Editor, The Smithfield Times:

I am writing this letter about the Isle of Wight School Board election as a stakeholder.

I currently have three grandchildren enrolled in our schools. I spent over 36 years in service to our county as a teacher, coach, club sponsor, bus driver and a substitute. It was a truly rewarding honor and privilege to serve the community. Today, the School Board is a serious concern.

The current School Board has threatened the future ability of our schools to serve the best interests of our community. The current majority of the board, including Mark Wooster, Jason Maresh and John Collick, has politicized and diminished the future of our schools’ ability to meet the challenges ahead. This election is the time to right our ship.

It has been stated that those who don’t want history taught intend to repeat it. History belongs to no one. It is there for all to learn and grow from. To deny that is akin to driving a car with its rearview mirrors that only focus on one spot in the road. 

I will be voting for a new majority for the School Board, and I encourage others to do so. Two incumbents, Wooster and Maresh, have overstayed their welcomes. Challengers Tim Mallory and Laequinla Hunter are well qualified and committed to having our schools meet the challenges of the future. 

Incumbent Denise Tynes has maintained her commitment to a better future and deserves to be reelected. Her opponent, Brandi Perkins, is unqualified. She chose to be a homeschooler. It is hypocrisy. Basically she is saying that she chose to take her family in a horse and buggy while expecting to be trusted to guide an airplane carrying our children. That doesn’t fly.

 

Jerry Tenney

Smithfield