Princeton Public Schools has a mission “to prepare all of our students to lead lives of joy and purpose as knowledgeable, creative and compassionate citizens of a global society.” The Hun School of Princeton “empowers each student to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world…” and Princeton Day School’s philosophy is to “seek diversity of cultures, views and talents to promote the intellectual growth and moral development of our students.” As the Israel-Hamas War wages on, do teenagers and young adults find their educations have prepared them for the global conversations and situations they now find themselves in?
“I think my school does a decent job in preparing us for global conversations, but it also depends on the topic,” shares Princeton High School Senior, Maiyin H. “The Israel-Hamas War is one of those topics where teachers are treading very lightly because of how polarizing and contentious different views can be. I, for one, do not feel comfortable expressing a different view or asking a question that may not be ‘PC.’ As someone who is not Jewish or of Middle Eastern descent, I often feel like I don’t have the right to express an opinion because I ‘don’t have any skin in the game.’ Talking about the war, which is complicated and goes back thousands of years, is difficult and I understand that, but oversimplifying the history is not the answer either.”
What does NJ do to prepare today’s teens and young adults to engage in conversations about global situations? The NJ Department of Education’s mission states “Social studies education provides learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and perspectives needed to become active, informed, and contributing members of local, state, national, and global communities.” To do so, there are requirements to learn world history/global studies in both middle and high school. To graduate, 15 credits of social studies are required, including 5 credits of World History.
“I’ve taken history classes that I feel have prepared me and given me confidence to engage in discussions. Wars over land and religion have been going on in our world for centuries,” says PHS Senior Charlie Ross.
New Jersey education law also stipulates that “every board of education shall include instruction on the Holocaust and genocides in an appropriate place in the curriculum of all elementary and secondary school pupils.”
Over the past several years, Princeton Public Schools has added mandatory racial literacy education to the curriculum which the website states “has a foundation in pedagogies developed to advance social justice, cultural responsiveness, and multiculturalism.” Though included, teaching about antisemitism and Islamophobia have not been a major focus of this curriculum to date. Overall, at schools in Princeton and elsewhere, the goal of all of this education remains to develop informed citizens about the world, its history, and its citizens.
“As for curriculum, the history of Israel is not something really focused on in most NJ state educations. World History is mostly history of the western world – the Romans, Greeks, Renaissance. And most of high school education is U.S. history,” explains Sara Fernandez, who recently retired as a Social Studies teacher at Cranbury School after 26 years of teaching. “Israel and the Palestinians is maybe taught in detail in elective classes, but probably not in regular mainstream classes.”
In recent weeks, some teachers have chosen to speak in their classrooms about what is happening across the world (at varying degrees of success), while others have not. Some independent schools, like Princeton Day School, have taken the initiative to bring in an expert on the Middle East in an effort to respond to questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. When it comes to Holocaust and genocide, though the requirement is fulfilled differently at each district and independent schools are not bound to such state requirements, the curriculums aim to help students learn about some of history’s mistakes. With the Israel-Hamas War leading some around the world to include mentions of genocide and reignite Nazi propaganda, that education can be relevant and important. In Princeton, this education had fallen out of the middle school curriculum for several years but is said to be back through 7th grade English and 8th grade Civics classes. In the high school, it mainly comes through the sophomore English course and is included in various U.S. and World History curriculums. There has been a year-long audit underway to determine what and how the information is being relayed.
“We read Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl in school and had a Holocaust survivor give a talk to students. We learned about antisemitism. But we mostly learned it as a historical event tied to WWII and the Nazis. I was shocked to see this genocidal hatred openly displayed in broad daylight,” expresses Sarah Chen, a PHS sophomore.
It might be unreasonable to expect that schools can fully educate students on all they need to know about this specific issue, since Israelis and the Palestinians have a complicated past. Conversations about the Israel-Hamas war and the ensuing reactions around the world are encumbered by the nuances of the history of the region and the fact that religion is involved. For many, the war is not just something 5,700 miles away. Locally, it has ignited academia, led to rallies, vigils, and taken over news channels and social media feeds. College students are confronted with what is happening on a regular basis. There are also courses, more directly aimed at public policy, global affairs, the Middle East and more where the topic is a natural part of the discussion there. If not in these particular classes, what kind of background do students get to prepare them for such conversations?
