Strife, discontent, recall petitions, lawsuits and financial
audits have marked the last four years in the Morgan Hill School
District.
Strife, discontent, recall petitions, lawsuits and financial audits have marked the last four years in the Morgan Hill School District. Instead of celebrating the opening of two new schools and the renovation of another, we’re looking at a budget crisis and broken promises. With the resignation of one trustee and the decision of three incumbents not to seek re-election, the district is poised to head in a new, and hopefully better, direction.
That’s why this is the most important school board election in Morgan Hill in recent memory.
The pendulum swung too far in one direction, with a board of trustees willing to rubber stamp a progressive education agenda forwarded by the superintendent and her staff. While our schools need a change, we won’t benefit by an agenda-driven board that will rubber stamp a different agenda.
We need a board that will set policy and hold administrators responsible for implementing it. We need trustees that will ask difficult questions of staff and expect complete, correct answers. We need a board that will earn the trust and confidence of the students, teachers, parents and taxpayers of this district. That’s why we’re recommending that voters choose Peter Mandel, Harlan Warthen and Kathleen Sullivan for school board on Nov. 2.
Peter Mandel is an outstanding candidate with two children in Morgan Hill public schools. He and his wife have been active in the district, and have lived in the community for 20 years. But most importantly, he has a identified the cause of the crisis in the school district: a lack of leadership by the board of trustees. He understands that the board must set goals and motivate staff to meet them. He promises to hold district staff accountable for achieving those goals. His analytical skills will be invaluable as the district evaluates the best course of action with respect to development in Coyote Valley.
Harlan Warthen is our next choice for a trustee slot. A dedicated board watcher who has not been willing to let trustees quietly endorse an agenda established by the superintendent, he’s as knowledgeable as anyone about the problems and inner workings of the district. He’s attended as many board meetings as most trustees, and he’s spoken up frequently on behalf of the teachers, students and taxpayers.
Warthen has been a loud, if sometimes unappreciated, voice for fiscal responsibility. And that leads us to our caution for Warthen: He needs to work to build consensus on the board if he hopes to become effective and make any real change. It’s fine to take a principled stand and be the lone dissenting vote on an issue, but it doesn’t change things. Reasoned discourse that can sway others to your point of view, not shouts and insults, will advance the cause.
Our final endorsement is for Kathleen Sullivan. A nurse, a parent of a special ed student, and a tireless volunteer all over the school district, Sullivan will represent all parents – and especially frequently overlooked special ed students – in a calm, upbeat matter. She knows many district employees well and has earned their trust.
But we also have a caution for Sullivan, who tends to see only the good side of any person or issue. Very often leading a large organization involves difficult decisions and displeasing friends. It involves making value judgments. We trust that Sullivan will have the strong spine and thick skin these decisions require.
We’ve chosen not to endorse Mike Davenport, Bob Griesinger and Julia Hover-Smoot.
Griesinger and Hover-Smoot were difficult to pass over, but we urge them to stay involved in the district and try again for a board seat in two years. They both have much to offer, and when compared to another set of candidates in another election year could well have earned our recommendation.
Davenport has not earned our trust, and we admit to being quite disturbed by his frequent overstatements of his qualifications.
This election is truly a pivotal one for the future of Morgan Hill schools. We believe that Peter Mandel, Harlan Warthen and Kathleen Sullivan will bring the right mix of skills and personalities to set the district back on the path of working together to educate our students.
