The other day I was reading the op/ed portion of this periodical and found myself shocked at a piece written by a North Brunswick resident named Richard Pender (North and South Brunswick Sentinel, Sept. 23). Within the context of the recent referendum, Mr. Pender equated the Early Childhood Center (ECC) (located in Milltown, however, under the auspices of the North Brunswick Township School District) to a mere babysitting facility, lacking necessity income from local tariffs/property taxes.
Mr. Pender, I have a son that is a student of the ECC and I must say, in no way, shape or form is the facility anything less than a vital institution for citizens and employees of the 21st century. A simple visit to the school will immediately convince anyone of integrity and conscience that the building is a micro-academy of advanced scholarship for the youngest and most impressionable children North Brunswick has to offer.
Mr. Pender, you and I are both from generations that pale in comparison to the rigor and complexity of our current preschool and kindergartners. A four-year-old in 2016 has to be educated for jobs and career paths that do not even exist yet. The educational professionals employed at the ECC are some of the most capable and hard-working practitioners I have ever seen.
For the price of an average pizza per month, we have the opportunity to contribute to a future that faces challenges so daunting, it is our moral and intrinsic duty to do our part. Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski clearly outlined the dynamics of the referendum and quite honestly, it is a no-brainer. My wife, in fact, attended Blue Ribbon schools of North Brunswick and continues to excel and model the tenets of a necessary education on a daily basis to our children. She was so positively affected by her experience in the district that we decided to move back to North Brunswick on the sole premise of a superb education for our two boys. The ambitious STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) components embedded in the North Brunswick curricula from preschool to 12th grade is a prime example that districts like North Brunswick must do everything they can to mold future successful citizens that not only compete with other Americans, but, on a global scale on an unprecedented scale.
Finally, Mr. Pender, I feel the need to aim the following query toward your direction: Why is it that community members rich in experiences and age are the first ones to acquire what I call ESA: Educational Support Amnesia? Why is it okay to accept bonds and municipal fundings when your children were in need of district support decades ago, but, have conveniently forgotten or choose to ignore the same request for learners of other families of the present? Let’s be fair.
Ted W. Keuscher II
North Brunswick