“Patience, empathy, understanding and listening skills are built every day in our class so when we get to these conversations you have a community that is patient and understanding,” Fernandez shares. “You have to talk to people you don’t always agree with.”
Beyond the classrooms and campuses, teens and young adults today have at their fingertips access to information that feeds their minds and opinions. Depending who you follow on social media, what you read and watch on the internet, can have a large impact on the knowledge you hold and on how you engage on this issue. When it comes to using it as a tool for education, that is where some additional education might be needed.
“Social media can be positive and negative. When the Ukranian war broke out, my students learned so much. That part of the world was something they hadn’t been exposed to much. Some Tik Tok videos were of reporters posting and they were right and good. So, that’s a medium children love,” Fernandez notes. “But at the same time, social media is also filled with the worst of the worse students are finding too. When they hear the word Israel, it’s just a tiny country in the middle of nowhere, and unless you’re Jewish or Arabic or have origins from that part of the world, most kids don’t care. They have no context and are being bombarded with images.”
Recognizing the significant role it has on them, in July, NJ Governor Phil Murphy established a commission to study the effects of social media on adolescents. The results will come out long after the impacts are made regarding today’s war and possibly even tomorrow’s troubles.
“I get most of my education on these issues through social media,” Ross admits. Maiyin H. acknowledges the same. “I definitely get most of my education from social media. On the one hand, this has afforded me so many different views and perspectives. On the other hand, social media is strife with fake news and people who lean strongly one way or the other, which can influence how I think.”
Education, therefore, must include a learning of historical realities and deciphering fact from fiction. Beyond the classroom and social media, families impact a young person’s perspective as well. Experts suggest when confronted with questions, to lean on empathy. If a child pushes further, lay out the facts and let them devise their conclusion.
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!
Every October Princeton Perspectives puts out an issue all about the elections, to help every local voter be educated and informed. This month is no different, as we’ve gathered all the details on when and where to vote, how to vote, what’s being voted on and more. As we put the final touches on this issue, our hearts go out to the Israeli, American and other victims of Hamas’ terrorist acts. A war has been unleashed that will sadly lead to more injuries and deaths on both sides. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in our community and abroad that are suffering.
“The County of Mercer saw it fit to reduce the amount of pre-printed ballots and transport of ballots to the polling locations. We also felt it would make voting easier for voters who made it clear they did not like using Sharpie markers to vote. They preferred pushing buttons to make their choices and we heard them,” Sollami-Covello explains.
Vote By Mail – If you prefer to vote in the privacy of your own home and then send your ballot back, that remains an option in New Jersey. If you have registered, your Vote By Mail ballot should have arrived by now. If you didn’t get one you can still apply to Vote By Mail if you fill out this 
Early voting sites are as follows:
Every candidate wants your vote. As of October first, that meant there were 260,002 available votes in Mercer County (based on the 
The only question on the ballot for Princeton voters this November is whether or not to fund a $13 million bond referendum for Princeton Public Schools (PPS). The “Yes or No” question asks voters to approve what could average out to a $104 annual tax increase (based on Princeton’s average-priced home assessed at nearly $850,000).
Simply put, the referendum aims to make security improvements, Wifi and other connectivity enhancements, HVAC upgrades and interior and exterior renovations and improvements at the schools. You can see the general financial breakdown of each as described in this graphic, taken from the referendum website, where amounts for 
Experience matters to improve our schools for kids and meet critical budget and space challenges. Since joining the board, I have spearheaded the board’s complex, long-term planning efforts. Together we have stabilized district finances and implemented two successful referendums that have brought our long-neglected facilities back into shape with new roofs, high-efficiency HVAC, and safety and security features. We’ve also built new classrooms and restrooms, and upgraded health and guidance suites. The board is now developing capacity solutions to address near-term enrollment growth, with no time to spare before at least 1100 units of planned housing are built. I’d like to see this work through and to ensure our excellent schools remain one of the crown jewels of this community. 
