The race for the Everett School Board boasts four candidates who obviously care about the district’s children and improving learning. Voters would do well to select incumbents Roy Yates and Paul Roberts for another term.
Both Yates and Roberts offer voters the obvious insight an incumbent brings: the mission and responsibility of a school board, the limits placed on the educational system and complex financial issues. And they both participated in last year’s hiring of the district’s superintendent, Carol Whitehead — a hiring that brought praise from their opponents.
Roberts has a solid background supporting education with the Everett Schools Foundation. Roberts worked hard with fellow board members to gather information from various constituency groups for use in the hiring of the district’s top position. And he understands that it’s the board’s responsibility to set policy, not run individual schools.
His opponent, Ramona Pittsenbarger, ran two years ago for the same spot. She spends a considerable amount of time volunteering in her children’s classroom and pays attention to concerns at the school level.
Yates’ 13 years of experience as a board member put him in the position of having a keen understanding the district’s history as well as likely upcoming financial struggles caused by the economic downturn. Such credibility — as well as his experience as a banker — will be critical as the district decides to ask voters to support a future levy.
His opponent, Bill Grace, has both financial consulting and political campaigning in his background. His activities include membership on the county children’s commission and tutoring in math and English at the Snohomish County Jail.
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