Hilary Seidel represents all students

I find this fall’s election to be one of the more satisfying in Olympia. The candidates I’m supporting are connected and accountable to the constituents they are seeking to serve.

No one more clearly exemplifies this than Hilary Seidel, who is running for Olympia School Board Position 4. I have worked closely with Hilary on our school’s Parent Teacher Organization. I can account for her dedication to the students of our school and across the district. She’s run a positive campaign focused on her goals, and has avoided criticizing her opponent.

Hilary and Scott Clifthorne present a clear vision for creating a more responsive, caring environment for all schools in the district.

I was disappointed to read the misinformation portrayed in Michael Kennedy’s Letter to the Editor on Oct. 21, supporting Hilary’s opponent, Ann Heitkemper. Michael Kennedy is, in fact, Ann Heitkemper’s husband. And while he stresses that Heitkemper is a teacher, she’s actually a professor at a community college, not a teacher involved in any level of K–12 education. Hilary has been endorsed by the Olympia Education Association, the union that represents the teachers in the Olympia School District.

Hilary regularly attends school board meetings. She volunteers in her children’s school. She has visited every school in District 4 to listen to teachers and principals and learn about their needs and their perspective. And with her third child not yet in kindergarten, Hilary will be invested in the Olympia School District for many more years to come.

This story was originally published November 4, 2017 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Hilary Seidel represents all students."