Herald Editorial

Vote for Kristin Ochtera, Theresa Devlin in East Rockaway

Posted

Though all four candidates bring their own excellent ideas to the Board of Education, Kristin Ochtera and Theresa Devlin are the right choices for the future of East Rockaway.

Ochtera is passionate about her role in advocating for students, as evidenced by her running again after nine years on the board, four of which she served as president. She also provides value as a voice for East Rockaway in her role with the New York State School Boards Association and is active by serving as a member of many organizations, including the East Rockaway Education Foundation, the Coalition for Youth and the high school PTA. Ochtera is still hard at work, advocating to extend programs to help college- and career-bound students thrive academically by bringing in more hands-on courses to fit their needs.

Devlin regularly attends public meetings and appears to have the community’s pulse. She is running for the board for the second straight year, which is evidence of her determination to make a difference. She has been a member of the high school and Rhame Avenue PTAs, and served on the Budget Advisory Committee and as one of the directors of the East Rockaway Education Foundation. She has vowed to be a vocal board member who would work for other parents and also listen to differing opinions with an open mind. Voters should give her that chance.

Challengers Kristen O’Hagan and Peter McNally offered strong ideas and could bring a great deal to the board. They want to emphasize mental health, showing they are in sync with the issues facing East Rockaway and many other communities, but we believe Ochtera and Devlin are the stronger candidates. We encourage O’Hagan and McNally to run again in the future.