When I ran for school board membership, I campaigned with an emphasis on civility. I felt strongly that a community with excellent schools and neighbors would embrace that positive tone. Over this year, I have seen the hard work and team participation of so many, but I am saddened by what transpired at our most recent board meeting. Rather than being supportive of what has been achieved and planned, or at least focused upon helping all students, there were attendees that made remarks that were in my opinion divisive, hurtful, racist and exclusionary.
I respect when others take time to be involved, ask questions, make suggestions, and lobby for their ideas. Board members, in turn, are charged with listening to constituents, considering all factors, and making decisions that take into account the entirety of the school district’s strategic goals and legal regulations and restrictions. I understand that we may not collectively agree on every issue facing the school board, but I do hope we can move forward to treat each other respectfully.
As I have said several times before, LBUSD is awash in success and the community should be proud to share information such as WASC accreditation, student achievement as presented in our annual report, and school honors. Our fine teachers, staff, administrators, librarians, coaches, social workers, parents, and students are such valuable resources; they are our good news and the story worth telling.
Jim Kelly, LBUSD Board Member
