Vote for Wenta, Guymon

At times, the Everett School Board exhibits all the charm of a band of avenging Cossacks. Trivial issues mushroom. As William Butler Yeats wrote in “The Second Coming,” (a poem Everett students might commit to memory) “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

The ESB has navigated a series of thorny issues, from classroom cams to a new administration building. A bond issue headed to voters in February elevates the need for credible board leadership.

Transparency is the real or perceived hindrance. Accountable management (vague sounding, yes, but you know it when you see it) is the antidote.

Retiring board member Ed Petersen, who was appointed to the board in 2006 and elected to a full term in 2007, lives his values.

Thankfully, two knowledgeable candidates are running to succeed Petersen for position one. Between the two – Ted Wenta and Rodman Reynolds – Wenta is the clear choice.

Wenta, the VP of operations for the YMCA of Snohomish County, has spent his 26-year career dedicated to family, youth and community development. He is steeped in the mechanics and needs of the district, including service on the Everett public schools’ fiscal advisory committee.

Wenta’s greatest asset is a creative leadership style and capacity to work collaboratively. It has earned him the support of a cross-section of community leaders, from former county prosecutor and child advocate Seth Dawson to Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson.

Reynolds is a school-board watchdog who attempted unsuccessfully to recall the board for not establishing an audit committee. He expressed several good ideas, including changing board terms from six to four years (Statewide, Everett is only one of three districts with six-year terms.) Wenta also is receptive to the idea.

Position two pits incumbent Carol Andrews and newcomer Kim Guymon. Andrews, a respected CPA, seems a hesitant candidate, focusing largely on her experience. She adheres to a “it’s always been that way” response to questions about 4:30 board meetings. On transparency, Andrews insisted that board meetings “are private meetings held in public. You don’t even have to offer public comment, but, of course, we do.”

Kim Guymon, the founder of the Everett School Board Project, is an enterprising thinker who asks tough questions about school start times and other totems that merit pushback (Like other districts, it’s time for Everett to offer foreign languages prior to high school.) Guymon also exhibits the energy and political savvy to elbow for transparency.

Everett is a good school district that needs to do even better. Thought leaders like Wenta and Guymon can make whole the district’s promise.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.