To the Editor:
Last academic year was a challenging year for our school district. By many accounts, we experienced some of the worst things a district can face within a single year. During this, my second year on the board, I was very disheartened by the tone at many board meetings and a general lack of cohesiveness that took hold.
With the arrival of our new Superintendent a new spirit of hope and optimism has arrived but that needs to be fortified with new voices committed to moving the ball forward, down the field and across the goal. Annemarie Maini and Chris Sabin are the right voices to bring to the table at this transitional moment. I’ve seen them both in action, in our schools, at board meetings and in the community: listening to all the voices, researching and parsing out fact from fiction and moving agendas forward with thoughtful action.
As the director of South Orange Country Day School, Annemarie has direct line of sight into the needs and abilities of the young minds entering our district each year. Her community involvement runs the full gamut from PTA/HSA Leadership to several important volunteer roles in South Orange. She has her finger on the pulse of our community.
Chris has deep roots in town, attending district schools since 2nd grade and graduating Columbia in 1983. Now the father of three children in the district, he sees things through a parental lens with the historical reference of personal experience. He has been heavily involved in youth sports, which brings him into contact with hundreds of families who have children in our schools. Chris’ professional experience as a senior marketing and promotions executive coupled with his personal commitment to family and community give him a unique perspective on the challenges facing the district and what we must do to solve them.
Chris and Annemarie can provide the thoughtful approach needed to ensure we develop a fresh vision for the district, help the Board start to work collectively to move things forward and achieve the buy-in of all stakeholders. Our children deserve nothing less.
I’m excited about the collaborative approach that Annemarie Maini and Chris Sabin will bring to the Board of Education and I urge you to support them at the polls on November 3rd.
Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad, Member of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education
South Orange, NJ
Note: The opinions expressed in this endorsement represent my own views and not those of the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education.
