I am writing to address Ken Ulman's recent letter, "School board must reflect makeup of Howard County." I strongly disagree that "race, ethnic and geographic" characteristics should factor in the selection of Board of Education candidates.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a vision that people "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I believe we live this dream, especially in Howard County. Perhaps that's why the task force's proposal met such strong opposition.

If our goal is to address the challenges facing our schools, move our educational system forward and serve our children as best we can, don't we deserve the best candidates?

Shouldn't qualities like leadership, a vision for the future of our educational system, expertise in capacity planning, objective, independent thinking, a passion for education and a commitment to our entire county be much more important than physical or ethnic considerations?

And, if we wish to move our kids forward in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and leverage emerging technologies to transform and improve their learning, wouldn't it be great to have people on the board with specific expertise in those areas as well?

As a candidate and a voter, I simply want the best for all our kids and I believe we should elect the best people for the job and I encourage every citizen to "do their homework" and make the best decision for all of Howard County.

David Gertler

Ellicott City

The author is a candidate for the Howard County Board of Education.