---

To the Editor, Asbury Park Sun:

The Asbury Park Board of Education must continue making strides and working for the district. It’s imperative that we move forward, and not regress. And the only way to do this would be to re-elect current board member Joe Grillo and his running mates Carritta Cook and Wendi Glassman to the Asbury Park Board of Education.

I served a single term on the board and chose not to run again. Many have inquired as to why I made that decision. The decision is nothing earth-shattering; it’s simply because I intend to progress my career path – which may take me down different avenues, and that will most likely take me out of having residence in Asbury Park. I love Asbury Park, and have treasured my time on the board.

But serving as a dedicated board member, I am confidant that Grillo, Cook and Glassman will continue to keep things moving in a positive way – despite the struggles we face in the district.

There have been some unsettling actions that have put this election under strife. And it’s unfortunate. Most people who know me are well aware dirty politics is something that I cannot tolerate. I’m offended by the negative attacks by opponents of the Grillo-Cook-Glassman school board ticket, most recently flyers targeting Grillo.

Their opponents have no plan so they have settled on personal attacks on good people. Is this the example we are setting for our students? 

I’m tired of the politics of personal destruction both nationally and locally, aren’t you? I could get into discussion of these actions with the presidential race, but this is not what this letter is about.

I am proud to have served as a board member alongside Grillo, as we collectively made terrific strides to build inclusion and tolerance in our school curriculum. 

And speaking on a personal level, as an African-American gay man, Grillo has been in my corner, and a staunch supporter of both the African-American and LGBTQ+ communities. That is something that we as a district, as a community, need to move forward. We need support, and we need individuals who will step up and make those moves forward – whether they are a member of that particular community or not.

In that effort, we need the Grillo-Cook-Glassman ticket to succeed.

Grillo is the co-founder of Asbury Park Dinner Table, which has served countless residents during the pandemic. Glassman is a fourth generation Asbury Park resident and has decades of experience as a finance attorney. Cook is a professional working mom with a child in the school district and will be a steady and dependable voice for parents in the district.

Let’s keep making progress. Vote for the ticket with integrity, experience and knowledge to keep our schools moving forward. 

Vote Cook, Grillo and Glassman for Asbury Park School Board – Columns 1, 2 and 4 on your ballot. 

Eric Pinckney

Asbury resident and Board of Education member

[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

——————————————————————————————-

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

---