Dipti Khanna Is The Leader the Berkeley Heights School District Needs

The following is an email received from Jessica Lesperance, Berkeley Heights Resident, to the County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri in Support of Ms. Khanna for BOE President.

Mr. Palmieri’s email address is daryl.palmieri@doe.nj.gov

Due to the fact that the Berkeley Heights Board of Education was unable to decide on a Board President or Vice President during their last meeting, it is my understanding that the decision is being left up to you.

As a resident of the Berkeley Heights community and a parent of 2 children in the district, I feel compelled to write to you with some feedback. Our district has struggled over the past few years. While these struggles are not the fault of any one person, there is a significant amount of distrust between the community, the school administration and some members of the Board of Education. The community has been asking for change; simple things like transparency and open lines of communication. My belief is that putting Dipti Khanna in the position of BOE President is a step in the right direction, and the change the community is requesting.

While some BOE members are seemingly campaigning against Dipti holding the President role because she has a full time job, I think it is quite the opposite. Her role in her professional life has prepared her to be the leader that our district needs right now. If you take the time to watch the recording of the January 4th reorganization meeting, you will witness Dipti speaking up and participating in the meeting. In particular, there was a point at the end of the meeting where things were getting heated and out of control and she was able to de-escalate the group, getting everyone to take a moment and come back together. This behavior from her has been consistent during the course of her tenure on the BOE. She comes prepared, asks insightful questions and appears to truly listen to the community that elected her to hold this position. This is a critical year for our district, as we will be undergoing a Superintendent search. Dipti is the leadership we need – putting her in place as President is a step in the right direction to get our district back on track.

I appreciate your time and consideration.

Thank You,
Jessica Lesperance

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