Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education in the Nov. 5, 2024 election. Village Green invites voters to submit Letters to the Editors in support of candidates. See guidelines below.
Dear South Orange & Maplewood Residents,
I am writing to express my support for Paul Stephan, who is running for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education this November. Having worked with Paul for a few years on a local committee, I’ve been impressed with his commitment, willingness to work with others, his friendly, caring nature and desire to make positive change.
My support for him was further reinforced after attending the recent BOE Candidate’s Night and listening to his insightful, thorough answers on many key issues facing our district.
It is also very important to me that as a former teacher, he understands the needs, challenges and feelings of educators, one of the most essential groups of stakeholders in our district. He will listen to teachers, respect their expertise, support and advocate for them.
Serving on a BOE requires compromise, listening skills, empathy and the ability to negotiate on complicated issues. Paul’s current work as a lawyer proves that he has these crucial skills and will use them to build partnerships and bring people together.
Having lived in South Orange for many years, with three children going through the district from Kindergarten to Grade 12, I am very aware of the issues, both ongoing and new, that have presented, and will continue to present challenges. Now with a granddaughter ready to begin her education here, I am even more invested in ensuring that our district remains on the right track and excels!
A BOE should be composed of intelligent, dedicated, independent thinkers who can bring their own set of skills to the table and work collaboratively. Although all of the candidates can bring necessary skills, the fact that Paul is the only independent candidate, not tied to a slate or faction is very, very important to me and should be a concern of all voters.
Please support Paul Stephan when you cast your ballots in writing, at an early voting center or in person on Election Day, Nov 5. Paul’s energy, competence and genuine concern for our community will be a great asset to our Board of Education!
You can learn more about his campaign at stephanforboe.com.
Sincerely,
Laura Levine
South Orange, NJ
Letters to the Editors guidelines: Village Green publishes Letters to the Editors in support of candidates. Publishing these letters is at the discretion of the editors. We do not publish letters attacking competing candidates or any person. We aim to publish as many letters as we receive; however, if there is a large volume of letters and they are received late in the race, we cannot guarantee that they will be posted. Letters to the Editors can be submitted to villagegreennj@gmail.com. Please send as a Word or Google document, not as a PDF. Letter writers should provide their name and place of residence (town and state). The deadline for submitting a Letter to the Editor for the Fall 2024 election is Tuesday, October 29, at 5 p.m.
