Three challenge school board veteran

Published 12:03 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Brenda Sexton

The Courier-Herald

Voters will step to the primary election polls Sept. 20 and narrow the field of candidates for Enumclaw School District Director 5 from four to two. Absentee ballots are already arriving at Plateau homes.

Kathleen Michael, Gail Olver and Chris Van Hoof are challenging incumbent Andrew Willner for the open seat. Although all four live in the Director 5 area, all district residents can vote in the primary.

The top two vote-getters will go head-to-head in the Nov. 8 general election. Also on the ballot in November will be Michael Goodfellow and Cathy Dahlquist vying for the Enumclaw School Board's District Director 2 position.

District Director 5 incumbent Willner welcomes the competition.

"I think opposition is nice. It's good to have dialogue about issues that effect schools and the community," he said. "A campaign is a good time to talk."

Willner, a physician at Enumclaw Medical Center, has served on the board a number of years. He initially served representing District Director No. 2 from 1981 to 1986. In 1993, he was elected to serve as the District Director No. 5 representative. He was re-elected in 1997 and 2001 and currently serves as school board president.

Willner said his experience benefits the board, which he believes has accomplished much during his tenure but has more work to do.

During his terms, Willner has sat on two of the district's strategic plan committees, mapping out the district's educational goals. He said he is proud of the younger students' Learn to Read program and the older students' Read to Learn program. He said the district leaders are seeing gains not only in reading, but in all areas academic areas, in part due to these programs.

He's also proud of staff growth and the responsibility the teaching staff has shouldered for the students. He said Enumclaw is a place that draws high-quality applicants to its staff openings.

The district, he said, is also making strides in its Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores, a feat that, he said, has improved despite a lack in federal funding.

But there is unfinished business and that's why Willner is running again. He said the district's aging facilities will become a focus in the coming years. Also in the next few years, he said, the district is likely to hire a new superintendent and he's been on the ground floor of hiring the past two - and that experience, Willner said, is valuable.

With the increases in graduation requirements and academic standards, the district also has to examine its secondary remedial programs and their funding, he said.

Willner's three challengers are newcomers to politics, but not to Enumclaw or its educational system.

Michael is a lifelong Enumclaw resident and an Enumclaw High graduate with one of her two sons still attending high school.

"I tried to follow, but had a difficult time supporting leadership that didn't seem to understand the true needs of the community," she said. "I finally came to terms that it was time for me to step up to the plate, stop complaining and institute change."

She would like to create an atmosphere, she said, where students, staff, and parents feel valued, respected and are given the opportunity to actively participate on a variety of levels so that the community regains a sense of ownership and pride.

"All of my life, I have been dedicated to working with youth. I have 24 years of experience in working in a variety of programs designed to improving children's lives, Michael said. "Running for school board is a natural progression for me to serve children and families in a broader sense.'

Michael brings 24 years of experience in early childhood education. She is a founding member of Kid's B.A.S.E., an Enumclaw area, before- and after-school, non-profit organization. She is also involved with, or has been involved with, Parents for Choice, Youth Anti-Violence Committee, Enumclaw Youth Coalition, Plateau Youth Summit and Volunteer Chore Service. She currently serves on Partners for Youth Justice.

Michael said it's time for her to assume a leadership role and build a strong school system the community can be proud of for generations.

She said she understands the dedication and compassion it takes to bring complex goals to fruition.

"With a common sense approach to problem solving, I intend to help mend this district by restoring a sense of pride by re-establishing community ownership, improving communication, and re-evaluating district leadership to ensure the needs of students, parents and staff are being met. I believe that I have the experience, dedication and compassion required to accomplish these goals."

Gail Olver is campaigning under the slogan, "a real mom for real change." She was born and raised in Enumclaw - she's a 1974 EHS graduate whose father was a local businessman. She is the mother of seven, five attending Enumclaw schools at the high school, middle school and elementary levels.

"I've got a big investment in the school district here," she said. "One of the strongest things I feel is I'm living out the school experience."

She said her experiences, common sense and down-to-earth practicality make her an excellent choice for the board.

Now a stay-at-home mom, it wasn't always that way. Olver spent a number of years teaching in the Highline School District. She's also done her share of home schooling, working as a private tutor, private school substitute and classroom volunteer. Olver said she speaks her mind, but she's also interested in hearing what the community thinks.

"I want to work from the inside out, not the outside in," Olver said. "I want to know what people are thinking.

"I'm in the trenches with the rest of you," she said.

Van Hoof also is no stranger to Enumclaw. He is the third generation of Van Hoofs and a 1993 Enumclaw High graduate with two children nearing school age. He is employed with the city of Kent public works department.

"I feel an obligation to ensure that our children will receive the best education possible," Van Hoof said.

He said the board could use new energy and new thoughts. He said he thinks communication between the district and community, and within the district, has deteriorated and the students have suffered. It's time, he said, to reverse the trend.

He wants to be the voice of the district's future, and with young children, he said, he's committed for the long run.

"I think my people skills are the strong suit in this thing," Van Hoof said. " I will get answers. I think if you are up front and honest with people, they'll respect what you're doing.

"I don't really have an agenda," he said. "I just plan to listen to people."

Brenda Sexton can be reached at bsexton@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.