Have you ever heard someone tell you “I don’t want this job that I currently hold, but heck, I’ll go ahead and keep it because no one else wants it” or “I don’t have any friends that are qualified or willing to do it.”

I have heard this in effect at the end of a Federal Way School Board meeting a few months back. Board Director Ed Barney mentioned this to a couple of individuals at the end of a board meeting in May, a day after the 2013 candidate filing.

In every single position that we will be voting on come Nov. 5, we need candidates who actually want the position and want to do the work that comes with it.

Apparently, Ed Barney has decided 12 years is enough, but doesn’t have the courage or the integrity to walk away, so he will just sit on the board and enjoy the status the director’s position gives him, and heck, he may just get another trip abroad at the expense of the students and the voters.

Director Barney has not even made an attempt to campaign this year.

I want someone who will serve and has the credentials to serve. Geoffery McAnalloy is that person.

Geoffery McAnalloy wants to serve on the school board. Geoffery has served as vice president of the Adelaide Elementary PTA and is in his third year serving as the legislative representative. Geoffery has worked to put technology in the hands of Federal Way students through more than 30 Donor Choose projects, fundraising in excess of $15,000. Geoffery has built trust with other parents, teachers and staff. Geoffery is gaining valuable endorsements daily. He has the respect of community leaders.

Geoffery sees the issues that are holding students back from getting a whole education. Recently, our school board directors along with administrative staff have flown the world in search of building relationships and learning about other cultures and education agendas — while refusing to build relationships with students and parents here at home and just taking a simple trip to Kent or Bellevue for the answers.

The money spent on theses travels could have restored programs that have been cut due to previous budget issues. Geoffery wants to see arts and music along with the career and technical education programs restored.

Geoffery’s philosophy is simple: teach the whole child, build relationships, build on parental engagement and see that our students are ready to leave our schools with real tools that will be used in the real world.

Respectfully, Ed Barney has served our community with good intentions. However, his intentions are no longer serving the community anymore. Director Barney’s beaming pride is his track and field contributions. Well Federal Way, it is time for Barney to hand the baton off to Geoffery and give all his attention back to his day job. Thank you, Mr. Barney, for years of stepping up to the plate.

Randall Smith, Federal Way