Everett school board candidates focus on student achievement, safety

EVERETT — Three seats on the Everett Public Schools board of directors have contested races in the November election.

The board of directors is the legislative body for Everett Public Schools, which spans Everett, Mill Creek and parts of Snohomish County. The district has over 20,000 students and a $441 million general fund budget.

Everett Public Schools board members serve six-year terms. Board members can receive stipends of $50 per day for attending board meetings or performing other services on behalf of the district, not to exceed $4,800 per year. Members can also waive compensation if they choose.

Election day is Nov. 4.

Position 1

Incumbent Roman Rewolinski is challenged by Shaina Langley.

Roman Rewolinski

Rewolinski, 42, is an accountant and parent of three children in Everett Public Schools. He was appointed to the school board in 2023.

His top priorities are improving student achievement, maintaining fiscal integrity and promoting safe, supportive schools.

To improve student achievement, Rewolinksi said in his role as a board member, he would continue to support the district by monitoring progress and holding people accountable when needed. He also emphasised the importance of increased community engagement and advocacy for more statewide funding.

On the budget, Rewolinksi said his experience as an accountant serves him well, as it allows him to watch the district’s spending closely and synthesize information from local economic trends.

“We want teachers to focus on the youngsters they’re teaching, not worrying about what’s happening financially at the district,” Rewolinski said.

Rewolinski said the district is in a good financial position and has made reasonable projections, but maintained that the state needs to provide more funding to close shortfalls in areas like special education.

“I think we’ve given the district enough wiggle room to make good decisions and provide good outcomes for our kids,” he said.

As the board’s current legislative representative, Rewolinksi also works with lawmakers and the Washington State School Directors’ Association to advocate for increased funding.

On school safety, Rewolinski said the biggest tool the board has is its strategic plan, a comprehensive document that guides district policies and monitors progress. He said the district needs to maintain and expand community partnerships that supplement existing district support, like school psychologists. Rewolinski added that advocating to maintain funding for programs like federally funded meals is also important.

An issue parents have raised concerns about in the district is LifeWise Academy — a nonprofit that pulls students out of school during lunch and recess for Bible classes — launching near Emerson Elementary in January. The district doesn’t endorse the program or use public resources to assist it, but allows it to operate, citing a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows for off-site religious instruction during the school day.

Parents have raised concerns over the possibility of bullying or disruptions in the classroom, as well as the program’s curriculum and the nonprofit’s ties to right-wing groups.

Rewolinski doesn’t support LifeWise and wishes it operated outside of school hours, but maintains that it operates according to the law.

“I don’t think Everett Public Schools has the resources to push the envelope,” he said. “If we get into a lawsuit about it, the state’s not going to give us extra lawsuit money. It’s going to come from kids.”

Rewolinksi said his financial expertise, work ethic and experience as a parent in the district served as important qualifications and contributed to the diverse experience present on the board.

“We recognize we make a good team,” he said of the school board.

Rewolinski has been endorsed by the Everett Education Association, the Washington Education Association and the 44th Legislative District Democrats. He’s also been endorsed by State Sen. John Lovick, Everett City Council members Don Schwab and Judy Tuohy, and Everett School Board members Anna Marie Jackson Laurence, Charles Adkins, Traci Mitchell and Jen Hirman, among others.

Rewolinski has raised $17,752 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday.

Shaina Langley

Langley, 36, is a teacher in the Lake Washington School District.

Langley’s top priority is student success. Everything the district oversees — budgets, planning, training — falls within that scope, she said.

“What supports educators, what supports teachers, what supports the district, families, community engagement, safety, all of that funnels into the outcomes of students’ academic and personal success,” Langley said.

On the budget, Langley said she would look at the needs in the district and ensure funding is being allocated equitably across its dozens of schools. She also has experience advocating for funding as a political action committee manager in her local teachers union, she said.

“I would scrutinize every single dollar that goes in and out of the district and fight to improve our state funding sources,” Langley said.

She said all spending decisions, from building improvements to staffing levels, should be made with the end goal of impacting students in classrooms.

“I’m always going to be the voice of, ‘What does this look like for the classroom teacher? What does this look like for instructional aid? What does this look like for the bus driver?’ That’s the voice I want to bring to the decisions that are made,” Langley said.

One opportunity she sees is to improve professional development for educators by asking if training programs would offer continued support for educators, rather than “a brief overview of the table of contents then telling teachers to go and teach it,” she said. She feels that extra support can make or break whether professional development initiatives are utilized in classrooms.

