Heather Cameron, Karyn Reid and Lorienton Palmer are civic-minded parents who clearly want what’s best for Baldwin students, educators and residents. Our choice for the seat is Reid. A mother of two school-aged children, she has been an educator for more than 20 years, and is currently a substitute teacher in Uniondale. She has been an active member of the school community for years, attends nearly every event around town and has traveled to Albany over the past two years to speak with Assembly and Senate members advocating for more state aid for the district. Her experience in the classroom gives her a unique perspective on education and firsthand knowledge of the resources students and teachers need to succeed.

Palmer, the deputy town attorney for the Town of North Hempstead, and Cameron, the owner of a contracting business, are both smart, engaging candidates with good ideas. We liked Palmer’s suggestions that the board be more transparent, even during its toughest discussions. Meetings are now recorded and posted on YouTube, which certainly helps, but Palmer vowed to bring further openness if he is elected. He would also like to dissect the school budget line by line to see whether everything in it is absolutely necessary, which, in this tax-levy-cap era, is certainly every board member’s responsibility.

Cameron said she would bring a sense of diversity to the board in terms of professional experience, and would look to start a dialogue with the business community. Better communication with residents and students is also key, she said, suggesting more use of social media and potentially having a student liaison to the board.

Any one of these three solid candidates would bring new energy to the board. But with her background in education, her tireless dedication to the district and her history with elected officials, we believe Reid is the best choice, and we encourage voters to elect her on Tuesday.