It was not a factor in Marysville strike

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, December 13, 2003

My jaw just about hit the floor when I read Rebecca Steelsmith’s Dec. 5 letter (“Why the furor over this superintendent?”). I followed the strike and not once did anyone mention race as a motivating factor. The teachers’ conflict with the superintendent has always been about issues.

Racism is a serious problem in our country and world. It is an issue that is charged with passion and can often lead to violence. It is certainly not an accusation to be tossed around lightly, yet this is exactly what Ms. Steelsmith appears to be doing. She should examine the situation more closely. A quick look at the census data from 2000 shows that Marysville is almost 90 percent Caucasian. It would seem to me that in such a homogenous city, the vast majority of the teachers would be of that same ethnic group. Some might argue that this lack of diversity is what keeps minority teachers away, but I find that hard to believe.

I have yet to see one act of racism in Marysville. I’m certain that it exists, but it certainly isn’t the prevalent opinion. The growing Hispanic population and the relationship with the neighboring Tulalip Tribes is a good example of how minorities are welcome in our community. However, this does not address Ms. Steelsmith’s argument that our teachers are motivated by racism.

I would like to point out that in my senior year (1998-1999) two of the three football captains, and both valedictorians were members of minority groups. To hold such positions required not only dedication and hard work, but also an education system that ignored skin color and instead treated each individual as simply a human being. A school district filled with racist educators would certainly not act like that.

Marysville