I have been a West Windsor resident for 12 years and have two children in the WW-P school district. Dana and I have gotten to know each other over the last several years through our work in the PTA and community, and I enthusiastically support Dana Krug for the WW-P School Board.
Dana is uniquely positioned to genuinely represent the interests of both the parents and the children of WW-P because she has three children attending school in the district and is actively involved in the PTAs for each school (Village and High School North). This allows her to have a great deal of communication with a large cross section of parents across student age groups and affords Dana an excellent understanding of what parents really feel is important.
Along with her experiences as a parent, Dana is also a current board member, and therefore has a thorough understanding of the curriculum and how it is implemented across grade levels and from school to school. She is also very knowledgeable about the various programs offered to the students and how the schools are organized and run. This makes her an invaluable member of the school board.
With Dana’s professional background in fiscal management and contract negotiation, she will also excel at managing the school budget to best meet the interests of all parties: children, teachers, administrators and taxpayers.
Cindy Chait
Dana Krug has been an active resident, donating her time and talents, not only to Community Middle School’s PTA, but to such valuable resources as the library.
Every parent can appreciate that no two siblings will be fully alike in temperament, interests or talents, despite living in the same household and being taught the same sets of values. As a parent of four children, I believe that the School Board should continue to ensure that our children’s individual academic, emotional, and social needs are met while providing opportunities to challenge them daily in the classroom.
As an advocate for differentiated learning, Dana too understands that a “one-size-fits-all” approach would not be best to maximize the learning experience as each child is unique and talented. However, Dana also recognizes that this presents an inherent challenge as students would also benefit from consistency and predictability as they move through the grade levels and schools. I am pleased that Dana has made it a priority to reconcile these viewpoints while also supporting teachers’ creativity and ownership of their classrooms.
As the state continues in its economic recovery and unemployment decreases, every dollar counts and financial resources should be protected and used appropriately. I feel confident that Dana would contribute her career, educational training and prior leadership to the School Board to ensure the academic programs are fiscally prudent and for our children’s benefit.
Elizabeth George-Cheniara
West Windsor
I have known Dana Krug for nearly a decade and had the opportunity to work with her on the executive board of the Community Middle School PTSA a few years ago. As co-president she was thoughtful and fair, always weighing decisions in terms of the best interests of the students. She always considered all sides of an issue instead of rushing to judgment. Also, she was careful to ensure that all groups of students were represented equally in the allocation of PTSA financial resources. She recognized then, as she does now, that different students have different needs as well as different learning styles. Under her leadership, the PTSA purchased a library for each CMS classroom with a selection of books targeted to students at a variety of reading levels.
As a school board member, she has fought to support differentiated learning and is passionate about being the voice for all children in the district, no easy feat in a population of nearly 10,000 students. Last year, when problems arose with the high school biology pilot program, Dana brought the matter to the administration’s attention and worked with them to ensure that the program was carefully monitored and that the student experience was improved.
As Finance Committee chair Dana has been a key player in the preliminary meetings with representatives of the Howard Hughes Corporation in order to ensure that the interests of the students and district are not compromised as a result of the proposed development.
As a member of the WW-P school board, Dana has consistently placed the well-being of our students first and has worked to allocate resources wisely to support the needs of our children across the learning spectrum.
Allegra D’Adamo
Now that the school board elections are on the November ballot, it’s tempting for voters to emphasize the more attention-getting races, such as congress, and take their vote for school board casually. But it’s school board members who can make the difference in our taxes, in how our kids feel about going to school every morning, and in how the district’s reputation translates into property values.
I have known Dana Krug as a fellow baseball mom and as my PTSA officer. Recently, I have gotten to know her even better as a school board member. Over many months I advocated for naming the baseball field at High School North for David Bachner. The process was complex, public, and emotional. Dana was consistently professional, even-handed, and reflective. This is how she approaches all her decision-making, whether it’s as the chair of the board’s finance committee, as a constructive partner with the administration, or in her prior professional life as a marketing executive.
Dana and I share our values about education, especially in a highly competitive and prestigious district like WW-P. Dana is dedicated to the education of all our children, to working to help create well-rounded learners and young people of integrity. Beyond AP courses and college admission statistics, WW-P should be about encouraging all students to pursue their passions, with support from a first-rate faculty, a committed administration, and with a close watch on cost-effectiveness. Those are Dana’s values.
Michele Demak Epstein
Blossom Hill Drive, Plainsboro
I have known Dana Krug for 10 years in my capacity as president and member of the board of the Friends of the West Windsor Library (FOWWL) and as a personal friend. Dana volunteers her time to FOWWL, the Board of Education, the West Windsor Babe Ruth and other associations, despite her children’s hectic and varied school and extracurricular activities. She competently and reliably fills her position as the FOWWL’s chair of the Board of Directors and publicity chair.
Always acting with grace and panache, she calms stormy waters and balances varied personalities. This year, when the donations for the library sale were initially light, Dana worked diligently to have announcements placed in the local media outlets. Her work achieved an unprecedented uptick in donations, which helped to make our annual book sale very successful. Dana leads with diligence, insight, financial acumen, attention to details, great integrity, and creative forward thinking; and she is a wonderful role model.
