By Anthony Rifilato
At least one Baldwin resident, Bernard Woodside, 38, has announced his candidacy and is running on a platform of inclusion. Petitions are due at the school on Monday, April 21.
"What my group is building on is being more inclusive and providing a voice for the entire community," said Woodside, a 12-year resident of Baldwin and a pastor at Cross Roads Family Worship Center in Brooklyn. "It's a diverse community and the demographics are changing."
Woodside's campaign follows some turbulence between the community and the school board over the past year, particularly an incident last summer when Brookside Principal Cheryl McBeth was fired, which provoked outrage from the community, which felt that its concerns were ignored by the board. Woodside and his wife, Patricia, have two children who attend Brookside Elementary School.
Afterward, the parents who supported McBeth said there was a need for greater minority representation on the school board, and many say that Woodside has the qualifications to working with a diverse community.
"There's an appearance of a void in the current board membership," said Eddison Bramble of Concerned Parents for Brookside School. "I think he saw a void and thought it would be great to lend his voice."
Woodside agreed. "There are quite a few people who go to school board meetings and feel that their voice is not heard," he said.
But Woodside said that last summer's controversy is only part of his reason for running. Another grievance he hears is from parents who live near Shubert School but whose children have to attend Lenox. It's one of the issues he would like to address as a board member. Having served on a number of religious and non-denominational boards, Woodside said he has the experience to do the job. In addition to his role as pastor, he currently serves as chairman of the board at Learning 4 Life, a consortium of churches that opens child-care centers through faith-based initiatives, as well a consultant for the Learning Preparatory School in the Bronx. He also owns a film and production company that produces gospel music and television programs. Woodside is also an ex-college basketball star, once captain of the Louisiana State University team, and he played for a short time in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers until he injured his knee.
Now, as he gears up for a rally on May 9 at the Second Baptist Church on Grand Avenue, Woodside said he is committed to bringing new life to the school board. "Baldwin is unique in that the school board has a lot of power, because we don't have a local government per se," Woodside said. "My stance is running for everybody."
Woodside said he would like to address a number of issues, including lack of state aid to the district, tightening security at the schools and, with new state testing requirements, ensuring that teachers are not just preparing their students for tests. He also said he would like to implement a community representation committee to take the pulse of residents.
When it comes to school and gang violence, Woodside said he has experience in addressing issues and working toward solutions from his work with the Weed and Seed program in Hempstead, which has received federal funds to combat gang violence.
Woodside said that there's a need for a new face on the board that will acknowledge residents who he said feel marginalized, such as those from South Hempstead, Freeport, Rockville Centre and Uniondale whose children attend school in the Baldwin School District.
"Me running is about bringing people together," Woodside said.
