Letter: Voters should choose experience, solutions over inexperience, political buzzwords
Attention Paso voters: do your homework before casting your ballot for school board!
– Many voters might not know there is a special Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board election on April 18. There are only two candidates. One is qualified and has experience in public education, the other does not. One is running on solutions and progress. The other is running on political rhetoric and fear. After three years of division on our board, the stakes couldn’t be higher. We must elect someone that believes in public education and wants to work with others to support our public schools.
On the side of experience and solutions is Angela Hollander. She is a retired neonatal nurse. She has lived in Paso for 20 years. Her two children attended Paso Robles Public Schools where she was an active parent. She worked with the SLO County Office of Education to pilot the Raising a Reader program (early childhood literacy program) in Paso. Throughout her 20-year local commitment to public education, Mrs. Hollander has served on a variety of advisory committees and parent councils. She currently volunteers at the PRHS College and Career Center. Mrs. Hollander is committed to civility, respect, and the promise public education offers every student in the district. Her colleagues know her to ask hard questions, do her homework, and always offer to help.
On the side of inexperience and political buzzwords is Kenney Enney. According to his website, he has no history of supporting our public schools. In fact, he’s an advocate for school choice (aka vouchers) that actually take money out of the public school system to fund private schools. He talks about a “woke agenda” and says that “inclusivity” is his new trigger word. His solution for student achievement is an oversight committee, although he has never served on a committee in our district. In one talk, he advocated wanting to start an “insurrection in the schools” and encouraged churches to join together to sue the district. He may present well in general forums, but in private talks, he’s all in for the political talking points. His own words show that he’s a disruptor with zero interest in actually helping the schools.
Don’t be conned by this candidate. He has zero track record for trying to help the district and will use his authority to amplify political talking points. He’s already done this when he was on the board before, sending the district on a wild goose chase in search of litter boxes. (Yes – if this sounds crazy, it is. It was a rumor floating around last year that was later recanted by Joe Rogan.)
Mr. Enney will disrupt and divide the board’s important work and function, and this will ultimately fail our students. The school board is not the place for politics. He does not deserve our trust.
Angela Hollander will bring experience, hard work, and consensus-based solutions to the Board, which is exactly what we need right now to move the District forward.
Vote for Angela Hollander on April 18.
-Robert Skinner
Retired History Teacher, PRHS 1992-2017
Editor’s note: Opinion pieces and letters to the editor are the personal opinions of the authors 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.
