Liz Drake for school board
I am writing to express my support for Liz Drake as Federal Way School Board director. Liz has influenced me in so many ways as the principal of Todd Beamer High School.
The biggest difference between Liz and the other candidates is that she has real recent experience in the schools with students every day. While I attended TBHS, her goal was to get students, teachers and parents excited about their education by developing ideas with them and supporting the steps toward the goal.
As a student, working with Liz as my principal was fun and easy. We developed a strong working relationship which lead to a real impact for many students. I can’t count the times she would ask me to meet with her to discuss ideas she would have brewing about the future of the school and wanted my honest feedback without judgment. She wanted a student’s perspective to make sure every move was the correct one. She also met with parents and teachers to implement programs that aided the learning process. Many times this was focused on the diverse background of families.
I am confident that when Liz becomes a director, she will talk with many students, administrators and parents to absorb their views before taking action. Liz is easily approachable and prompt with responses. I always knew that I would hear back from Liz about questions I had and that what was promised to me was delivered.
I am excited Liz Drake is pursuing a position as school board director. She had a tremendous impact on my education and I await her impact throughout the district.
Riley Germanis, Federal Way
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Roger Flygare for city council
Roger Flygare has outstanding skills required to hold the position on the Federal Way City Council. He has involvement with lobbying the Legislature, ability in building consensus with governmental agencies, working with city, county and state regulatory agencies. More recently, he worked on a worker safety issue, HB 1794, to protect all courthouse personnel in and out of court from being disrupted or assaulted in the performance of their jobs.
He worked hard to keep the level 3 sex offender transition facility out of Federal Way, worked hard to bring the south county ball fields to the Federal Way area, as well as Celebration Park.
He held every office in his state association board of directors, restoring its relevance and growing its membership three-fold, which would mean he has extensive experience in working in council-like settings for the past 10 years. He was also the chairman of a state agency committee for 10 years, which was like a city council forum in all ways, and oversaw and helped develop professional policies and standards.
He is currently the vice chair of a state-wide nonprofit organization that recognizes people who have contributed to the public good, as well as the military service members. He helped establish an outreach program in Bremerton for returning military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and the Association of Washington Generals is also active in erecting monuments and memorials in honor of those who lost their lives serving their country and community.
At a community Metro meeting in Burien on July 21, Roger spoke out against the proposed cuts and reduction of bus service for Metro and in favor of passing a $20 fee on cars to help sustain current programs and give more time in finding a permanent long-term solution. As I recall, he was the only candidate in attendance and no one from the Federal Way City Council was there either.
I believe the citizens of Federal Way really need someone with Roger’s skill set as opposed to someone who served as, what, the president of the PTA?
So to say that Roger is “adequate” is really not the whole story, but the above, like Paul Harvey always says, “is the rest of the story.”
Carroll Fisher, Federal Way
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BeSerra for school board
Voters have a clear choice to elect an independent voice to the Federal Way School Board. Carrie BeSerra is a concerned parent, mother of three and active volunteer at her daughters’ elementary school. She sees firsthand how district policy affects student learning in the classroom.
The choice is between an independent thinker, or two educators clearly tied to the way our schools have been run for the past decade.
If you want to see Federal Way change into a first-class school district, vote for Carrie BeSerra, school board director, position 3.
Marie-Anne Harkness, Federal Way
