In a letter to the editor, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla explains why he’s voting 3, 4, 5 in tomorrow’s board of education contest.
Dead Editor,
I’m proud to announce my support for the 3-4-5 team of Alex De La Torre, Joyce Wang Simons, and Sheillah Dallara, who are running as a slate for the Hoboken Board of Education on Tuesday.
Our district schools have experienced incredible growth through exciting and innovative programs and solid leadership, improving in every metric, over the last few years.
I can personally attest to the fact that these three candidates have put in the work and are poised to continue to progress for our schools.
I have known and worked with Sheillah Dallara, an incumbent on the Board with 3 solid years of experience and with a track record of results, for over 5 years.
As a co-founder of the Hoboken Special Needs Parent Group, Sheillah has been working with City Council for years, bringing inclusive programs to the whole community.
Since being elected as Mayor, I have seen, first hand, her level of dedication to our community and had the pleasure of partnering with her on events such as Autism Awareness Day.
Although Sheillah is especially committed to and passionate about special needs education and inclusion, she has worked tirelessly for all of the district’s children at all levels of education and with all types of needs.
Sheillah is an invaluable member of the Board of Education team with so much more to give and whose work has only just begun.
Alex De La Torre is a committed district father with a singular voice and unmatched enthusiasm for the position to which he was appointed almost a year ago. Alex is eager to continue to serve for the benefit of all the district’s children and for his community at large.
Alex provides a much-needed voice as a middle school parent and truly believes in the difference that a quality public education can make in a child’s life. Alex is steadfast in his support of the vision of the district.
Joyce Simons served on the Board for a few months last year to fill a vacated seat and is a mainstay in our schools and community. Joyce has given freely of herself in the service of the schools at may levels and has volunteered tirelessly for the good of the district.
She is well-versed in the issues facing the district and understands that, as a Trustee, she will be working toward a vision, in support of the administration, that takes all of our schools into consideration in order to ensure equity.
Joyce is knowledgeable and dedicated. Finally, I want to also recognize and thank Shweta Gursahani for running in the race as well.
She shares a passion for improving our schools and her campaign has raised issues that are important to the future success of our district. Win lose or draw, I know she will stay involved and advocate for our district.
To sum up: the 3-4-5 team of Sheillah, Joyce, and Alex have my strong support. On Tuesday, please join me in voting for them. Thanks for your consideration.
Ravi Bhalla
Hoboken Mayor
