Letter: Teachers union executive director offers school board recommendations
To the voters in the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District,
Vote for school board candidates who prioritize the future
–My grandfather always told me when he was teaching me, “If you force it, it’s gonna break.” He also had other words of wisdom like, “Care more for others than yourself.” and “Children are the vessels that hold our future.”
I chose to teach for forty years because of those children and I knew that my future was inextricably connected to theirs. I have always found that teachers care more about others than themselves and serving children is their calling. These are the reasons I think educators are always well respected in their communities.
I have read recently in these pages about the PRUSD School Board Race and the various candidates and their supporters. The original letter that came from PREA and Jeff Railsback with eleven other signatures was surprising because it included people with who the Paso Robles Public Educators (PRPE) teachers’ association have not always agreed with on the issues. Those signers although, have always had our respect because they all have continued to commit their lives to the service of our children.
I also know that the “Force of Four” candidates are motivated by service because anyone who understands the difficulty of serving on the school board and still commits to serve has laudable motives. However, the thrust of the PREA letter is accurate because it underlines the fact that the “Force of Four” candidates are motivated by primarily financial considerations. Their perspective is further reinforced by their reaction to what I’m sure they consider to be attacks leveled at them in the PREA letter. Their primary reaction to the letter is extensive remarks about why they are qualified for the school board and not a spirited explanation of how they plan to support our children in attaining a superior education. They also mention the budget innumerable times and how “the newly elected board may still need to trim at least and estimated $800,000 from the budget. Salaries, programs and services may have to be trimmed.” They also talk about “Enriching the student experience free from all indoctrination intimidation, bullying and applying appropriate discipline for those who violate these tenets.” These ideas are sure to provoke controversy and division in the school district community.
These are not tenets that are inclusive or positive in nature such as perhaps “We need to advocate for more resources through grants and lobby for more support from the federal and state government to increase support for our students. We need more counselors, intervention teachers, tutors, mentors, and social-emotional trained professionals who can connect with our kids and their families with the tangible help they need during this crisis, not “trimming services.” and an apparent acceptance that that must be done. We do not need to drive a wedge between differing points of view on government and curriculum but rather the desire to bring people together based on their commonalties like the current joint city-school district committee on diversity in Paso Robles that they never even mention during this time of national social turmoil. Their agenda seems confrontational rather than conciliatory. I think there is a reason they didn’t adopt the moniker of the “Compassionate Four.”
Please take a moment to go to pasoteachers.org to see whom the teachers’ association endorsed for school board. After an extensive process, that involved written questions (available on the website under Read More) and interviews by classroom teachers and a rubric scoring system (because that’s what teachers do) the committee chose Dr. Greg Goodman an educator for over fifty years with extensive experience with at-risk students; Jim Cogan, a local business owner and parent who brings a wealth of local government experience; Caitlin Vierra, an engineer with small children who will soon enter our district, who has extensive experience with the dual immersion program at Georgia Brown and who would bring a voice for the Latino community to the school board and finally Nathan Williams, a firefighter, and parent of five who devotes endless hours to our students as a super volunteer and although is too modest to admit it is the son of legendary PRHS teacher Greg Williams who obviously instilled in Nathan a selfless devotion to children. These four deserve your vote because of who they are and what their priorities are not because of the past but for the future.
James Lynett
Paso Robles
Paso Robles Public Educators Executive Director and Retired Teacher
Editor’s note: Letters to the editor, opinion articles, and editorials are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paso Robles Daily News or its staff. We welcome letters from local residents regarding relevant local topics. To submit one, click here.
