There is a school board election on in the Westport Central School District. The candidates are Tom Kohler and Ulrich V. Hoffman. Both candidates have emailed me their campaign literature. Based on their sendings, I have decided to vote for and endorse Tom Kohler.
I read Hoffman's letter first. Hoffman's letter is almost entirely about the bond issue on the ballot, a proposal to buy a generator for the school so that it could serve as an emergency shelter, and also upgrade the school's lock system and repave the tennis courts to restore them to use. The bond issue is, to my mind, a possibly misguided attempt by the district to do more to "serve the community." It is not for the most part an educational issue. I will probably vote for the bond issue, but think it is the sort of thing that ought to be funded by the Department of Homeland Security rather than by a bond issue. I gather that the district explored that and was not able to pierce the layers of federal bureaucracy.
Hoffman leaves us to read his resume to determine his interest in education. What his resume tells me is that he is a well-educated man who has lead an interesting life, but also that he is over 80 and so that it has been a very long time since he has had to deal directly with the practicalities of educating children. He does not talk of his interest in K-12 education, so I am left to assume that he views his role as protecting the taxpayers from the needs of children. My minimum standard for a school board member is that he be very interested in K-12 education as such.
I am casually acquainted with Tom Kohler. We are both parents of Westport 2nd graders. In his letter, Kohler writes:
The members of the School Board have a responsibility to act not only in the best interests of the community as a whole but also, at all times, in the best interests of the students. While there are those that see these interests as being in conflict, I do not. I do think it is possible to balance the best interests of the students, district and community when the important role of the school in the community is considered.
The role of the school in the community has many aspects. Whether or not the school is used as a shelter is only a small part of it. Much more important is the fact that the school helps define who and what our community is. It is a reason that families live here. Families bring new life into the community. They bring in new tax payers and support the local businesses. Without keeping existing families and bringing in new families, the community cannot be sustained in the long term. The school also provides needed local jobs, bringing more money into the community. The school provides not only education, but guidance and activities for the children of the community to help keep them occupied and off the streets. Over the last few years, the school has had an amazing 100% graduation rate. These are things that have helped make our community what is and why we love it like we do.
For these reasons, I support the school system as a part of the community. I hope that you do to and, if you do, you will vote for me in the election on December 22, 2009.
This is all just basic good sense. Public education these days is a very complicated matter of federal and state mandates, many unfunded, and many I don't like. It is not so easy to contain the costs of public education without first understanding what you are up against. We have a well-run school district and we need a candidate who will work with, not against, the school district administrators.
Therefore I endorse Tom Kohler for School Board.