A campaign of revenge?

Educational change has always been, at best, difficult. So here we are at a crossroads for change with the high school district board election.

One change would be with the aggressive and opportunistic slate of Marc Steffler, Bill O’Connor and Mike Schulte. Their slogan, “Save our Schools” to some and “Spouses on Staff” to others, has the premise of electing three candidates who are suddenly finding fault with the high school. The other item of concern is that both have the stigma of the word “resignation” tied to their slate.

Steffler, whose wife is employed as a teacher at Fallbrook High and suddenly resigned after five years as principal at the high school and over 20 years in the district, now wants to come back as a board member. We must presume this was initiated by his best friend Tim Oder, who is president of the teachers’ union. His relationship with the union could be a roadblock to independent decision-making. The other candidate tainted with resignation is Mike Schulte, whose wife still works as a teacher at the high school but who also suddenly resigned as the athletic director. In a letter she circulated to the coaches, which later made its way to the community, she cited that she was not getting enough money.

Thus, it will be up to the voters to decide if they are running a campaign of revenge or if indeed they want to make changes granted by a unanimous vote of the teachers’ union.

Stephanie Lutz