Letters in support of school board candidate
To the editor,
– Kenneth Enney is asking for your vote to serve as a trustee for the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District. But if you look at his words and actions during his time as an appointed trustee and as a current candidate, does he deserve our trust?
As a candidate, he’s encouraging churches to sue the district. He’s entitled to that opinion, but it’s a totally inappropriate position for a trustee. As the SLO County Chair for the California School Choice initiative in 2022 and supporting school choice on his current website, he advocates vouchers, which divert public dollars to private schools. Again, he’s welcome to this position, but it is in direct conflict with the district’s interests as a provider of public education and the fiduciary responsibilities of a trustee.
On social media (as a trustee) and in meetings (as a current candidate), he dismisses and mocks members of the LGBTQ+ community. In the candidate forum, he mentioned that all children should have equal rights, but in private campaign events, he mentions LGBTQ+ as a laugh line. This dismissive and disrespectful attitude is a potential liability for the district. Can we trust someone who says different things to different crowds?
He is using the district logo on campaign materials without authorization. After being warned several times about this violation, he refused to comply with the cease and desist letter. Despite his campaigning on rules and discipline, he doesn’t follow district rules.
At the March 14 school board meeting, the school resource officer stated that gangs are not a problem in our schools based on his investigations.
Nevertheless, Mr. Enney’s proxies are campaigning with “Stop Gangs in Paso High” signs placed behind their table in front of Walmart. Mr. Enney’s campaign materials and social media comments are amplifying the false gang narrative. He repeated this mischaracterization at the candidate forum. Someone that knowingly spreads a false narrative is not trustworthy.
He has a long and impressive military career and he is well qualified for a number of positions, but a trustee for our school board is not one of them.
I trust the candidate whose words and actions match and the candidate who has demonstrated a commitment to helping public school children in our community.
I’m voting for Angela Hollander for School Board.
Elena Garcia
Paso Robles
Bearcat class of ‘03
To the editor,
– Our society has become so exhausting over the last several years, in particular. Are there no values we can agree on anymore? Surely, we have more in common than we realize.
Children are important to all of us. They will grow up and become independent adults who will, most likely, have children of their own to parent and will be participants in a caring community.
Parents are important to these children and to our community, in general. Parents with values of honesty, compassion for others, generosity, and integrity will model those characteristics to their children. Those same values are important in good teachers and administrators, as well as school board members.
Parents are also important to the school system in which their children attend. They work hand-in-hand together for a good solution for all children when educational and behavioral problems arise. Both parents and teachers work together as ambassadors for our children’s best. We all wish to ensure a good school experience for our children. A business does not thrive when leaders and employees are constantly battling. It is a life principle. We must work together. Likewise, the administrators and school board members are there to help ensure our children thrive in their educational experience. As parents, we do not vote for our teachers and administrators, but we do have the opportunity to vote for school board members.
My vote has already been cast for Angela Hollander. She has demonstrated her care and concern for all children, across the board. She is honest, has integrity, and has not entered into the fray of negativity in our community toward teachers, Administrators, or voters. Please join me in casting your vote for Angela Hollander.
Diane Smith
Paso Robles
To the editor,
– We taught in the Paso Robles School District for over 30 years. Our children attended Paso schools from kindergarten through high school graduation. We had the privilege of working with Dr. Julian Crocker, a highly respected superintendent of Paso Robles School District who went on to become the county superintendent. Under Dr. Crocker’s leadership, in concert with the school board trustees, Paso Robles School District became a premiere district. He believes that the most important quality of an effective school board trustee is a commitment to keep politics out of the boardroom.
These are divisive times. In a recent letter to the editor, Gary Lehrer states that Mrs. Hollander’s supporters are liberal extremists. We would disagree. Mrs. Hollander’s supporters are community members who want what’s best for all students in a district that respects professionals. We know that teachers and staff members have the credentials, training, and qualifications to support and teach our students and we want a school board that encourages and promotes programs and curriculum that addresses the needs of all students.
Those who are writing letters in support of Mr. Enney are using buzzwords and acronyms that have become very politicized such as CRT and SEL. Mr. Lehrer states that Mrs. Hollander and her campaign manager refuse to discuss answers to specific questions about these buzzwords. Perhaps it is because they are not issues in our school district and should not be talking points of this campaign.
Mr. Enney doesn’t seem to have a vested interest in supporting our students, teachers, and community. Instead, he appears to be a voice for a group of people throughout the county who have an extreme political agenda. Parents, educators, and school board members are in a very important partnership in educating and caring for our students. In assembling a successful team, all the players and coaches need to work together and not be adversaries.
Angela has shown her dedication to the education of students for over twenty years. She has created and administered programs that support students and their families. She currently volunteers on campuses and works well with other parents, students, and staff members. During her time as the grants and scholarships coordinator of the SLO Community Foundation, she earned the respect of donors, oversaw the budget, and was responsible for allocating funds, so we are confident she will bring that skill set to making sound financial decisions for our school district.
As Dr. Crocker said, for a school board to be effective, politics need to be checked at the door. We believe Angela Hollander is the best candidate because of her experience and devotion to the students and community of Paso Robles. We respect her for leaving politics out of this important election. We encourage you to vote and cast your ballot for Angela Hollander.
Leslie and Rick Moss
Paso Robles
To the editor,
– I’ve been privileged to get to know Angela Hollander since she announced her candidacy for school board. I’ve also connected with a large group of her friends and supporters. These are people who have known and worked with her for over 20 years.
What do her friends say? They use words like fierce, tenacious, compassionate, hard-working, kind, collaborative, and bright. I’ve heard stories of her walking into meetings, with highlighted reports and flagged pages, asking hard questions, and always asking what she could do to help.
Angela is the real deal. She cares deeply about children and families, and her words are backed up by a lifetime of service and action. Angela walks the talk.
She was a fierce advocate for her children when they were in Paso public schools. And she is a fierce advocate for all of our town’s children, too. From managing early literacy programs in Paso to supporting high schoolers and their families through their career and college options post-graduation, she’s committed to helping all children succeed to pursue their dreams.
Here’s something else you might not know about her. She’s already doing the work. She’s digging into test score data. She’s engaging with teachers, principals, and administrators to understand what’s actually happening in the District in order to identify relevant solutions. Her understanding of PreK-12 education and child development is deep and broad, and she understands that a one-size-fits-all approach is not sufficient. She will hit the ground running on day one.
I also want to clear up a misguided narrative floating around that she’s a puppet, status quo, or a nice “little lady.” Ha! Clearly, these people have never been in a meeting with Angela. Of course, she’s respectful and polite (that’s an asset actually). And of course, she wants to partner with educators to solve problems in education. But make no mistake, she’s direct. She’s an independent thinker who’s not afraid to take unpopular positions. Despite being a Roblan for 20+ years, she still has a lot of Jersey in her.
Angela is the right candidate to move the district forward. Elect Angela Hollander for School Board.
Kris Beal
Paso Robles
PRHS ‘83
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.
