Letter to the Editor: To the Hazlet Community, For Your Reelection Vote

My name is Thomas Herman and I am running for reelection for the Hazlet Township Board of Education. I am happily married and have two young children. Over the past few years, I have seen the Hazlet Township School District make some decisions to put our schools on a path to increased academic achievement. These changes are critical to making the schools our children attend not only more competitive, but more appealing to potential residents looking to move to a town with a school system on the rise. However, we, as a community, still have much more work to do. Hazlet must continue to increase the opportunities for our students; this includes doing more than just preparing our children to take the new PARCC test. It is essential that our students gain the necessary skills to compete in college and in the 21st century workforce. We must push to do more than just provide the basics to our art, music, and special education programs. I seek to create a true partnership with the community so that all our children have the opportunity to thrive even beyond their school-age years.

Candidates so often decide to run for the Board with a narrow and negative agenda focused on eliminating one member of the faculty or a particular coach. My vision for this District is a bit broader and looks beyond the immediate future. I envision my daughter graduating from Raritan High School twelve years from now, possessing a diploma from a school that is as academically competitive as any in New Jersey. I plan to work hard to ensure that her diploma is viewed as a significant achievement by college admission counselors and potential employers. I ask for your support on November 4th so that I may continue to serve our community as a member of this Board and help to make substantive and positive changes in our schools. I invite you to please attend the Meet the Candidates Night on Monday, October 27 at 6:00 PM in the Middle Road School all purpose room to ask questions and hear more about how we, as a community, can improve our schools. Thank you.

Warmest regards,

Thomas Herman