The SHUSD Board of Trustees Needs ‘Brave People with Good Hearts,’ Says Letter to the Editor

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The Southern Humboldt Unified School District (SHUSD)We all get caught up in national and statewide politics and elections and consequently we sometimes forget that what matters most is also the thing the thing that we can actually have a real effect on—local issues. There is another important election coming up this fall and the time for action is now. There are three terms out of the five on the Southern Humboldt Unified School District board of trustees up for re-election. These are currently held by Thomas Mulder, Michelle Bushnell, and Scotty McClure. New candidates have until August 10 at 5PM to file with the Humboldt County Board of Elections for the November ballot.

I would like to encourage anyone who realizes how important these positions are for the future of our children and our community to make the sacrifice of time and energy and go to bat for education. New candidates can bring fresh ideas and debate issues and that is healthy for all. There are only five seats now on a board that once consisted of nine and that is unfortunate but it means that each voice is very important. Fresh ideas are sorely needed. The self appointed board that we have now has consisted of the same old faces for quite some time now and the natural progression to narrow self interest and away from the public good has endured for far too long.

The deadline to file is August 10 at 5PM. As of this writing, no one has filed. We cannot breathe new life into the school district unless brave people with good hearts step forward. Please act now. We will all be grateful. Thank you.

Jerry Latsko

Garberville

 

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11 Comments
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Mike
Guest
Mike
5 years ago

I gotta ask what is the self interest of being on the school board? Is it monetary, or fame, or do their children get preferred treatment?

Thomas Mulder
Guest
Thomas Mulder
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

The commitment and interest is caring about this community . There is nothing but actually losing income by serving on the board and my children don’t receive any special treatment. The best way to influence a community positively is encouraging your younger generations to give back and care.

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

It is called “enlightened self interest”
Doing stuff that is good for the world is ALWAYS good for the individual.

Mom
Guest
Mom
5 years ago

What kind of commitment is expected of someone on the board? Give us an idea of what we’d be signing up for.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Hey Mike, I barely know how to respond to your comment, except to say, not everyone does something for money or fame, or so their family benefits from it. Some people actually want to change things for the better…………It’s kind of a sh!t or get off the pot thing, you can complain, or you can do something about it.

Mike
Guest
Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

i don’t know Guest, these board members are probably almost breaking even by the end of the year, and the fame involved alone, I bet there isn’t a town in the whole county maybe state where they aren’t treated like celebrities. Plus everyone knows that only the popular kids parents are on the board, you know prom kings and queens, captains of the football teams. Google satire.

Jessika Mulder
Guest
Jessika Mulder
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Mike, [edit] Breaking even? That is a hoot. My husband is a bored member and has been the entire longevity of our relationship. I can assure you that he does not get paid and it is strictly volunteer he misses out on countless hours of time that he could be spending with our family as well as working to provide for our household to sit at a table and constantly be criticized. Fame? Please elaborate, if being constantly talked shit about and dissed is fame then okay. We have two children that attend SHUSD they are the least bit of privlaged if anything they are constantly ridiculed by fellow students and even adults like this situation at hand. My daughter is in high school and has never been nominated for prom queen let alone any homecoming royalty..You should probably just not talk about other people’s children at all..that’s just rule of thumb. at the end of the day they are children and don’t have a choice in their parents decisions… so here is my advice to you quit hiding behind a name on a computer screen where nobody even knows your identity and step away from the keyboardto and run for the board otherwise don’t speak on what you don’t know. If I had it my way my husband wouldn’t even be on the board with all the time he loses out on at home and all the ridiculing..

Mike
Guest
Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Jessika Mulder

Lady, once again google satire. It’s like sarcasm but when the other person doesn’t get the joke, obviously. please, google satire before responding, please. But nice rant.

Jessika Mulder
Guest
Jessika Mulder
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Please sign up to volunteer your time before you complain. It’s not a rant it’s reality. Find something better to do with your time besides being a keyboard warrior..

Jim Baker
Guest
Jim Baker
5 years ago

No self-interest allowed on a school board, other than the knowledge that you are helping shape the education of the next generation, which may coincidentally include your own kid. It’s called civic responsibility. It can also be a very rewarding experience, and since I have worked with all of the present school board members, as a past member for a dozen years myself, I can vouch for their willingness to mentor and work with any new members, no matter what their points of view are. Take a look at the following URL from the California School Boards Association for an idea of what you would be getting into: https://www.csba.org/GovernanceAndPolicyResources/EffectiveGovernance.aspx
Give ’em hell, and good luck!

Jim Baker, former SHUSD trustee and present Trinidad City Council member

simone whipple
Guest
simone whipple
5 years ago

I think it is more of a status quo problem, than self interest is the problem on the board. Stagnation is what happens without fresh faces, and new view points. I have a lot of respect for anyone willing to be on a board. It is voluntary, the issues are often complex, and it requires reading, researching, critical thinking skills, and excellent communication with others, to resolve concerns.

There are many new programs that address bullying, excite learning, get our children engaged in school. Schools can be an anchor for those whose family situations are chaotic. In this new millennium schools must address more than just the 3 R’s.
We definitely need fresh ideas, voices, and energy on the school board.