It has been clear to most observers since the November election that Linda Whitehead’s days as superintendent of the Marysville School District were numbered.
Now that a majority of the new school board and Whitehead have agreed to part ways, a fragile but enormous opportunity exists. After two years of discord that peaked with last fall’s 49-day teacher strike, the ground is fertile for peace and cooperation.
For the sake of the district’s children, both sides must seize this opportunity to move ahead together in addressing the many financial and educational challenges the district faces. Failing to do so will be a further disservice to those children, who represent the collateral damage of a battle that adults on both sides allowed to get out of hand.
Forces backed by the teachers union now have a majority on the school board, and the superintendent who has been such a lightning rod will soon be gone. The shift in decision-making power is complete. The first thing union leadership should do to begin a meaningful healing process is renounce the effort to recall board members Helen Mount and Ron Young, a gesture that would show the union is ready to focus on moving the district forward and addressing the serious challenges ahead.
The recall, currently stalled by a court challenge, will only serve as a distraction and misdirect energy that’s needed to grapple with real problems. Finding a new superintendent and negotiating a new teacher contract while reducing spending by $1.5 million should keep everyone plenty busy for the time being.
And beyond the immediate challenges, there is a public relations battle to win. Dozens of fed-up families left the district during the strike, and it’s clear that families considering a move to the area are blinking at the prospect of sending their children to Marysville schools. Only time can turn that around.
More bickering and recrimination is the last thing the district needs now. Marysville-Pilchuck remains the most crowded high school in the state, and a new high school tops a long list of construction needs. Until cooperation and credibility are restored, however, there’s little chance that 60 percent of voters will approve any bond measure.
Whitehead’s departure, justified or not, offers a new beginning for the Marysville School District. Everyone involved should welcome this chance to turn the page.
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