The job of a school board member is not to run the schools, but to ensure schools are well run. This means monitoring what is happening in the present as well as working with administrators, staff, students, parents and community members to envision the future. When one is part of an excellent organization, as we are fortunate to be in WW-P, a typical response is to maintain the status quo. Yet excellent institutions stay that way by constantly looking to the future, at how to best serve their clients in an ever-changing world. There are two candidates for the West Windsor seats on the school board who understand this and have the experience and skills to move our district forward.
Richard Kaye brings 44 years of experience in education to the board. He has worked at the local, state and national levels as a teacher and principal, research study member and chair, consultant and board member. I first met Richard when he was selected to become part of the district’s Strategic Planning Core Team in 2004. That team crafted the mission and core goals under which the district has operated for the past decade. His thoughtful insights were a tremendous help as multiple constituencies discussed priorities in our schools. He has since served on the WW-P School Board for 9 years. Richard’s presence on the school board going forward could benefit all in the district, as he is someone interested in hearing from all sides on both day-to-day issues and as part of a future strategic plan.
Louisa Ho brings analytical abilities, organizational skills and creativity—not a typical combination—to everything she does. This is less surprising when one learns that she has degrees from MIT and had a career in transportation logistics and management for years. I’ve worked with Louisa on numerous committees, and for years through Girl Scouts. As one of the managers of the WW-P Girl Scout Service Unit, Louisa strives to provide activities for troops and support for leaders so that girls have interactive educational, service and leadership experiences, all while having fun. Our Service Unit is one of the first to create a Girl Scout Robotics team—which has gone to Worlds—and our robotics groups reach out to students from grade school through high school to share their knowledge. I believe Louisa’s ability to create innovative educational options in Scouting illustrates the open-minded approach she brings to envisioning education in the 21st century. Louisa’s passion for helping youth become all they can be is the driving force behind her continuing commitment to our School Board.
Richard Kaye and Louisa Ho bring a wide range of skills and experiences as well as a demonstrated interest in working with all of the members of our communities to imagine the future to our School Board. I hope you will join me in supporting them on November 8.
Diane Hasling
West Windsor
Hasling is a former member of the WW-P School Board
