Board Candidates Need to Be Connected to the District They Want to Serve
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
In mid-August 2021, Liz Goldman-Sider proclaimed “We will be moving to Pound Ridge this weekend. Yay!” to the Pound Ridge/Bedford Parents Facebook page. Ms. Goldman-Sider moved here from another school district where her children graduated.
After only residing in Pound Ridge for a short time, Ms. Goldman-Sider is running for the Board of Education of the Bedford Central School District (BCSD) to oversee the education of our children without having any firsthand experience with the school system. Her campaign flyer states that she has “familiarized” herself with our district. In my opinion, without any personal exposure, it is impossible to truly understand the complexities and challenges that our district faces in any meaningful way. This is a concern to me both as a parent and a member of the community.
As a Pound Ridge mom of a second-grader, I believe we need representatives who have more than just recently familiarized themselves with our schools. Kristine Stoker and Betsy Sharma are two qualified candidates with impeccable credentials and financial expertise, who have both devoted over 25 years to BCSD. They have put a combined seven children through the district and have spent countless hours volunteering and contributing their time and energy to our community. Their first-hand knowledge and experience make them excellent choices for the Board of Education and can hit the ground running during a time when our district is in crisis.
I think many BCSD residents would agree that having direct knowledge and experience with the district you wish to represent is unquestionably one of the most important requirements for a board trustee. While I wish Ms. Goldman-Sider the best of luck in her future endeavors, I believe that Kristine Stoker and Betsy Sharma are the best candidates to represent our district and its needs. Please join me in voting for them on May 16.
Andrea Dallaire
Pound Ridge
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