School board members work hard

Last week’s Mirror included a letter from Hiroshi Eto, which seriously oversimplified the role of the Federal Way School Board, and then argued that board members didn’t need a raise.

Every school district is different, and the Federal Way district is the sixth most diverse district in the U.S. Many languages are spoken; disabled students must be treated with fairness and equity, and curriculum must be examined by the Board and school leaders each year. There are many challenges for this school board, including citizens from the far right now showing up at meetings … these are people who want to (like Ron DeSantis) limit literature or discussions about LGBTQ or trans people; limit teaching about Black and Latino history in the U.S.; ban books, and etc. The school board, like our librarians, should be hailed as people who keep democratic principles alive in our school systems.

I know people on the Federal Way School Board, and how hard they work on behalf of the kids in Federal Way schools. I definitely support a raise in pay for them. A public school board is not a board of directors of a private company, as Mr. Eto wanted to suggest, in his naive discussion of board duties.

Lorie Lucky,

Des Moines