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As the Asbury Park School Board President, I rarely get political.

My sole mission is to guide the Asbury Park School Board in the right direction for the benefit of our students. Our children are intelligent, talented and eager to learn, and because of the hiring of Dr. Lamont Repollet, Superintendent of Schools, they are moving in the right direction academically.

For years we all have read the negative press reports about our school district; that the children in Asbury Park are illiterate [or] incompetent. These words that have stripped away our children’s self-esteem, pride and hope. But that was yesteryear, today our children are holding their heads up with a new sense of pride because they are making academic gains.

PARCC test scores in both math and language arts are up. Our dropout rate is down. Graduation rates are up. Chronic absenteeism has decreased from 25 percent to 17 percent and the cost per student [once the highest in the state] has decreased.

I write this letter today because I was extremely offended by the demeaning characterizations of our students made by two candidates who are running for the School Board in this Tuesday’s election. At a recent candidate’s forum James Famularo said that “our classrooms are in chaos.” Incumbent Felicia Simmons said that “our kids are running wild” in our classrooms.” A blatant untruth! The fact of the matter is that our children are learning, there is excitement in the classrooms, a hunger for knowledge and finally they are believing in their self and finding their purpose. These two candidates lack a platform and have used exaggerations about our students to score political points. Shame on both of you. We all expect better from a sitting and past school board member.

In this Tuesday’s School Board election I will be voting for three hard working individuals who lift up our students: Eric Pinckney, Carol Jones and Joe Grillo for School Board.

If you want to support our children, if you believe that our students are tomorrow’s leaders, if you want to give these children the same opportunities you would give to your own family members then I am asking you to consider voting for three individuals who want the best for our students.

Please vote Eric Pinckney, Carol Jones and Joe Grillo for Asbury Park School Board this Tuesday. All three are dedicated public servants that we can be proud to call school board members.

Polls are ONLY open noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Let’s Continue the Progress.

Angela Ahbez-Anderson

First Avenue

[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.]

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