The question was posed to me recently, that if I were elected to the school board and a candidate for the superintendency asked me for my perception of some of the strengths of our OB-EN School District, which would I list?

1. Let's begin with our children. Within a small North Shore community, such as ours, it's difficult to imagine the wonderful diversity of student ethnic and racial backgrounds, socioeconomic class, and longevity in the district. We give to our school personnel a rare gift.

2. Our Parent Teacher Association is one of the most involved and talented on Long Island. The communications and array of activities they have directed or sponsored have enriched our children and informed our parenting.

3. At each of our schools, there are several outstanding faculty who are characterized by their superior instructional skills, their care and understanding of children or teens, their dedication to high performance standards, and their respect of, and rapport with parents.

4. Mr. Moller has implemented and supported an "invitational" managerial approach at the Roosevelt School, which has encouraged parental involvement and helped sustain an upbeat, cheerful, trusting school climate.

5. The Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) is a wonderful mix of intelligent and passionate parents who, as parents of children with physical, learning and emotional challenges, are "fighting the good fight," carefully working within the system to provide their children a best education. In doing so, these parents have become our greatest ally in making positive changes in our district.

While we have much to do here in OB-EN to improve our schools, I would hope that the candidates for the superintendency see these strengths as I do: a solid foundation upon which to build, provide support for, and take pride in.