I would like to correct the misinformation in Tom Fletcher’s recent column “What to do with School Boards?”
Mr. Fletcher implies that local teachers’ associations organize all-candidates’ meetings in order to control the questions. He also states that local associations finance certain candidates and instruct teachers to vote for them.
In our recent local trustee elections, the District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) partnered with the Fraser-Cascade Teachers’ Association (FCTA) to provide a forum for all community members to ask questions.
The public was invited to submit questions to DPAC either by email or at the meeting. The moderator of both the Agassiz and Hope meetings (a non-teacher) was in charge of asking the questions. The diversity of questions reflected the range of interests in our community.
Further, the FCTA did not provide financial assistance to any candidates; neither did the FCTA instruct members who to vote for.
Before making such statements, Mr. Fletcher needs to ensure they are accurate for the sake of both his own credibility and the reputation of those he defames.
Yours sincerely
Lynne Marvell
President
Fraser-Cascade Teachers’ Association
