In recent years, extremist proponents of the culture wars have turned the American public school into their chosen battleground for pushing hateful, divisive rhetoric. Rather than engaging in a productive dialogue with education professionals on the merits of their lessons and the value they bring to our students, outside agitators seek to control exactly what teachers can teach and students can study. The school board has become the arena where this harmful approach can be carried out by individuals motivated not by a willingness to improve our schools, but rather a ruthless desire for control.
This year, Hopewell Valley will serve as a microcosm for this national war on education, and voters will be faced with a choice between two polar opposites. One candidate, who filed to run hours before the deadline and has yet to release a single public statement on his candidacy, epitomizes the extreme nature of today’s political polarization that endangers the future of our children. One glance at this candidate’s public Facebook page exposes viewers to a slew of abhorrent, offensive, and downright dangerous posts that have absolutely no place in our public discourse, let alone in our public schools. Do not be mistaken, this candidate is a threat to both the educational goals of our district and the core values of our community. On the other hand, Dhruv Kapadia is running for our school board on a platform that rejects hate and embraces the educational values of Hopewell Valley.
Having known Dhruv since our days at CHS, I can attest to his willingness to serve his community and his passion for quality, inclusive education in the Valley. I remember when Dhruv, just a high school junior at the time, spearheaded a campaign to include Diwali and Chinese New Year as official holidays on the HVRSD calendar, thereby demonstrating to South Asian and Chinese students and their families that their identities matter. This philosophy is evident throughout Dhruv’s campaign platform, which centers around Equity, Community, and Success. Specific commitments include an emphasis on teaching community service and connecting with schools outside of Hopewell, developing inclusive and diverse curricula that embrace our increasingly diverse community, and investing in the mental health resources required to ensure student success. Dhruv’s platform focuses on progress and a celebration of our differences, while his opponent is more interested in advancing the culture wars and dividing our community. Dhruv will bring a forward-thinking, student-oriented perspective to the Hopewell Valley School Board, which is why I will proudly support him this November.
Ethan Block
(Editors Note: Ethan is a 2020 graduate of HVCHS. During his high school years, he was a student leader of March for Our Lives – Philadelphia, among other leadership activities. He now is a Rutgers University senior studying political science and public policy)
