 Salim Patel is serving his fourth year on the Passaic Board of Education. His spark of optimism and can-do attitude are noticeably prevalent as a leader. He believes that "there are many opportunities for our school district to be at the cutting edge of implementing strategies to enhance the school experience for students." Yet, there are many challenges ahead. A 1996 graduate of Passaic High School and then Rutgers University, Salim Patel exudes a feeling of excitement when he speaks about his alma mater and helping the district. His present position as a financial analyst at Shearman keeps him up to date on business perspectives and in touch with numerous initiatives for our students. Additionally, he would like to establish relationships with businesses and corporations to set up specific endowments, as well as identify key federal and state grants which could create added funding for the school system. Patel will as president, Patel will oversee all committees. With Passaic's newest facility-- the Daniel F. Ryan Elementary School 19-- Patel acknowledges that green initiatives were very important in new construction. "The very buildings themselves should be teaching our school children the importance of sustainability," notes the president. Patel also advocates that "student curriculum should adapt to the fast paced changing needs that come with globalization. The changes must be visionary and challenging, taking into account our school district." Fostering a feeling of community, Commissioner Patel would like to encourage parents to be the driving force behind educational policy and the success of their students. He adds, "Parental involvement should be heavily stressed from the child's preschool years, a starting ground for educating parents on school involvement."
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