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 Village Green,
I enthusiastically share my support for Paul Stephan, who is running for the South Orange – Maplewood Board of Education. I first met Paul when he reached out to hear my thoughts on local environmental issues. The meeting was memorable. Paul took many notes during our conversation while focusing his thinking, not on what he though the issues should be, but what Villagers might identify as our environmental needs. Independent candidate Paul Stephan will share these genuine listening skills with the SOMSD community.
Professionally, Paul Stephan is an environmental lawyer advocating for communities against some of the countries most powerful corporations like Exxon Mobile and Monsanto. Taking on this work against tough odds requires principles and passion, but also patience and persistence. Paul will bring these qualities to his work with the BOE.
Previously, Paul was a Newark first grade teacher and Orange music teacher. He has first-hand insight into the classroom experience. He will be a board member who fully understands that when it comes to adults putting our students first our teachers lead the way and those teachers need robust support from the Board of Education and the Administration.
Paul Stephan would be an outstanding addition to the Board of Education. I know he is enthusiastic and competent, but more importantly he is thoughtful – careful.
Please join me in supporting Paul Stephan on November 5th. You can learn more about his campaign at stephanforboe.com.
Thank you for your consideration,
Bill Haskins
South Orange
Note: Bill Haskins is a member of the South Orange Village Council and the liaison to the Environmental Commission. The views expressed here are his own and do not represent the Council as a whole.]
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 We do not publish letters attacking competing candidates or any person.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.
