Editor:
I feel compelled to correct a statement made by Tracie Northway in which she quotes Wendy Johnson as saying “the huge school district debt resulted from the inattention of previous trustees.” The Deloitte Report clearly states that the errors could not be attributed to the board.
If Johnson wants to throw blame, then some of it has to adhere to herself and Trustee Rob McFarlane. The errors spanned both board terms.
I do agree that we need to look carefully at all the candidates and that we need strong leadership at the board table, but let’s make sure that leadership is not only strong, but also positive and independent.
Johnson may be a strong leader, but not all leadership is positive. As a trustee, her leadership created havoc when she tried to reverse the middle school plan already accepted by the Aldergrove community.
I want leadership that has the courage to stand firm despite intense pressure and personal abuse. Alison McVeigh and Rod Ross have proven they can do that.
I want leadership that can be objective, seeing all sides of an issue, leadership that can bring people together despite differences, leadership that looks for the opportunities in the challenges and searches for positive solutions. Kari Medos is such a leader.
The reconfiguration of Stafford and LSS impacted LSS as much as it did Stafford. Medos, as PAC president at LSS, played a key role in ensuring that the changes at that school were implemented in a positive way, especially for the students.
Finally, I want leadership that is independent and doesn’t owe anything to any group. This coming year will see intense union negotiations. School boards will vote on the contracts. No doubt the unions, whose job it is to bargain the best deal for their members, will be supporting and endorsing those candidates whom they consider to be allies.
Hattie Hogeterp, Aldergrove