Princeton University (PU) made national headlines in late June, as it officially removed the name of Woodrow Wilson from its School of Public and International Affairs and its residential college. Though he was a distinguished President of PU who went on to become the 28th President of the United States and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Board of Trustees reconsidered a determination it made in 2016 and decided he should no longer be the namesake for its school due to his racist thinking and policies.
Princeton Public Schools (PPS) is now contemplating a similar situation as its Board of Education has been asked to consider if John Witherspoon, the 6th President of The College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, should be removed as the namesake for the town’s middle school. Whether Witherspoon’s record as both a slave owner and a man who educated free Black men disqualifies him or allows him to keep the naming rights is now being debated.
As heightened voices shout out against racism, The Hun School of Princeton (Hun) announced it is changing the name of its chief administrator. Jon Brougham has long been known as “Headmaster.” Merriam-Webster defines the term as “a man who is the head of a U.S. private school” but the use of the word “master” has sparked criticism. In a letter to Hun families, Brougham explained he’s been questioning it’s meaning for years, and a decision to change it finally came in June after students and staff petitioned that the title denotes negative connotations of race and gender. Like most other independent schools in our area, Brougham is now to be referred to as “Head of School.”
PU President Christopher Eisgruber explained in his message to the Princeton community that names shape the identity of a school. So, the schools remove their connections to names and words that are considered racist, but how does that progress anti-racism?
“When you change a name there are conversations,” explains Timothy Charleston, John Witherspoon (JW) Middle School’s new Assistant Principal who has been PPS Supervisor of Social Studies PreK-8 for the past six years and is one of the supporters of the petition to change his school’s name. “Forcing people to have a conversation about racism – that’s how we move ahead as a society.”
And the conversations, at least in Princeton, have begun. While streets here and around the country filled in protest against police brutality, demanding justice for the killing of George Floyd and declaring that Black Lives Matter, the school year was ending. Students and staff were home, contemplating the heavy world around them alone, due to remote learning. Only weeks remained until PPS Superintendent Steve Cochrane would retire on June 30th, but he felt an obligation to respond to the call.
To begin to acknowledge any wrongs and to help process the emotions, PPS immediately sought the help of two longtime consultants to meet with its administrative team and help them begin to examine their roles regarding racism as both individuals and as an institution. Trauma expert, Dr. Tara Doaty, and Marceline DuBoise, who had conducted the district’s equity audit, met with Cochrane and his team as a group as well as separately with the administrators of color. Later in June, sessions were offered to all staff and to students from both JW Middle School and Princeton High School so they could learn from each other, have an opportunity to share what they need and move towards action.
Hun has also committed to listen to its faculty and students to move towards change and has recently held meetings with components of its student body, their families and staff to guide new initiatives. The Director of its Cultural Competency Committee, Otis Douce, has also been promoted to Director of Cultural Competency and Global Diversity as a member of the administrative team to help move them forward. Amongst his other projects, Douce has been the leader of Hun’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Summit for the past five years, designed to enlighten students about oppression and privilege and how they can be the ones to enact change.
Since the Amistad Bill was passed in New Jersey in 2002 there has been a requirement for schools to teach about African slave trade, slavery in America and about the contributions of African Americans on society. Those guidelines took history education a step further, but schools are now feeling a need to go beyond that to teach anti-racism and social activism.
“When we think about our mission of graduating students into the world so they can live lives of joy and succeed, we talk about math literacy, economic literacy, etc.” explains recently retired Superintendent Cochrane. “There should be a responsibility on the part of school systems to provide our students with racial literacy to navigate a racially complex world. If we’re not teaching that, we’re promoting racism by our silence.”
As the district analyzes new ways to incorporate racial literacy, Cochrane notes it shifted its focus in recent years to ensure there are a range of books by authors of different backgrounds and experiences being assigned and made available to students. In 2018 it also incorporated Princeton Choose, a book created by two former PHS students, to begin discussions on racial literacy by engaging 5th grade students in learning about different cultures. Preparedness for this kind of learning actually starts as early as kindergarten, through discussions about diversity, skin color, gender roles and making sure the imagery surrounding classrooms is not stereotypical.
Getting to know and understand each other is a key component of the Community Period established in 2019 at JW Middle School. By connecting people outside their typical social circles, and helping them know and understand each other, the administration hopes students will engage in active listening and become more socially aware. Charleston led one of the Community Period groups last year.
“We focused on looking at restorative practices and building that community, understanding where people are coming from,” he details. “We want to continue to try and incorporate that in the coming school year to an even greater degree.”
For older students, a Racial Literacy & Justice (RLJ) elective has been offered to grades 10-12 at Princeton High School since 2018. Teachers Dr. Joy Barnes-Johnson and Ms. Patty Manhart spent years working with students and other educators to create the class. To date, 70 students chose to take the course to discuss race history in the United States and explore racial domination and racial progress. It seems natural now a course such as this should become a requirement for all students, not just those that select it. But Cochrane believes PPS doesn’t yet have enough teaching teams with a deep level of understanding. Dr. Barnes-Johnson believes the community also needs to be more prepared.
