Posted by Matt Jones on December 13, 2018, 7:32 am, in reply to "When do you move over?"
CrackerJack and All,
As I’m sure many of you have realized, I don’t post on this site that often, but I was recently directed here because of chatter about current school board members. I was relieved that my name actually wasn’t mentioned, but then as I read and re-read what was posted, I felt compelled to enlighten you as to how it really is serving with those people that you mentioned.
To preface this and in case you don’t know me, I’m the “young one” on the Board who ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Education at the age of 20 and then decided to try it again in 2013 at age 22. I ran on the “young person” and “new blood” platform, and the public had enough confidence in me to re-elect me in 2017 to a second term. I’d like to make it clear than no one handed me their position, and no one stepped aside so that me or anyone else could join the Board. I had to earn the people’s vote, and I appreciate that the public gave me this opportunity.
That all being said (and I’m just speaking for myself here), I have gained a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge from those people who you have named in your post. The current members from your list (Carolyn, Bev, Kathy, Linda, and Bill) are wonderful people who have only the best intentions for our District. Some bring in experience as former teachers and administrators, some own their own private businesses, and some have worked in other public and private capacities. I have a lot of respect for what I have learned about the way things have been in our District while also sharing a vision for what we see going into the future. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not pretending that we are all best friends. We have argued with each other and raised our voices at each other. BUT we have also handed out diplomas to graduates alongside one another and solved a deficit problem alongside one another—and there is no other member with whom I have voted exactly the same. That actually applies to other Board members who I have served with as well (Ron, Jerry, Meghan, and now Tanja, who are of all different ages and backgrounds). These Board members take their roles very seriously serving on committees within the District and out in the community, and they have children, grandchildren, other relatives, or even just friends who go to our schools.
Here is my point: I agree that having young people on the School Board is a plus; I ran on that platform and still support it. But it’s not right to insult my colleagues, Bev, Kathy, Bill, Carolyn, and Linda simply because of their ages. Despite our disagreements over policy issues or the like, they are good people who care very deeply for our community, and have obviously conveyed that enough to the public to get support at least once and, in some cases, many times. They have become colleagues of mine and, in some cases, close friends.
I will also disprove your theory of “current members only leaving early feet first” as only 1 of the 3 current members up for re-election have filed petitions for re-election. Again, I’m not at all speaking on their behalf—in fact, many of them won’t know that I’m even commenting or may not approve of it. I’m responding because I felt that attacking their ages and somehow equating that to their character isn’t accurate, isn’t fair, and doesn’t convey all of the good that these people have done or tried to do during their tenure on the Board.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Matt Jones (current Secretary of the Board of Education speaking only for myself)
on December 13, 2018, 7:32 am, in reply to "