I am very concerned about what appears to be an utter lack of sincerity from several school board candidates. It’s bad enough that we have only had 2 debates with the election just weeks away. But to have a group of candidates who seem not the least bit interested in attending any debates at all, is crazy.

Could it be that this “elite” group of candidates are confident that the money, influence and political backing of a machine will help to propel them to victory? If you don’t find it necessary to address the electorate in a public forum to explain why we should vote for you, then you really have no business running for office.

Continuing to campaign while simultaneously failing to attend a single debate sends the wrong message to voters. That message being: “you don’t need any support because you already have the numbers to win.” This type of behavior is crass and a detriment to our children, their futures and furthermore it sets a precedent that it’s not important to have meaningful dialogue surrounding educational issues so long as you already have the mechanism to capture a seat on the school board.

How the public can continue to trust people who disregard their concerns and refuse to attend open forums to address any questions the public might have is beyond me. I’m writing this as a former school board member, concerned parent and community activist. We must hold our elected officials accountable.

Corey Teague
Former school board member and activist