Afsheen Shamsi for Princeton Public Schools Board of Education

“Afsheen is a dedicated and experienced public servant who is an effective voice for all students. I have worked with her to explore ways to increase communication and dialogue between the district and the community. I have been impressed by her advocacy for all students – in particular, those from underserved communities and those with individualized needs. The Princeton community will benefit by Afsheen’s continued service on the board, and I enthusiastically support her candidacy.”

Tom Hagedorn

“Afsheen has been a friend for years and we have worked together on several projects over that period. As a parent of a child with special needs, Afsheen truly understands and empathizes with the range of issues facing families in that situation, and it has informed her commitment to addressing such problems as bullying in our schools.

But she does not limit her involvement only to problems directly affecting her and her family. She is happy to roll up her sleeves and take the lead on tasks as diverse as crisis communications and facilities renovations. I am in awe of her energy, dedication, and thoroughness as I watch her juggle the needs of her consulting business, her family, her Board responsibilities, and her ongoing efforts to strengthen her qualifications by pursuing a Masters in Strategic Communications at Columbia University.

We as a community are lucky to have a person like Afsheen willing to serve in the capacity of school board member, and I urge all of you to come out and cast your vote for her on election day, to help ensure we continue to benefit from her talents in the coming years.”

David Cohen

“Afsheen is completing her first term on the Board of Education. She brings her incisive mind to Board issues and has been particularly focused on making sure that the educational needs of all our learners are met. As the mother of a student with special needs, she is especially tuned into the needs of these children and their families. Afsheen is very concerned about how we measure educational success and is a strong advocate of the recent initiative to define what really matters in the education of our children. As a member of the Student Achievement Committee she successfully led the district’s review of anti-bullying policies which resulted in the implementation of bullying prevention strategies. Her work on advising non-profits in the areas of strategic planning, fund raising, board development, and public relations has been very valuable to her role on the School Board.”

Wilma Solomon

“I have known Afsheen for several years now and am consistently amazed by her dedication, enthusiasm, thoroughness and creativity when it comes to her responsibilities to her family, her work and her volunteer positions… specifically her participation on the school board. In addition, she is a pleasure to work with, a deep thinker and wonderful at consensus building.

Afsheen does not need to run again as her life is full, however, she is committed to following through on many of the projects she started these past 3 years.”

Karen Rose Tank

“Afsheen is a tireless advocate on the Board chairing the External Affairs Committee while also serving on the Student Achievement Committee and the Personnel Committee. Afsheen has steadfastly worked to address bullying issues in the District and worked on the implementation of the communication and crisis communication plans. Afsheen constantly works to make sure all voices and perspectives are heard while at the same time working collaboratively and respectfully with board members, administrators and staff.”

Molly Chrein

“Afsheen will come on to the Board from the non-profit world bringing a crucial background in economics and public relations…. Afsheen understands the need to look for savings wherever possible, but there is no way out of this crisis without a more serious effort to raise money from non-tax revenue sources than the Princeton schools have ever attempted. Afsheen sees the need clearly and is prepared to lead the way.”

Jeff & Laura Spear

“She works for change as a transformational leader with a collaborative style that considers the collective good of an organization as a whole… we both are mothers of a child with special needs (and) I have found Afsheen as someone who has the desire and fortitude to keep driving forward with insightful measures grounded in pragmatism.”

Elizabeth Sims-Pottle

“Her commitment to cost savings and program efficiency will be accompanied by an insistence that Princeton’s schools continue to strive for excellence. Afsheen believes that the district must be sensitive to our property tax burden and that solutions to the budget crisis must be multi-faceted, including the discovery of new funding streams.”

Margaret Griffin

“Afsheen shares my commitment to ensuring achievement for all students in our diverse community while emphasizing responsible stewardship of public funds and seeking new revenue sources for the schools.”

Timothy Quinn