I am running to restore public trust in the Board. I was born and raised in Princeton and went through the then-called Princeton Regional Schools (PRS). I was raised by my mom, a teacher at PRS for 30-years and father, once President of the BOE. I am also a certified teacher myself, having taught social studies in American schools worldwide, working at a school for teen moms in Trenton, and I write or implement original programs like reading recovery. I know the importance of "keeping an eye on the cash register." In the past, the BOE has spent money frivolously on grandiose building plans and consultants. Somebody should be driving money back into the classroom. A different, independent voice is needed on the board. 
I stand out from the other candidates and current members of the BOE in two ways in particular. First, I have younger children, at Riverside and the middle school. With the elementary school planning underway, the district would be well served by a Board member who is tuned in to the needs and experiences of families with younger children. Second, my focus would be primarily on the quality of the education offered by the Princeton Public Schools, the single most important mission of the district. With my background in education, including a PhD and teaching experience in public school and at Princeton University, I am well positioned to offer meaningful oversight in this field. The district is aware of its academic problems, and has commissioned an outside review of its troubled math program following steeply declining scores and missed targets. Yet academic quality seems to have taken a backseat in recent years. 
PPS system has many good attributes, but there are areas for improvement. While the BoE does not run the schools, they do set policy & provide oversight. I think the BoE should be more data-led in its decision making & more transparent in its deliberation process. Stronger oversight of execution (ie. KPI/key performance indicator measurement & accountability by the Superintendent). All decisions need to have an owner who can be held accountable for the outcome (subject supervisors, principals, assistant superintendent & ultimately the Superintendent). I will advocate for more transparency in data & communication to the community. For example, in the upcoming referendum, it is important to have more detail on the field/track renovation (ie, there is a difference between being in year 5 or year 12 of a 10-year useful life) or the proposed PHS cafeteria renovation (ie. Are we expanding capacity 50% or 150%? Are we future-proofing for added enrollment for the new housing that is coming or is this a stop-gap measure? Are we replacing end of useful life kitchen appliances or are we replacing tables/chairs?) My current job is all about analyzing data and identifying what is relevant or not, and I believe I can bring a fresh perspective on priorities, how to action on said priorities and listening and communicating with the community. 
The Princeton Board of Education is regularly charged with making decisions in a wide variety of areas, including personnel, operations, facilities, policy making, education and many more. My background in local, state and federal government brings an unmatched record of experience in all those areas to the position. Princeton prides itself on its excellent schools and also its diversity. I am an advocate for excellence and equality and believe that the voters want a school system that offers a quality education to all students. Casting a ballot for me will ensure that those priorities will continue to stay front and center as we navigate a challenging environment. 
At every age, there are things that one must face in life. Some are within one’s control, others are not. With numerous decisions and recent happenings that can have an impact on various age groups, the best way to stay on top of them is to be aware. So, this month, Princeton Perspectives is delving into them in the issue 
After dropping several spots in the rankings, 
“It’s not what the school system is worth, it’s what you do with the school system that makes you worth something,” states Martin Bendersky. He has lived in Princeton for 32 years but raised his daughter, who has found professional success, through the nearby Lawrence school system.
If looking just across NJ, PHS is ranked 26th in the U.S. News guide, with local schools West-Windsor Plainsboro (WW-P) High Schools North and South coming in above (at 17 and 20, respectively). According to the 
“These rankings seem to be against the reputation of power schools. I’m very surprised,” SherAli Tareen adds. He has lived here with his family for 5 years and plans to send his 3-year-old to Princeton’s public schools beginning next year. “It’s all about the methodology of the rankings, but this seems like a large shift. It’s going to have an impact on what college you go to, and that affects the rest of your life.”
Multiple days of humid summer weather that reached above 90 degrees. Bursts of torrential rainstorms. Tornado warnings and watches. Whether you believe this is climate change or not, this is extreme weather, and it is weather that has been hitting New Jersey this summer. Scientists and over 175 nations worldwide agree that there are things that can be done to slow down or reverse the extreme changes in weather and better protect our environment. Do you?