To close student achievement gaps, Langley said she would look for opportunities to build knowledge earlier through introducing arts, history and science in an age-appropriate way for younger students. At that age currently, much of the focus is on reading and math skills, she said. Langley said she could bring her experience as a teacher to the district’s process of curriculum adoption.

On LifeWise, Langley said third-party programs like it “should never come between our families and our schools.” She said the board has an obligation to review steps that can be taken to strengthen and clarify policies regarding third-party organizations.

“Clearly, it’s becoming an issue about trust with the district and the board, and that’s not something I want to see,” Langley said of LifeWise.

Langley’s decade-plus working in the classroom with students of many backgrounds and ability levels served as vital experience, she said.

“I think about the responsibility of being an educator, and what that means when you’re in a leadership position and students look up to you,” she said. “It’s something I’m really looking forward to, bringing my knowledge and experience and also understanding the weight of that responsibility, to the people of our district.”

Langley has been endorsed by the Snohomish County Democrats, the Snohomish and Island County Labor Council and Snohomish County Indivisible. She has also received endorsements from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, State Sens. June Robinson and Manka Dhingra, State Reps. April Berg, Julio Cortes and Brandy Donaghy, Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn, Everett City Council members Mary Fosse and Paula Rhyne, Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson and Everett School Board member Charles Adkins, among others.

Langley has raised $11,791 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday.

Position 2

Incumbent Jen Hirman is challenged by Janelle Burke.

Jen Hirman

Hirman, 54, is a community volunteer. She was appointed to the board in 2022 and retained her seat in a 2023 election.

Her top priorities are community engagement, academic success, safe schools and financial stability.

To increase community engagement, Hirman said it was important to leverage parent-teacher associations, known as PTAs, as the district could hear directly from parents at the school level.

To improve academic achievement for all students, Hirman highlighted the work the district has done toward its strategic plan, which outlines steps and measures it will take to improve specific outcomes like third grade literacy and post-secondary success.

“What our district has done well and continues to do well is break it down to more specific objectives,” Hirman said.

Hirman added that increasing education about existing programs that provide food and clothing to students could be a help to improving student outcomes.

”We can’t expect them to be focused on education when they’ve got more pressing needs,” she said.

On the district’s budget, Hirman said the district is doing good work, but should stay vigilant in making projections, maintaining a healthy fund balance and having contingency plans in case funding sources are lost.

“We’re not big into surprises, because we need stability in the district,” Hirman said.

To improve school safety, Hirman said the school bond set to go to the ballot in February was an important measure to improve security systems and video monitoring. She also said that increasing engagement through students, teachers and community members interacting more often, individuals can catch problems before they escalate.

“There are so many things along the way that we as a school system do to try and make sure they are not just meeting basic academic standards, but we want them to thrive as much as they can,” she said.

On LifeWise, Hirman said she doesn’t support or oppose the program itself, but would prefer it took place before or after school.

Hirman has been endorsed by the Everett Education Association and Sierra Club. She opted for mini reporting with the state Public Disclosure Commission, meaning she does not have to file contribution and expenditure reports but cannot raise or spend more than $7,000 on her campaign.

Janelle Burke

Burke, 44, is a stay-at-home mom of seven children. She’s previously run for school board positions in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023, according to campaign disclosure filings.

Her top priority is giving more of a voice to students and parents in the district.

To do so, she would invite parents out to events with the school board and be transparent, she said.

“I want parents to be first in their child’s education as we are their first educators, and help the school districts educate our children properly so they can become productive citizens,” Burke said.

On the budget, Burke said the district should cut back spending for programs beyond basic education.

“We need to go back to the drawing board, back to basics,” Burke said. “Do we need these sports programs? Do we need these extracurricular programs?”

To find savings in the budget, the district needs to cut “anything put in place due to politics,” Burke said. She added that the district should not provide funding for guest speakers, assemblies or LGBTQ+ related programs.

“Anything that’s going to cost extra money and take away from education, that kind of thing,” she said. “Politics, as far as Trump versus whoever, those things shouldn’t even be in school to be taught … That’s something the kids already have to deal with at home, but they need a break from it at school.”

Burke also said she would not support the district’s attempt to bring an International Baccalaureate program to Cascade High School as the program “puts some students above the rest,” she said. To close achievement gaps, she said the district needs to look at every child individually and let them lead their education.

School safety measures are “starting to look like government overreach,” Burke said. She is in favor of school resource officers, but the community needs to work to fine-tune policies surrounding their use because there is a “thin line between mentor and cop,” she said. She added that excessive security measures would contribute to a “prison culture.”

“True safety means adult accountability,” Burke wrote in an email. “It means transparent reporting, honest communication, and real consequences when harm occurs. It means schools that partner with parents instead of silencing them. No more prison culture in education. We have to take it back to basics in a safe learning environment and what we have right now ain’t it.”

