Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education in the Nov. 5, 2024 election. Village Green invites voters to submit Letters to the Editors in support of candidates. See guidelines below.
I enthusiastically support Board of Ed candidates Deirdre Brown, Jeff Bennett and Bimal Kapadia. I served on the Board with Jeff and found him to be a practical and hard worker who applied an analytical and empathetic approach to policy making and Board oversight. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the school district, budgeting, and policy making. Since his time on the Board, he has worked tirelessly to improve state funding for our schools. More recently, he has brought his thoughtful analysis to improving transportation for III implementation. While supportive of the III, Jeff would like to implement common sense school placement decisions, to reduce hardships for families and avoid isolated placements that separate students from neighborhood peers. I am thrilled that Jeff has decided to run again, since he will provide much needed experience and knowledge to a relatively ‘young’ Board.
Equally amazing are Deirdre and Bimal. Deirdre really impressed me with her experience in policy analysis. She leads teams that conduct qualitative and quantitative policy analyses to improve government efficiencies. Her experience makes her particularly suited for the policy governance work of the BOE, including engaging stakeholders such as teachers when developing policy and thoroughly thinking through policy ramifications before implementation. Deirdre also wants to bring rigor back into the classroom for all students, regardless of course level, believing that all students deserve to be challenged and should be taught a growth mindset. She also would like to see improved oversight of the budget and a multi-year budget planning process that is built on reasonable assumptions and is transparent and strategic.
As a communications entrepreneur, Bimal has a passion for the arts which, along with athletics, are just as important as academic courses. He supports investing in arts programs, and equitable access to all-weather sports fields for all athletes. Bimal also supports including the community and local talent, since our community is incredibly creative and engaged. He would also like to consider partnering with local businesses and educational institutions to offer advanced programming, apprenticeships, and expansion of career and technical education. He wants improved communication to parents and more consistent data collection and reporting.
Deirdre, Jeff, and Bimal have a shared vision for our district. They are our best chance at a fresh start and getting our district back on track. I strongly encourage you to vote for Brown Bennett Kapadia on November 5: Include, Achieve, Inspire, ballot positions 1J, 2J, 3J.
Donna Smith, former BOE member
Letters to the Editors guidelines: Village Green publishes Letters to the Editors in support of candidates. Publishing these letters is at the discretion of the editors. We do not publish letters attacking competing candidates or any person. We aim to publish as many letters as we receive; however, if there is a large volume of letters and they are received late in the race, we cannot guarantee that they will be posted. Letters to the Editors can be submitted to villagegreennj@gmail.com. Please send as a Word or Google document, not as a PDF. Letter writers should provide their name and place of residence (town and state). The deadline for submitting a Letter to the Editor for the Fall 2024 election is Tuesday, October 29, at 5 p.m.
