Letter In Support Of Joyce Mehta For South Brunswick BOE

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Here's a Letter to the Editor in the upcoming South Brunswick school board race:

I am so proud to endorse my dear friend J. Joyce Mehta, a "person with many hats" — mother, parent advocate, lawyer, entrepreneur and paraprofessional to name a few for the South Brunswick School Board election on November 7, 2017.

I met Joyce a few years ago with regards to an issue with South Brunswick High School which was resolved amicably with her guidance and help. She has helped countless members of our community, who trust her implicitly. I then learned about her active involvement in the school district's homework committee and facilitating a showing of "Race to Nowhere" leading to a collaborative partnership between and Board of Education members at South Brunswick. She has been an involved parent for the past 11 years, an active PTO/Site member and has been a regular attendee, speaking at South Brunswick Board of education meetings, representing the needs of our children and concerns raised by parents with utmost compassion.

It amazes me that Joyce offers help readily to any parents/children/residents who have questions with South Brunswick schools and suggests ways to help find remedy even if she has to reach out to our schools or board members in person. Through this approach of "wanting to help and getting the best for our children" she has formed a group called "Equity in Education" consisting of parents wanting to make a positive change in our children's lives. There are now 235 members in this group. Like me "Equity," has several member parents/guardians who support her unselfish motives to reach higher goals for our children in South Brunswick. Joyce has been an advocate for each individual child to be able to reach their full potential, which includes children who are able to function highly in mainstream and children who require individual education plan in order to maximize their success.

Joyce has been a long-time resident of South Brunswick, married with two daughters, studying in South Brunswick schools. Her agenda of improving communication between parents and board members as well as resolving issues via meaningful dialogue and arbitration can save our district millions of dollars litigating issues within our school district. She is an experienced negotiator with excellent communication skills and excels in evaluating legal documents and contracts. This comes easy to her as a part of her profession of being a lawyer which will be great asset to our Board of Education.

For the past many years, Joyce has attended regular H.O.P.E meetings with teachers, Union Presidents, school staff and parents discussing issues in other school communities across the state. She has attended PARCC sessions held by NJ Department of Education and has contributed extensively to "homework=free holidays" for our children so that they can celebrate holidays while imbibing the cultural essence of holidays from family.

"Our children deserve nothing but the best." That is our mission at South Brunswick. While our children excel in academia and other extra-curricular activities to compete at various levels, we want to promote their well beings in all spheres of life-physical as well as emotional. Nothing can be more saddening to see that our children suffer in any sphere in life; we as parents are the first to perceive this stress. Hence it is important that parents need to be heard and our viewpoint taken seriously by the South Brunswick Board of Education. With Joyce being a member of South Brunswick board of education, I see hope — hope that we as parents will be empowered to support the resilience and healthy development of our children.

For many years now, Joyce has selflessly contributed to our community at South Brunswick Schools, to bring about noticeable change within our school systems and giving insight to distressed families.

Anu Upadhyay, M.D.

Kendall Park, NJ 08824