To the editor:
A recent opinion column in The Pioneer Press expressed concerns about my election to the Jonathan Alder Board of Education and the board’s accountability to the student body.
Please, allow me to address some of those concerns.
First, I want to thank the author, Maddie Saiter, for correcting a factual error in the original version of the piece and for removing a later social media post that inaccurately stated I read her column in advance of its publication.
As a professional reporter for four decades, I welcome the free exchange of ideas and prioritize the necessity of accurate reporting. That is the only way journalism can effectively accomplish its mission of oversight and accountability in a non-partisan fashion.
I also want to commend Miss Saiter on her writing talent and organizational skill in composing the piece. While it is clear we differ in our world view on some current cultural issues, I respect the time and talent she devoted to writing this article.
JA students, teachers and staff members should be assured that their safety is of paramount importance to me and to the school board and administration. I am willing to meet with anyone in our district about any physical, psychological or mental-health concern they may have in the hopes of addressing and alleviating that concern.
I would also like to clarify a point in the story that stated I was “invited” to speak with the Pioneer Press staff in 2021 and “ignored” that request. I did not receive a call, email, text or voicemail extending that invitation, which I now know came in a comment the class advisor posted below my comment on a misstatement about the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution.
It was not my intention to ignore the invitation. I simply never saw it. Had I received that invitation then, I would have gladly agreed to speak with the Pioneer Press staff. Likewise, if it would be helpful to address any student or staff concerns now, I would gladly agree to speak with the Pioneer Press staff or any class.
Regarding the portion of the headline on the Pioneer Press story, “Voters and students should be more informed….”, I attempted to be fully transparent in my campaign for the board. I attended every candidate forum to which I was invited. I held an open house for any interested voters at my home. I accommodated multiple voters in my home who asked to meet with me in private. I posted detailed videos on social media outlining my values and vision for the district. My yard signs and campaign materials made clear my pledge to: “Protect Parents’ Rights; Preserve Alder’s Heritage.”
No candidate runs for school board anticipating 100% support in the election. I am grateful that, along with Bill McCartney and Steve Votaw, I was elected by a clear majority. I view my duty as a board member to serve all voters, not just those who voted for me.
I am one voice on a five-member board. I do not and will not speak for the board on any single issue. As a board, we collaborate, discuss, carefully weigh all options and are willing to fully explain our collective decisions, which are aimed at driving the best student outcomes in our district.
Recent tests of our students show a remarkable improvement in reading scores from the significant learning loss suffered across America in public education during the Covid pandemic. My social media comments critical of public education, some of which were cited in the Pioneer Press story, have always been aimed at those determined to keep students out of the classroom or at districts that compromise the learning environment with unwise decisions at the administrative or board level.
These learning gains in our district over the past two years are a tribute to Alder’s outstanding leadership, our teachers, staff members and students, as well as a Board of Education I am privileged to join.
Regarding the portion of the headline that, “(the Alder) board needs more accountability,” please know that every board member’s email is published on the district web site. We make time for and welcome community input at each public board meeting. Each board member is approachable while attending an array of extra-curricular activities in which our students participate. And, of course, each board member – if they so choose – stands for re-election every four years.
If there are additional avenues to foster “more accountability” than currently exist, I know the board would thoughtfully consider such suggestions.
– Bruce Hooley, JA School Board Member
Letters to the editor can be sent to [email protected] for publication consideration.
