This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I have followed the re-election bid of Tracy Cowdell for the Canyons Board of Education. His opponent is an employee of Jordan District.
School employees of both districts are ineligible to seek a seat on their own district's board. Given that, why should we elect a teacher from another district to serve on the Canyons board? Ms. Arnold appears to be a good person with credentials qualifying her as a teacher and administrator. These credentials do not qualify her to serve on a board of education.
It is for good reason that teachers are precluded from serving on boards while employed by their district. It might be argued that educators would be logical choices for a board of education seat. On the contrary, while employees insist they advocate what is best for students, there should be caution that it would be easy to exercise biased views when an employee of a school district serves on his or her own — or any other — board of education.
Let Ms. Arnold remain in the classroom doing what she does best and leave the administration of the Canyons District to those who have a working knowledge of the district's policies, problems and probable solutions.
Mark Hurst
Sandy