Woodside School teachers association endorses candidates Woodside School teachers association endorses candidates (October 26, 2005)for school board

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

With the November 8 election two weeks away, the Woodside Teacher's Association has taken the unusual step of endorsing three of the four candidates running for three open seats on the Board of Trustees for the Woodside Elementary School District.

Following an October 13 forum in which the candidates were given the questions ahead of time, and subsequent discussions among teachers at two meetings, the association's membership of about 33 teachers voted on secret paper ballots, said Bill Dolyniuk, a science teacher and member of the association's executive board.

The candidates with the most votes were incumbent and current board president Bettina Pike and candidates Elianne Frenkel-Popell and Karen Werner, said Mr. Dolyniuk.

"Teachers are very child centered. That's our business, and that (group) was the match we were looking for," he said.

"It was a really tough decision," he said. As part of the education establishment at the school, "we felt it was our obligation to help guide the process the best we could," he said, adding that voters in the district without school-age children may not know who to vote for.

The teachers have not taken this step before because this is the first contested election Mr. Dolyniuk said he could remember in his 26 years at the district's one K-8 school.

Asked about how he arrived at his choices, Mr. Dolyniuk admitted to a bias toward Ms. Frenkel-Popell, a former student of his at Woodside. Another candidate seemed to have slightly stronger leadership skills, he said. The candidates' statements on how they judged excellence in education was an important factor, he added.

"If you have four and you have to pick three, you kind of go with your gut," he said.

Asked if he found any of the candidates lacking in qualifications, he replied: "An unqualified no."

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