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.
Dear Neighbors,
As a parent in a Hispanic and two mom household, I’m delighted to share my support for three exceptional candidates that I know can represent the diverse needs of our communities with a common sense approach. Our family will be voting for Deirdre Brown, Jeff Bennett, and Bimal Kapadia for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. They are all parents with children in the district at various grade levels who bring unique strengths, and a deep commitment to improving our schools, from advocating for our students’ diverse needs to supporting our dedicated teachers.
Deirdre Brown’s work at the U.S. Government Accountability Office has equipped her to address complex challenges and create real change while being fiscally responsible. As a parent in the district, she understands the importance of balancing academic rigor with equity. Deirdre’s approach is thoughtful, analytical, and always student-centered, and I know she will be a strong advocate for policies that close the achievement gap and maintain high standards for all.
Jeff Bennett’s dedication to the district runs deep. Every interaction with Jeff leaves me blown away with his passion and extensive knowledge of our schools and their administration. Having served on the Board before and led efforts for fair state aid, he combines a deep understanding of education policy with genuine care for teachers and families. His plans to engage teachers in shaping policy and providing them with the right professional development will help rebuild trust and reduce teacher turnover.
Bimal Kapadia is an entrepreneur who brings a fresh, innovative approach to our district not only for his children, but for all of our children. His background in media and technology, along with his ability to manage diverse teams, makes him the ideal candidate to expand opportunities like Career and Technical Education at Columbia High School. Bimal is committed to creating pathways that serve all students, ensuring their futures are bright.
These three candidates share a vision for a district that supports our students, values our teachers, and raises academic standards. They are a diverse group that can represent this district with the accountability and transparency we all deserve and the respect they show to each other, the students, parents and teachers. They are what make this community great and can move our district into the future focusing on what’s important now-equity. Please join me in voting for Deirdre Brown, Jeff Bennett, and Bimal Kapadia for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education—vote 1J, 2J, 3J on the ballot!
Warmly,
Ailyn Abin
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.
