BY JONATHAN CASIANO
Star-Ledger Staff

In his bid for a sixth term on the Elizabeth board of education, Rafael Fajardo says all voters need to do is look at his team's record.

"The people in the city of Elizabeth can see tremendous improvement in our city for our children," said Fajardo, who is running alongside fellow incumbents Francisco Gonzalez and Fernando Nazco. "We're moving in the right direction and I believe that in the next three years Elizabeth is going to be considered one of the top school districts in the state."

But his team's opponents argue that student achievement remains inadequate and children don't feel safe at school. They say students are graduating from Elizabeth High School without basic skills and teachers are promoted based on personal connections rather than success in the classroom.

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