WW-P used to be known for excellence. Now from reading the press, the whole country has a negative view of WW-P as divided, overly stressful, and dumbed down.
Since Christmas, Superintendent David Aderhold has been on a national media campaign to promote himself. Aderhold made negative comments about our towns and schools to the New York Times. Next he gave an interview to Al Jazeera television. The New York Post and the New Yorker have picked up the WW-P story. And Aderhold puts all of this on Twitter to gain a wider audience for our troubles.
First he drags students and parents through the mud as dysfunctional and toxic, while casting himself as the white knight on a mission to transform the whole education system. This is totally untrue and unprofessional.
Even worse is that in the Al Jazeera television piece, Aderhold allowed middle school students to be filmed and used in his propaganda.
It’s one thing to talk to the WW-P News, where town discussions take place. But talking to Al Jazeera just does harm. Why would he think it benefits our schools to talk to Al Jazeera, the outlet of Qatar’s rulers, which is constantly looking for negative things to say about America?
Students are being hurt by this barrage. Alumni are aghast. Parents don’t appreciate being criticized for caring about their children or all being painted with the same brush. I don’t recognize the divided towns portrayed in the press.
Aderhold’s interviews and his Twitter feed are shameless self-promotion. It’s bad enough that our schools have problems. This kind of media attention is not flattering for WW-P and is not wanted. It will take many years to regain the district’s reputation for excellence, and our towns’ reputations as wonderful places to live.
All the time Aderhold spends on Twitter and giving interviews during school days does nothing to educate a child.
We need a superintendent who will be proud of our amazing students, protect our children, focus on students instead of himself, and who will not speak to the national press.
Carol Herts
West Windsor
