Editor: While returning incumbents may seem the simple route, not all incumbents are equal when it comes to the 91原创 Board of Education.

Neither are those that are searching for their first seat. Three of the incumbents were on the board two sessions ago which accumulated an  unnoticed $13.5 million deficit, actions referred to by a local paper as 鈥渞emain[ing] oblivious to the leaking financial ship.鈥�

Paying back this debt finally began this year, creating financial hardships for our children in all schools, for this year and many years to come. The same three incumbents were on the board two sessions ago, one considered by the Auditor General as 鈥渘ot functioning well, nor modelling a positive tone...鈥�

New trustees Wendy Johnson, Rob McFarlane and Cecelia Reekie have joined the board since and improved the situation before it got worse. They have brought as sense of calm, financial accountability, transparency, and an eagerness to work with all stakeholders.

New faces such as Megan Dykeman, Kirsten Schaffer-Charlesworth, Candy Ashdown and John McKendry have demonstrated in the past their desire to work with all partner groups to improve education.  While difficult decisions lie ahead on Nov. 19, history can tell us much, providing a blueprint to select trustees that have demonstrated a desire to not return to problems of the past.

B. McCloy,

91原创