Florence “Peggy” Saslow, a great-grandmother in her 80s, is among the New Jersey contingent of school officials at this week’s Federal Relations Network conference in Washington, D.C.

“My middle name is not only Peggy, it’s grassroots” she said.

 “I want to apprise our legislators in Washington as to what is happening on the local level and how we’re being choked and what they can do to help us. We need help, we all need help. We could do so much more,’’ she added. “There are things that we could offer that we cannot because it costs money. Local taxes are exorbitant; people don’t want their taxes to go up. You’ve got to present a budget that is fair and trim and lean.”

Active and Engaged Saslow, a member of the New Milford Board of Education in Bergen County for the past nine years, is finishing up her fourth term, but is not slowing down.

The former dietician, substitute teacher and full-time home economics teacher for 27 years is still active as ever.

Since retiring 13 years ago, she has taught nutrition at Simmons College in Boston, where she attended. She also acts as a volunteer recruiter for Simmons at college fairs, and acts as secretary for its alumni association’s executive board. Closer to home, Saslow serves on the senior advisory board in New Milford and she teaches an AARP driver’s education program.

Passion for Education The common theme of all in her activities is education.

This week, Saslow took part in her third visit to Washington D.C., as a member of NJSBA’s Federal Relations Network delegation, representing the 2,000 students in her kindergarten through grade 12 district and the 1.4 million public schoolchildren in New Jersey. She said she views face-to-face interaction with lawmakers as crucial, and brings back what she’s learned to PTO meetings as her school board’s liaison to the group.

“I talk about grass roots. What the individual can do in getting in touch with their congressman. What they need to know that is happening on the local, state and national levels,” said Saslow, who has seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

“At the last PTO meeting I went to, I said, ‘When I come back, I will have come back from this conference in Washington and I will tell you about all the things that are happening and what you can do’.”

In particular, school board members need to make a big push for changes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which is up for reauthorization in Congress this year, according to Saslow.

“What you hear from the administration in Washington is how wonderful it is. And, really, I don’t think it’s done a damn thing,” said Saslow, 83. “It could, but there are so many things that they’ve never thought of as problems.