Mr. David Anthony
Board Secretary
Hoboken Board of Education
1115 Clinton St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
June 17, 2009
Dear Mr. Anthony:
I hereby resign my position as Superintendent of Schools effective August 31, 2009. It has been an honor to serve as Hoboken’s chief school administrator for the past two years. I am grateful to the board and the people of Hoboken for the opportunity to serve our students and their families.
I began this work with a sincere belief that the Hoboken school district was staffed by a talented and dedicated group of adults—teachers, administrators, clerks, nurses, counselors, janitors, engineers, aids and countless others—and that our students and their families were talented and committed to high quality education. I leave my position with those beliefs only strengthened. I am particularly grateful to all the certified and non-certified staff with whom I have had the privilege to share this work. Day in and day out they do the important work of the district well. I know they will continue to do so. The children of the Hoboken public schools are indeed in good hands.
The work of public education in the years ahead will continue to present great challenges. There is great financial pressure in our local community and the state of New Jersey. The last two years have seen significant cuts in personnel in the district and it is likely that cuts will continue. In addition, increasing mandates from both Trenton and Washington, while well intended, consistently chip away at issues of local control. The achievement gap that is much discussed nationally is alive and well in Hoboken. While we have taken important and significant steps to address these issues, the challenges remain great. It is imperative that all involved in public education in Hoboken make sincere attempts to work together and reestablish a culture of trust. Doing so will allow for the district to honestly confront the challenges it faces. Not doing so will mean great opportunities lost.
In the weeks ahead, I look forward to working with the administrators and the board to insure a smooth opening for the next school year. I will remain available to assist my successor in what ever ways are helpful. I wish you, the board and the district all the best as we move into the future.
Sincerely,
John R. Raslowsky II
Cc: Board of Education
District Staff
Dr. Timothy Brennan
Mayor Roberts