Dana is a smart, fair, balanced woman, mother and wife. She has extensive professional management experience and as a current school board member and mother she has thorough knowledge of our school system and the workings of our Board of Education.
Irene Hoyt
President, FOWWL
North Post Road, Princeton Junction
I have known Dana and her family for many years. We have watched our children grow up and have spent countless hours on the baseball fields and basketball courts supporting our children. Last year Dana ran the state baseball tournament for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Babe Ruth organization. She did an amazing job of ensuring that volunteers were recruited and trained to handle game announcing, fund raising, concession sales, field maintenance and countless other details that go into running a tournament. It was a big success due primarily to Dana’s hard work and dedication.
When Dana told me that she was running for a second term, I reminded her of the time commitment and the constant concerns she gets from parents and community members. Dana shared how much she enjoys this volunteer role. She truly looks forward to moving the district forward and helping children and families in our community. I am impressed with her commitment to our community.
Now more than ever, the School Board will be called upon to make complex budgetary decisions that will be critical to the development of our schools and our children. Dana serves as the Board’s Finance Committee Chair and understands the financial state of our district. We need a fiscally savvy individual like Dana to help preserve and expand the quality of education in our district.
John Lappetito
Norfolk Court, Princeton Junction
Dana has been our neighbor for many years. Over this time, we have learned how deeply Dana cares about the quality of education for all students, and how she has advocated fairly and passionately for students, families, teachers, and administrators. She is an excellent listener who fully considers all points of view before making important decisions.
West Windsor is fortunate to have a candidate of her dedication. Dana has three children attending district schools and understands the educational experiences of students, ranging from elementary school through high school. She advocates for every child in our district. Dana served on the negotiations committee with the teacher’s union for two separate contracts. She currently serves as the Board’s finance committee chair and the liaison to the West Windsor Recreation Commission and the superintendent’s advisory council. Dana works tirelessly for our district.
Cari Porada
West Windsor
I met Dana when our daughters were in the same class. Dana is a dedicated parent and community volunteer. She is always willing to listen and offers insights and help to anyone.
Dana was the class parent in our daughters’ class. She ran many class events and made sure that everyone felt included in the process. For one classroom party, Dana organized a project, creating holiday gift bags with items that a local pre-school (which serves underprivileged children) needed for their students. Dana delivered the gift bags to the pre-school. Our children’s class was so proud to have helped these pre-schoolers and their families.
I continue to learn of Dana’s commitment to the school district. One year, for the annual Dutch Neck Science Day, when the program was lacking presenters, Dana co-presented an activity. Another year, Dana recruited scientists to present. Dana was not on the organizing committee for the Dutch Neck Science Day, she just truly cares that students get the most out of every educational opportunity that the school district offers.
Dr. Shilpa Shah
Zaitz Farm Road, West Windsor
Dana and I met when our children were in the same class. Last school year, Dana was appointed one of the class parents. During the course of the year, the class endured many changes, including several students and the teacher leaving. Dana became the sole class parent and the communication bridge between the parents and teachers. She organized class events and welcomed parents to participate in these events. She is well organized and very responsive.
I was impressed with how Dana handled these changes. She accepted the larger task without complaint and included everyone in the process. I am sure that Dana manages her School Board responsibilities in the same manner.
Ruojie Wang
West Windsor
West Windsor is fortunate to have a candidate of Dana Krug’s caliber and dedication. Dana is a current member of the WW-P School Board and has children attending Village School and High School North. Dana works tirelessly as a volunteer in our community; she is a board member of the Friends of the West Windsor Library, is an active member of the PTA in various schools, served a term as co-president of Community Middle School, and last year was the director of the 13U Babe Ruth State Baseball Tournament held at West Windsor Community Park.
Dana consistently volunteers her time because she cares deeply about our children, our community, and the quality of education for all students. Over the course of her present term, she has advocated fairly and passionately for students, families, teachers, and administrators, whether it be addressing new and changing curriculum requirements, reviewing data as Finance Committee chair (and thereby maintaining our schools’ educational excellence under a strict fiscal regimen), negotiating a new teachers’ contract, and participating in the selection of a successor for superintendent.
I met Dana six years ago when our daughters were in preschool together. In the years that followed, we’ve spent hours discussing parenting issues and concerns about our children’s education. As I am a professional educator, and Dana worked in the business sector, there have been many times when our perspectives differ in how we view education. Though we may disagree, she has continually impressed me with the way she can listen to and contemplate an opinion that is in direct opposition to her own. Dana always carefully considers all points of view before making important decisions, and she has the confidence and humility to look beyond her own personal biases.
Dana’s experiences as a parent extend from the elementary school to the high school, which makes her uniquely knowledgeable about our schools. As many community members value her experience and expertise, she often receives E-mails from friends and acquaintances expressing issues and concerns; she is consistently responsive, yet she carefully adheres to the oath she has taken as a board member; she is a consummate professional, and takes her oath of confidentiality quite seriously. As she is committed to doing her job well, she also seeks out information from others so she can further understand the inner workings of our district.
Beth Pandolpho
Monroe Drive, West Windsor
