Letter | Say no to Superintendent candidate; district needs leader who can empower teachers and students

Dear Community Members,

As a 30-year career teacher in both private and public school here in the Snoqualmie Valley School District I ask you to be very thoughtful as well as careful in your selection of the next superintendent. This district matters to me.

Of the three candidates, one concerns me. Mr. Brett Barley has very recent ties with StudentsFirst, an advocacy group that dismantles student education, promotes charter schools, teacher tenure reform, and voucher programs. The name of the group was not mentioned in the bio published on the SVSD website. It is very disheartening to me that a man with these credentials would even be considered as one the top three candidates.

The district, SVEA, and the community have worked very hard over the past years to build mutual interest in and amongst all the stakeholders. While all hope to retain the trust and respect gained, the hiring of Mr. Barley could send all this work spiraling down in a nosedive. His history with StudentsFirst goes against the values the Snoqualmie Valley School District has worked to obtain. We don’t need this kind of activist in our district.

In order to continue growing our district we need leadership that is for public education, not charter schools and vouchers. We need someone who is interested in continued student success, building relationships within the schools and community. We should be looking at leaders who can empower teachers and students. SVSD is a district that needs someone to champion what we already know is great. We need a superintendent who will not just help us take the next right step, but take the next step right. Please do not hire Mr. Brett Barley.

Respectfully,
Kelly Billington
4 th grade teacher
North Bend Elementary