Dear Editor,
I write to convey my strong endorsement of Mike Nuckols for our Board of Education. As a business owner downtown and a resident who has served on and chaired many boards and commissions, I have the privilege of getting to know a broad cross-section of our community. I believe the vast majority of Haddonfield residents want our town to be known as a place that is welcoming, inclusive, and open-minded, with excellent schools and a vibrant downtown. Mike Nuckols is the candidate who understands these pillars: schools, businesses, and community, are interconnected.
Mike knows that a broad and diverse curriculum is the best way to prepare our students for success. Our kids benefit from hearing different perspectives, learning a wide range of viewpoints, and being encouraged to analyze and distill information as a foundation for understanding the world at large. Restricting the books and classroom discussion methods that our professional educators employ encourages our kids to reject points of view they don’t understand, and ultimately, to hide from critical thinking. This prohibits learning at its core.
And when it comes to our community – Mike is a do-er! I’ve known Mike since my boys (HMHS ‘22) started first grade at Lizzy Hadden when he helped launch water rockets for the Science Olympiad team. He served with me on the Haddonfield Sustainability Committee and led visioning workshops for the entire town. Mike is the dad you can always count on to show up, put in the time, and, more importantly, inspire the next generation. The fact that he has dozens of high school students out supporting him – students who are old enough to understand the issues and who are directly and immediately impacted by them – speaks volumes.
I strongly encourage you to vote for MIKE NUCKOLS for our Board of Education. Our entire community will benefit if you do.
Sincerely,
Julie Beddingfield