“Race talk is difficult for people because of the unfortunate shame and guilt that comes with facing ones’ own biases. We want students to want to be antiracist in their thinking which is why we value the voluntary nature of the higher-level Racial Literacy & Justice course,” adds Barnes-Johnson. “The curriculum is not just a single class, textbook or activity. It includes disciplinary policies, resource allocations, staffing decisions and programs of studies that keep classes from being fully desegregated.”
Graduates of the RLJ elective are now being paired with peer group advisors in the high school so they can begin conversations around issues of race with freshman as they come in.
As another step forward, to expand the minds of educators about multicultural education and to create an opportunity for more students to engage in this learning, an online class is being created by Dr. Barnes-Johnson and Ms. Manhart. Based on Dr. Yolanda Ruiz-Sealy’s “Archeology of Self” model, the online course will be broken into three segments. Those taking all parts would be required to self-reflect, study racial literacy and share their learning.
Educating staff in racial literacy is one component, but the administrators at PPS and Hun both share the ideal that growing the racial diversity amongst their staff is also essential. As of late June, PPS had hired 15 new teachers for the 2020-2021 school year. 10 of them are educators of color. An analysis of the student body was recently done in an attempt to understand the racial breakdown of each school with a goal to have its faculty more representative of its students. The district shared that currently 84% of its staff is white, yet the most recent data indicates nearly half of the student population is not.
NJ School Performance Report,
Princeton Public Schools Enrollment by Racial and Ethnic Group
| Racial and Ethnic Group | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
| White | 54.7% | 53.3% | 52.2% |
| Hispanic | 13.4% | 14.3% | 15.3% |
| Black or African American | 6.3% | 6.1% | 6.1% |
| Asian | 20.3% | 19.7% | 19.9% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Two or More Races | 5.1% | 6.4% | 6.4% |
Source: NJ Department of Education
Hun has not historically collected data on the racial identities of its students, but it is intensifying efforts to recruit and hire more diverse educators and leadership, citing this has been a priority but they must improve.
“Most of our efforts aim at broadening the pool of diverse candidates. We attend minority recruitment conferences and networking events, advertise openings at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and contact diversity offices of other universities to seek qualified candidates,” says Douce. “We have also recently created a fellowship program for teachers new to the profession that is focused on recruiting diverse graduates.”
Hun is additionally adding training for its current staff. It promises to examine the themes and content of its curriculum at all levels and is reviewing its policies and rules to ensure they are aligned with having a bias-free environment. A new anti-bias statement, written by students, is now being incorporated into the Princeton High School code of conduct as well.
To help its staff, parents and students process today’s situation and move forward, PPS has been compiling information to create an anti-racism resource page on the district website – another project started under Superintendent Cochrane. He since retired at the end of June and Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso officially started July 1st. But where one ended, the other plans to begin.
“Princeton Public Schools have been leaders in promoting equity and racial literacy and that tradition will continue to evolve,” states Galasso. “I’m looking forward to expanding and building on the district’s current curriculum to promote racial literacy.”
It’s been less than two months since the recent tragedies and enlightenment created an awareness to do better. The conversations have started. Time will tell their impact.
Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!
Sights and sounds you may have never noticed in the past are now all around. The hustle and bustle of pre-COVID-19 life had many out of their homes early, commuting to work or off to school. The lawnmower buzzing at your neighbors or the work crews blasting across the street were of little nuisance, as you often were not home to hear them. Now, with commutes often non-existent and schools finishing up for the year, you may be sleeping in. Or, your new home office might be in the room directly facing the noise. Either way, it could be adding to the stress you’re already under. As spring turns to summer, we will all be spending more time at home than usual, and likely more time in our yards than ever before. Hopefully, everyone is a little more understanding and resilient during these times. But know, there are official parameters in place to keep you safe and sane with rules of the outdoors that control what you (and your neighbors) can hear, see and do.
The yapping dog that passes by your home might get you riled up, but unless it is barking non-stop for over 10 minutes or on and off for a full thirty minutes, it is simply a frustration and not a violation.
Further, if you sleep past 7a.m., the sound of your neighbor’s renovation project might wake you up. Construction work can begin at 7a.m. Mondays through Fridays but must complete by 6p.m., except in an emergency. So, you can enjoy your dinner in peace. Saturdays it can’t begin before 8am and on Sundays, the work is not allowed.
