Voters in the Edmonds School District have two contested school board races to decide this fall. The incumbents deserve credit for helping to keep the district on a positive path, academically and financially. Both were responsible for the hiring of an excellent superintendent, Nick Brossoit, and we believe both would continue to serve capably if re-elected.
But in the District 5 race, we believe voters have a chance to make a good board even better by electing newly retired Edmonds-Woodway High School Principal Alan Weiss. In the District 3 contest, we recommend they retain the current school board president, Gary Noble.
Weiss would bring a fresh and important perspective to the board, having held teaching and administrative positions in three different states over a 42-year career. He was hired to launch an International Baccalaureate program at Edmonds-Woodway, and wound up leading an impressive academic turnaround at the school, which is now recognized as one of the most academically successful high schools in the county. He ruffled feathers along the way, showing he’s not afraid to confront resistance. That could also be, however, an indication that he’ll need to make an extra effort to maintain constructive relationships on the board.
Weiss has seen what works and what doesn’t from ground level, and would provide a valuable reality check to the board. A key one is his observation that the district doesn’t provide an equitable education for all its students because they’re not equally challenged from one school to another. As an example, he notes that some district schools offer honors-level courses to 9th- and 10th-graders but others don’t. Weiss will raise tough questions about such shortcomings.
None of that is to say that the incumbent, Pat Shields, hasn’t served well in his five years on the board. Shields is knowledgable and committed, and is running for re-election for selfless reasons. But when an upgrade is available, we think voters should take it.
Noble’s challenger in the District 3 race, Jon Howeiler, is also an experienced educator. He’s a former high school teacher and is now an administrator in the teacher-education program at the University of Washington Bothell. Howeiler would be a strong advocate for teacher excellence, and argues that his education experience would allow him to ask tough questions that aren’t currently being asked.
We think Weiss can bring that kind of critical questioning of the status quo, and that keeping the effective Noble in place for a second term bests serves the district.
Noble, a Boeing account manager with an engineering degree, has been a volunteer in the district for more than two decades, and has shown a solid understanding of the issues facing it. He has supported efforts that have yielded improvements in literacy, and now is focused on making similar gains in math. He also has kept a close eye on finances, ensuring that the district embraces effective ideas for improvement while staying within its means.
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