In a letter to the editor, Hoboken Board of Education Trustee Ailene McGuirk, speaking as a private citizen, explains why she’s supporting the “Moms Leading Progress” slate.
Dear Editor,
Anyone who cares about our future, but especially parents, need to make sure that they vote in the upcoming November 7 election for Hoboken Board of Education.
Early voting is now open at City Hall through Sunday November 5th.
Mail-in ballots can be returned at any one of three drop boxes around town, or at any mailbox, and polls will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7th from 6 AM until 8 PM.
I am proud to support Moms Leading Progress for the Board of Education, Sharyn Angley, Chetali Khanna, and Sheillah Dallara. You can find the Moms in column D, ballot positions 2, 3, and 4.
While ⅓ of the nine member board of education is up for election each and every year, the ballot positioning often causes people to overlook, or even under vote this most important local position.
You have three votes for BOE, and I ask you to use those votes to support Sharyn, Chetali, and Sheillah.
The Moms bring a wealth of experience as current and former BOE trustees who have driven policy that elevates academic achievement, extracurricular programming, district community and pride.
Additionally, between Sharyn, Chetali, and Sheillah, they have eight children, all of whom have spent their entire academic careers enrolled in the District Public Schools.
One frequently asked question on the BOE campaign trail is: “Will you send your children to Hoboken High School or Hoboken Middle School?” That is not a hypothetical question for this team; Sharyn has two sons at Hoboken High, and one at Hoboken Middle School.
Chetali has a daughter at Hoboken High, and a son at Hoboken Middle School. Sheillah has a son and daughter at Hoboken Middle School, and an adorable son in Pre-k 4.
The Moms are not just talking about change they want to see, they have lived it through their work on the Board and their families’ commitment to remain in the public school district.
Here are a few of the results seen during their tenure on the BOE:
● The State of NJ recognized the Hoboken Public School District as a High Achieving School District
● State and county academic rankings improved
● Hoboken High School graduation rate reached 98%, up from 83% in 2015
● The district was recognized as a Best Community in Music Education
● The new aviation and innovation labs at Hoboken High School opened
● The district was selected for the first North American school production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (coming to the High School auditorium, May 2024).
This leads me to my last point, which is something else that has been heard on the campaign trail this year. Many supporters have commented that the Moms “have this” or “not to worry.”
But we can’t take this election for granted.
Sheillah pointed out at the campaign launch that two of the Moms are guaranteed to win, but one is not. Every single vote matters for this team, and winning two seats is not enough to keep the progress and innovation going at the Hoboken Public Schools.
Furthermore, the candidate in the first ballot position is promising that if she is elected the Board would “behave” differently.
If you are considering a vote for the candidate in position one, I urge you to ask her what that means, and why she suggests write-in votes for sitting BOE members (myself included) on her campaign literature.
Hoboken’s children deserve BOE trustees who take the work seriously.
I am confident that you will conclude that the best path forward is to vote for Sharyn, Chetali, and Sheillah. The future for Hoboken’s children is too important to do otherwise.
Please vote Moms Leading Progress column D 2,3,4. Thanks for your time!
Ailene McGuirk
While the author of this letter, Ailene McGuirk, is a member of the Hoboken Board of Education, the letter expresses only Ms. McGuirk’s personal opinion and has not been authorized by or written on behalf of the Hoboken Board of Education.