Weiss is clear choice for Arlington schools
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Arlington School District voters really only have one race to decide in the Nov. 4 school board election, since two of the three seats have only one candidate running. In District 4, Jim Weiss and Glen Reid are vying for the open seat vacated by Sue Winterhalter, who decided not to seek re-election.
Jim Weiss is the obvious choice.
Weiss and Reid are polar opposites when it comes to their attitude toward improving education. Weiss thinks the school board, indeed the schools, are already doing a good job. When he lost to Winterhalter four years ago, he put his interests in education into practice by joining the district’s Advisory Council on Education, of which he is now the chair. Weiss wants to bring more vocational programs into the schools and impart upon students — with possible incentives from the community — the importance of doing well on standardized tests so that every student graduates. He’s ready to work with other board members to find ways to maintain educational services with more possible funding cuts from the state, and his personality suggests he would work well with fellow board members to achieve that goal.
Reid is ready to overhaul education reform in Arlington, seemingly by himself. He is highly critical of textbooks because of what he calls "political correctness" and puts the blame on the board despite the fact that a parent committee reviews and helps select the books. He speaks frequently of "friends" and "elected Snohomish County officials" who’ve provided him with information about the district’s budget and other issues, yet he fails to identify those p eople. Reid wants to do away with "social promotion" and talk of self-esteem. A struggling student’s problems start in the first grade and the entire K-12 system must be examined, he argues.
Reid’s tough love — or just plain tough — approach would likely cause friction on the board and within the district without yielding any productivity.
Jeffrey Huleatt and Kay Duskin are running unopposed in Districts 1 and 4, respectively.
