Letter: Please Support Tom Hagerdorn for School Board

To the Editor:

I am a candidate for a seat on Princeton’s School Board and am asking your readers for their support. I will need it as I am the last candidate listed on the ballot (#5). I am even listed below someone who has already dropped out!  

I am running for School Board because education has been my life’s vocation. I am a 19-year Princeton resident and have worked for 17 years in public higher education as a mathematics professor at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). As a parent of a Community Park second grader, I’ve been involved through volunteer work on CP’s Edible Garden and co-organizing its Chess Club.

I am passionate about educating the whole student and ensuring that each student is given every opportunity to fulfill their potential. Academics are a top priority, but our children’s success should not be measured solely by their test scores.  

At TCNJ, I have served as coordinator of a college-wide program to improve student graduation rates. On the school board, I would use this experience to help solve the issues currently confronting the school district. I would work to 1) set specific five-year benchmarks to ensure continued progress on tackling Princeton’s achievement gap; and 2) help create a strategic plan for the Valley Road building to benefit the students and the community.

I would seek to solve these and other issues by encouraging greater dialogue among parents and the community. While consensus may not be possible, I believe open discussions can allow innovative solutions to surface. I also favor regular open forums on education issues important to the community.

More information can be found online here. 

I ask you for your support in this coming election.

Sincerely,

Tom Hagedorn

Princeton