Likes Bostock, Albrecht

By now all Columbia Falls residents should have received their election ballots for the School District 6 Trustee election. Two candidates stand out for their conservative values. Those two have been endorsed by Columbia Falls House Representative, Braxton Mitchell. They are Corydon Albrecht and Jessica Bostock. Albrecht and Bostock are firm in their belief that parents must be involved in their children’s education. They represent constructive change that will lead to parental inclusion in developing the ‘whole’ child.

Three candidates Mumby, Biel and Cheff, have been endorsed by the Columbia Falls Teacher’s Union. They represent the status quo.

What is that status quo? I have found that local educators believe that many parents show little interest in working with their children in academic or life-skills development. Therefore, the burden of preparing children for academic skills and good citizenship falls, by default, to the schools. That is why many educators see that their duty is not only to educate the children, but also train them in the social and emotional skills that had once been the responsibility of the parents and the churches. The school board and the administrators understandably reason that they must step in where the parents have failed.

The status quo view is that there is no other option; the schools now have responsibility for a child’s academic, social, emotional and even moral development.

This election is not about whether administrators, teachers or parents are good or bad people. Stay away from the Facebook frenzy. It is about who has the best ideas for educating the children and for guiding them to be great citizens. Is it only the school, only the parents or a partnership of the two?

Voter turnout numbers for recent School Board elections show that 80% of voters do not cast a ballot. Perhaps voters do not believe that they have a real choice; or that a change of personnel will result in a change of direction.

This election, voters do have a choice. Make your vote count. Vote for Corydon Albrecht and Jessica Bostock. They believe that change is possible and that the parents can be and should be indispensable partners in this process.

Joe O’Rourke

Columbia Falls