On Nov. 7 we have to make a choice—we have to choose the two best candidates out of a field of five for the WW-P School Board. We have two candidates standing opposed to anything and everything the school administration has done and would like to see the superintendent fired, while the other slate has a track record of always siding with the administration and never questioning their decisions. I believe school board members should follow a middle ground of always asking tough questions but doing so in a mutually respectful manner.
The school board members should be independent and not be beholden to their slate partners or other board members for being elected on the board—otherwise they lose the objectivity and the independence that is required and expected of them by the voters.
More importantly, they should always have the best interest of all children in every decision they make. Since I am running an independent campaign I believe I will be that board member who will work with both sides, analyzing every issue, asking the tough questions, and making an independent decision on all issues that come to the board’s attention.
My guiding principle in all actions of the board would be to maintain our tradition of excellence and provide equal opportunity to all children to help them achieve their maximum potential. I believe that the role of the school should be to provide the opportunities and it should be up to the students in consultation with their parents and counselors to make the best of those opportunities.
Schools should not limit a child from reaching his or her maximum potential and policies should not only cater to just the average or just the top students but should be designed by keeping all children in mind.
Adding more transparency would be another area I would work on with the other board members. The committee system on the board where effectively all policies get discussed needs to be made open to public so the parents have a way of knowing what is currently being discussed and what new policies are coming, before they are voted upon by the full board.
This would prevent the simultaneous introduction of a new policy and a board vote on that policy at the same meeting. This lack of communication is what we saw in the introduction of the revised A&E and Option II policies in 2015. In addition, we should provide feedback during the public comment hour on the board meetings to legitimate questions from the parents. Currently we have no such formal provision.
If I am so honored to get elected, I would bring more diversity and a different perspective to the school board than what we currently have today. I will work hard to bring the community, that has been torn apart on the various school issues, together, and endeavor to create a mutually respectful working environment for everyone in the WW-P family.
— Rakesh Kak
Kak is running for a West Windsor seat on the school board.
