Everett school board candidate runs on ‘quality leaming enviarments’

EVERETT — An Everett candidate is again seeking a spot on the school board, two years after running an unsuccessful campaign riddled with claims that were either untrue or unprovable.

This time around, Charles Mister Jr., 69, submitted a candidate statement with typos and grammatical errors, providing an almost unintelligible representation of his platform for the Everett school board.

“I want to bring out techers to create quality leaming enviarments thats only the teaches and prants,” the statement reads.

In a phone interview this week with The Daily Herald, Mister said he wants to work closely with educators and parents to slow down fights in schools and advocate for people of color. He said solutions need to be found to “help our students gain more pride within themselves.”

With enough money, his budget priorities are free lunches for children and up-to-date technology.

Mister expressed frustration over a 2021 article in the The Daily Herald fact-checking his candidate statement. In 2021, Mister came in second place in the primary, but lost the general election with 26.2% of the vote.

“When you print something, watch what you print now,” he warned Wednesday. “We don’t need to become enemies.”

Mister’s candidate statement in the 2021 voters’ pamphlet claimed he was a former police captain, held office as a City Council member, obtained two degrees from Saint Louis University and more questionable claims. He also reported he had fostered more than 60 children.

In the past, Mister had some run-ins with the law. In 2010, he was evicted from his apartment and arrested after threatening to shoot other tenants in the property.

His statement in the 2023 voter pamphlet reports he holds two degrees in psychology and criminology, but doesn’t specify from where. The statement claims he is a retired police officer, but doesn’t state where.

Mister declined to say where he was a police officer. He said he had “police experience here and there.”

Mister does serve as vice chair on Snohomish County’s Community Health Center Board of Directors. He has been a volunteer board member since 2019. He is also the Democratic precinct committee officer for precinct 24 in Everett.

He is running for a two-year term as the director-at-large Position 2 in Everett Public Schools. Last year, the board appointed Jen Hirman to the position to replace state Rep. April Berg. Before her appointment to the school board, Hirman was active in parent-teacher associations and worked in policy analysis.

Despite Hirman’s experience, Mister is confident in his chances.

“You can print what you want in your newspaper, because I’m going to win this election,” Mister said. “I hope we’ll be friends when I win it. I want you to keep that in mind. You’re talking to Charles Mister on this day — cloudy, rainy day. Don’t double cross me. Because if you do, and I win that election, then you got a problem.”

Hirman initially declined to comment on her opponent’s candidacy, but said, “How someone runs a campaign is reflective of how they will serve.”

In a follow-up interview, she added: “Seeing what happened in 2021, and now again in 2023, I do feel like this is a cautionary tale for voters.”

Ballots in Snohomish County are mailed on Oct. 19, mail or drop off your ballot by Nov. 7 to ensure your vote is counted.

Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; jenelle.baumbach@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.