I am writing to recognize and thank outgoing Federal Way Public Schools board members Angela Griffin and Ed Barney.

Both Angela and Ed are committed parents who care so much about education that they were willing to put themselves on the line to make sure all Federal Way children and families – not just their own – had a voice at the decision-making level.

In addition to their full-time jobs, full-time parenting and additional volunteer work, they have spent countless hours reading educational research, school policies, legislative text and complex budgets.

They have gone through ongoing training, professional development, topical workshops, seminars and conferences every year. They have visited our schools, schools in other districts, and yes, even in other countries.

They have voiced the needs of Federal Way’s children and youth to our government at the local, regional, state and national levels. They have met with students, parents, teachers, administrators, non-teaching staff, individual community members and groups, regional educational advocacy organizations and other school boards. Most of all, they have listened.

School board directors receive $50 a day for those days when they participate in a formal board meeting. Typically, that board meeting is preceded by hours of reading and review, setting the agenda, communication with staff to question and clarify, possible pre-meeting work-study and/or executive session.

For those paid days, directors will earn well under minimum wage. Everything else is completely donated time.

In addition to the time commitment, Angela and Ed have spent many hours in their private lives listening, explaining, discussing and debating education with family, friends and neighbors – even when they would have preferred taking off the school board hat and just being Angela and Ed.

They have had to be extra watchful for their own children, who were occasionally judged or confronted by others because of their parents’ role in the district. They have given up many evenings with their families to advocate for other families.

Angela and Ed have shown Federal Way authentic servant leadership. They are each honest, earnest, passionate and humble. They have given their best, and I thank them for their service.

Amye Bronson-Doherty, Federal Way