As I was not familiar with either of the candidates, Carol Gregory or Medgar Wells, both running for position 4 on the Federal Way School Board, I began looking for more information on the candidates. The good news: there are very defined differences between the two candidates, which makes the decision much easier.

The fact of the matter is, whoever we elect to this school board will have ultimate authority over what happens in our schools — everything from staffing to what textbooks our children use. As such, I believe we need a candidate that has a strong background and understanding of the complexities of a public school system.

Through my research, I believe Carol Gregory is the most qualified candidate for the position. Carol Gregory has a strong public school background including classroom teacher, administrator and former president of the Washington Education Association. She is clearly well versed in all aspects of what happens in our schools.

I have strong concerns about Medgar Wells, however. The first being the fact he not only works for a private school, but his children apparently all attend private schools as well. This leads me to the question, “Why does he want oversight of our public school system?”

My second concern is his track record in the Seattle school district. In a Seattle Times article, “Seattle school district pays principal to resign,” it states: “’The school district offered Medgar Wells a buyout after parents repeatedly voiced concern about a lack of disciplinary control at the school,’ said Steve Wilson, chief academic officer. Wilson also states, ‘There were a lot of concerns about the school’s climate.’”

If the largest district in the state asked him to leave, I’m not sure we want him here in Federal Way.

My third concern is his apparent lack of knowledge around recent education policy. Mr. Wells states he wants oversight on how money from the McCleary decision is spent. While I’m certainly no expert when it comes to education policy, I do know that the Legislature has failed to fund the McCleary decision as ordered by the State Supreme Court. There is no “McCleary money” as he puts it, so I’m curious as to why this one of the highlights of his campaign.

These are just a few of my reasons I’ve decided to support Carol Gregory and I would encourage my fellow citizens to do the same.

Tom Hendrix, Kent