To add to that backyard excitement, trampolines, tree houses and ziplines can all legally be set up on your property but proceed with caution. Some homeowners insurance policies have exclusions for trampolines, and others may not renew if they discover you have one. Policies may also consider backyard additions like tree houses to be high risk, so it’s worth evaluating your options before you build. In terms of local ordinances, just be sure the zip line is attached to a tree on your property, not your neighbor’s. When placing a trampoline, tree house or adding a zipline, be careful to follow all structure setbacks of the zone it is located in.
“The devices typically come with a spark arrestor screen for fire pits and chimineas have a chimney type stack that helps to prevent sparks from traveling too far from the chiminea when being used,” he explains.
The parks in and around Princeton can, however, be great for enjoying most other activities. Municipal locations are open to the public from dawn until dusk, so take advantage in the daylight but do not bring alcoholic drinks on property or attempt a staycation by camping out. The only nearby park that has an area for camping is Washington Crossing State Park, but unfortunately that campground remains closed until at least June 30th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to raise a tent in your own backyard, go for it. As long as you don’t violate any other ordinances, there are no barriers to sleeping under the stars on your own property.
It is fun to run, hike and climb, but those lacking mobility can also experience nature. The Watershed Institute offers a ¼ mile long boardwalk that is raised and wheelchair accessible. It’s a great location to get out and take in beautiful meadow views. It is currently under construction, but open.
In a strong market economy, a typical circular flow model demonstrates the movement of money between the household sector and the business sector. It is fueled as money and goods are exchanged when locals enjoy a meal at neighborhood restaurants or customers shop at their favorite stores. Instead of focusing on a flourishing economy, however, today’s circular flow model demonstrates individuals financially supporting businesses to cover the cost of a meal or goods for others, not for themselves. The business sector, instead of focusing on making a profit, is focusing on making ends meet and trying to keep its staff employed. And the workers are doing all they can to keep our society going by saving lives in hospitals, stocking shelves in supermarkets and providing services, food and products people need. It’s a stripped-down circular model and demonstrating the best society has to offer.
Lunch bags have also been going to frontline workers at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Police, Fire and Rescue in Princeton and S. Brunswick, Princeton Care Center and to help Homefront. The food and delivery from downtown’s Princeton Soup and Sandwich is supported by a 
Together they started preparing and delivering trays to their food insecure neighbors. And thanks to early financial support from generous donors, Share My Meals has continued the circular flow, covering the food and basic staff costs. The organization has quickly grown to 25 volunteers who hand-deliver 75 food trays daily to the doorsteps of families. Stanislas Berteloot, a member of the Share My Meals Board of Trustees, says he and many of the volunteers never knew they had so many neighbors struggling to put food on the table.
In the past two weeks, its customers have taken advantage of the buy-one-give-one opportunity to get books for their home and purchase another for the Mr. Rogers’ Neighbors Kindness Project. More than 50 books have been donated so far. The store itself, thanks to kick-off funding from a donor, has also provided all children on the Free & Reduced Lunch Program at Johnson Park Elementary and some at Community Park Elementary (CP) with books hand-picked by their school librarians. More than 100 children have benefitted so far, and this week jaZams is making plans to deliver books to the remaining population at CP. It’s also partnered with Labyrinth Books. Together, and with continued donations, they plan to provide a book to all qualifying students at John Witherspoon Middle School. At a time when library books are not easily accessible, their goal is to complete the other Princeton Public School elementary schools and the high school as well.
food and tend to the basic needs of many of her neighbors. She wanted to do what she could to also ensure their safety and has been sewing morning until night creating masks. She’s sewn 100s so far! Her masks, as well as those created through drives like 
everyone was at home and in need of human connectivity. Through weekly Friday night Instagram Live get-togethers, bi-weekly Zoom workouts or the Xbox NBA2k tournament for his age group, my son has been staying connected to Camp Bauercrest and his friends. And he’ll need it, as they just canceled the summer session.
In fact, today’s media platforms are allowing the show to go on, even if the curtain can’t go up. Google Meet recently provided an opportunity for Stuart students to host an evening instrumentalist performance and some Upper School students competed in a lip sync battle through a live Instagram takeover. For other interaction, some children have been working to rebuild the school on Minecraft so they can virtually hang out there. It’s a balancing act, doing so much via screens, but Fagin recognizes it is the main way for them to communicate with each other.
going into classrooms to say hello. Instead, he pops into their classes on Zoom.
The students have each created artistic replicas, interpretations with rainbows and other pieces throughout remote schooling with guidance from their art teacher, Mrs. Dell. This week, they were tasked with curating an art show from home. Students were asked to handmake an invitation, design a floor plan of their work and to display it throughout the house. The Art Show is now being shared for all Littlebrook families to enjoy via the Parent Teacher Organization’s Konstella App.
“A friend’s daughter wanted to learn how to make my chocolate chip cookies in quarantine. I taught her one day on Zoom and then it grew from there,” explains Lesser. “It’s fun to share my favorite sweet recipes with friends and their kids from all over.”