In regard to LifeWise, Burke supports it because it’s not funded by the district and is an opt-in program, she said.

Burke is not seeking endorsements. She opted for mini reporting with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Position 3

Incumbent Anna Marie Jackson Laurence is challenged by Tom Clarke.

Anna Marie Jackson Laurence

Laurence, 62, works in the nonprofit field. The school board appointed her to the seat in May to fill a vacancy.

Her top priorities are academic success, safe schools and expanding student opportunities through career and technical education.

To improve academic outcomes in the district, Laurence said she hoped to add early learning programs and implement classroom technology to support learning. With a large population of students who speak languages other than English, she said the district needs to provide translation programs to accelerate student integration and fund professional development for teachers who work with English learners. She also said students should be able to receive tutor support.

“There must be equitable access to resources to support learning, regardless of what area of the community students live in,” Laurence said.

In regard to school safety, Laurence said the district should maintain ongoing programs like anti-bullying curricula, the district’s anonymous tip line, mental health professionals and the presence of school resource officers.

“We have good systems in place,” Laurence said. “I think it’s just about reaching out to kids, making sure they feel welcome and included.”

On the budget, Laurence said the district is doing great work to keep its finances in check. Her priorities when allocating funding include teachers, para educators, curricula, classroom resources and professional development for teachers. She also said the district needs to make sure there are ample substitute teachers available when needed. Laurence also said the state needs to step up its funding to close gaps in areas like special education and materials costs.

Regarding LifeWise, Laurence said she does not support programs that provide off-site religious instruction during the day and prefers children stay in school, but added that the district must follow the law that allows programs like LifeWise to operate.

Laurence has been endorsed by the Everett Education Association, the Washington Education Association, the Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee and the 38th Legislative District Democrats. She’s also received endorsements from State Sens. June Robinson and John Lovick, Everett City Council member Judy Tuohy, Snohomish County Council member Jared Mead, and Everett School Board members Traci Mitchell, Roman Rewolinski, Jen Hirman and Charles Adkins, among others.

Laurence has raised $19,650 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday.

Tom Clarke

Clarke, 38, is an attorney and a parent at the district.

His top priorities are student success and safety, managing the district’s budget and maintaining secular schools.

To improve student outcomes, Clarke said the district needs more oversight into the IEP process — an individualized document developed for students who require special education — and take a more holistic approach to assessment. He also said the district needs to increase the number of para educators and specialists to ensure children are brought up to grade-level reading.

Clarke also emphasized that students need additional help outside of the classroom.

”I think we need to provide more comprehensive support for our students,” Clarke said. “We can work with outside organizations to make sure that our students have everything they need and that they’re well fed, clothed and have a safe place to stay at night.”

On the budget, the district needs to “cut some of the fat at the top,” Clarke said. He said looking for ways to consolidate executive positions could allow the district to hire more student-facing staff.

“I don’t care what that executive position is doing, I’d rather have five para educators,” Clarke said. “Those five para educators are going to make more of a tangible impact on our students’ changed to plural possessive lives.”

Clarke supports maintaining the district’s current salaries for teachers, which rank among the highest in the state, as it will continue to attract top talent, he said. He added he would not cut anything related to sports or the arts.

Also in regard to district spending, Clarke said Everett Public Schools should implement a policy to require project labor agreements — collective bargaining agreements with contractors and workers for specific public construction work — on capital improvements costing more than $5 million. City Council members in Everett put forth a similar proposal in 2022 which would have required the agreements for city projects over $5 million. It passed a council vote before being vetoed by the mayor.

“I think we need a community that is built by union labor and creates the future labor workforce as well,” Clarke said.

On LifeWise, Clarke said the district has, in effect, “co-signed” the program as officials hadn’t taken steps to prevent it from operating. The district has maintained that it does not endorse or oppose LifeWise.

He said the program is different from a parent taking their child out for individual religious education, as he sees LifeWise as a group battling public education more broadly.

“This is an organization that’s targeting our public schools and wants to de-secularize them, and I think that’s inappropriate,” Clarke said. “I would make an RTRI (released-time religious instruction) policy that boldly fights against that.”

Clarke has been endorsed by the Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee, the 44th and 38th Legislative District Democrats, UNIDOS and Snohomish County Indivisible. He’s also received endorsements from State Rep. Brandy Donaghy, former president of the Snohomish County NAACP Janice Greene, Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn, and Everett City Council candidate Sam Hem. He opted for a mini reporting campaign with the Public Disclosure Commission.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.