School Board candidates Carin Chase and Bill Willcock recently sent statements about what they think is or are the most important issue or issues in this year’s election.
The two are running in the Nov. 3 general election for the position on the Edmonds School Board that director district 1 board member Kory DeMun is giving up.
The position is one of four Edmonds School Board positions on the November ballot. The School District includes Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodway, nearby unincorporated areas and part of Brier. Voters throughout the School District vote for each position, but candidates must live in the director districts they wish to represent. Director District 1, in the southwest corner of the school district, includes Woodway, the south part of the City of Edmonds and nearby unincorporated areas, and the southwest corner of Mountlake Terrace.
Here are Chase’s and Willcock’s statements, in the order that the candidates’ names will appear on the November ballot and in the voters’ pamphlet:
Edmonds School District 15 – Director District #1
Bill Willcock: With encouragement and endorsements from several current and former Edmonds School District Board Members, I am seeking election to make a difference in our children’s lives and foster student achievement in our community.
In my eight years of volunteer engagement in the Edmonds School District, I’ve witnessed the power of student achievement shaping a child’s confidence and intellectual curiosity. I’ve also witnessed the front-line challenges our educators face. They work tirelessly on behalf of a diverse student population while constrained by changing budgets and legislative requirements. These challenges extend to an overwhelming workload, shortages of para-educators, and considerations needed for special education, ELL students, basic classroom supplies and more. It’s additionally concerning that standardized test results could be used to evaluate teachers in this climate instead of a more comprehensive view of student achievement. As Director, I will help shape our strategic plan and seek opportunities to best align it with our educators’ needs to address student achievement.
We are fortunate to live in a supportive and generous community. I will encourage continued community involvement, assistance from foundations, public and private grants, booster clubs and more to instill creativity in how the District rises to its challenges. We have so many successes from which to build, and yet more opportunities from which to benefit by staying focused on achievement for all students.
Carin Chase: Fully funding education is the foremost issue facing our school system.
The responsibility for taking action is with the state legislature. The Supreme Court made it clear: No more excuses or delays. Despite this the current reality is that public education in this state remains underfunded. Given this reality, the district must allocate its limited resources wisely, in a manner that best benefits all children.
I support:
- Meeting the needs of all our children so they may fulfill their potential and develop a joy for learning; although there is much talk about the achievement gap, I’d rather focus on the achievement potential of every child. It is the district’s duty to help every child fulfill that potential – including those who are struggling, to advanced learners, including 38.6 percent low-income, the 473 homeless children, and all the children in between or overlapping.
- Investing in solid and engaging curricula rather than utilizing standardized tests;
- Respect an appreciation for teachers and prioritizing resources for the classroom; we need to drive resources to the classroom and pay teachers a comparable wage.
- Implementing Green School building practices; children need a clean, healthy environment, fresh air and clean water, mold free, chemical free, and natural lighting.
- I am committed to enhancing the collaboration among the Board, superintendent and the community and sharpening the focus toward practices and policies that achieve student success.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.
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