisit those questionable changes that resulted in public outcry. West Windsor voters, if you don't want to see our schools deteriorate and our property values plunge, please consider voting for Jordon DeGroote for WW-P Board of Education on November 3.
Yunqing Li
West Windsor
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