To the editor:
I am a past member of the Westwood Regional Board of Education. I was a trustee for 14 years, holding top committee positions and serving as board president and vice president. I bring these credentials up to give the Westwood Regional School District community an insider look at what it takes to be a successful trustee.
Focused only on what children are reading in middle school, or raising your voice that the district lacks transparency are just convenient topics to gain attention. These have nothing to do with being a successful board trustee. Although these topics are certainly important, parent concerns are best settled by talking with the district superintendent and his leadership team, the ones responsible for the day to day operations of the district.
The responsibility of a board trustee is not to get into the day to day operations of the district (quite frankly, it is against state regulations), but should be devoted to helping develop policy that supports the mission and goals of the district, the foundation by which we positively impact the educational lives of our school children.
A trustee should be focused on areas such as facilities,
budget, curriculum, community relations, and support for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
Again, all in the name of positively impacting the educational lives of the Westwood Regional schoolchildren. A successful trustee is someone who can objectively weigh in on the issues and help remove roadblocks impacting the overall strategy of the district.
Roberta Hanlon embodies these characteristics. She objectively considers all sides in making decisions, and understands the day-to-day operations of the school district belong to the district leadership team. Roberta can get to the root of district roadblocks to support the educational needs of all children, not just a select few.
And lastly, there are no politics when it comes to Roberta’s decision-making. These are the characteristics of a successful Westwood Regional Board of Education trustee.
With the Westwood Regional School District constantly considered a top-50 school district, and receiving yearly accolades for its overall educational standards, graduation rates, top notch school facilities, and sound extracurricular activities, why would anyone decide not to vote for Roberta Hanlon? She makes it happen. Please vote for Robert Hanlon on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Paul Liddy
Township of Washington
