School's out. Now the real work begins!

It's summer!
Hooray!

School's out! No more reading logs to remember or lunches to pack. We've got two months of sleeping in late and lounging at Memorial Pool.

Just kidding. There's some serious work to get done, so let's get busy.

I'm not talking about mowing your lawn or finally cleaning out that mess of a garage you've got.

Nope. I'm talking about REAL work. IMPORTANT work.

In twenty years will anyone care that you repainted the kids' bedroom this summer? Nope. No one but you. Sorry.

So what will matter? What can you do that will have lasting affects on the community in which you live?  Who has the power to shape the destiny of thousands of school children?

The answer is YOU by electing competent and qualified SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

Yup, it's that time again. We've got another school board election just around the corner, and three- that's right THREE- current members are up for reelection.

I don't need to remind you what happened at the last school board election when Dr. Aaron Richardson unseated the board president and consequently changed the whole culture of the board. Meetings are now televised. Community members are not only allowed to speak now, but are actually encouraged to speak and are really listened to. There is now healthy debate among board members instead of just five glossy eyed faces nodding along to whatever agenda the district places in front of them.

Things have gotten so much better in the past two years, it's hard to believe how far we've come. But there is still a long way to go.  This is our chance as a community to make lasting changes to the culture of Pasco schools.

Unlike the last election where only one new (but totally amazing!) candidate was available, this time there are many, MANY candidates to choose from. I don't know them all yet, so I can't say if I support them or not.  However, I do know a lot about our current board members. And what I do know about them makes me very inclined to want to see them leave.

For those of you who are forgetting, let's just take a quick moment to remember that our current board members up for reelection (Sheri Lancon, Steve Christiansen, and Amy Phillips) were all on the board when:

The school district spent tens of thousands of dollars on a legal fees to defend the former superintendent on charges of misappropriation of school funds. She was eventually found guilty.

The school district denied that there were any gaps in our curriculum and forced our community into a two week strike. Then our board filed charges in court against our teachers trying to force them back into the classroom without curriculum and basic supplies. Of course the district was eventually found to be in the wrong despite the boards attempts to deny our students the basics of a quality education. (remember that time Mr. Christiansen was quoted as saying, "I wish we could afford pencils, but we just can't have everything we want." Good times.)

But enough about the current board, let's talk about who could replace them!

Here is a quick list of the current candidates and what I could uncover about them by facebook stalking. I apologize for any inaccuracies, and am more than happy to receive corrections.

Jeff Peterson- Father of several Pasco students, at least one with special needs. Does not appear to have a long involvement in school politics, but certainly has a vested interest in their success.

Erin Lewis- Mother of many Pasco students, and has attended more board meetings than anyone in the history of Pasco schools. Honestly if you've ever been to a school board meeting, you've seen this gal. She is always always there, and has more than proved her willingness to fight for Pasco kids.

Debi Maxwell- Mother of two former Pasco students, and has been involved with the district in the past working to improve conditions. You'll see her name in past meeting notes as she has a history of involvement and speaking out.

Brian Grifith- No children in Pasco schools, but works for GESA, and is a PEAK partner with the district. The only candidate without children in the district, but with a history of involvement in our schools.

Okay, so that wasn't really a lot of info.  I guess Facebook stalking isn't all it's cracked up to be.

But that's where you come in. Please tell me what you know about these candidates. And as more information emerges, I'll be sure to pass it along.

While your lounging beside the pool feeling guilty about not cleaning out your garage, just remember there's an election going on, and your vote will make a difference.  Our kids are counting on you, the voters, to stand guard over our schools!

Happy summer.