To the Editor,
As a South Orange Village Trustee I am excited to support Elissa Malespina in her bid for a seat on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Elissa Malespina as a volunteer in South Orange. I have seen firsthand that Elissa loves our two towns, and that as a seasoned educator and mother, she believes in making sure our schools are the best they can be.
She believes, like me, in more collaboration and synergy between our two towns, their shared school district and major stakeholders like Seton Hall University and SOPAC to group expenses, save money and tap the wealth of resources available.
Elissa is constantly talking about education and is often a person our residents, both those with children in our district and those without, consult to help them understand and navigate what has become a minefield of bad press and bad communication related to the schools, their programs and the district’s overall trajectory. She’s seen things from the inside as a teacher in the district, from a parent’s perspective, and with the perspective of a supervisor and educator in other districts which makes her more than qualified for the job.
While continuing to advocate locally, Elissa is also doing so at national education and tech conferences where she works hard to keep up with and understand the latest trends in education and where they fit in.
She’s also regarded as an authority on both tech education and communication – two things that, in my mind, are key to the future success of our students and our district.
We need someone with Mrs. Malespina’s experience, drive and commitment on our Board of Education and I hope you will join me by supporting her on November 3rd.
Mark Rosner
South Orange Village Trustee
