The so called LSU slate of candidates – Dane Looker, Klaus Snyder and Kathy Uphaus – running for the Puyallup School Board represents a potentially devastating future for the children of the Puyallup School District.

These three totally unqualified individuals have a single goal: to discredit the great work and solid future that Superintendent Tony Apostle will leave as a legacy to his service.

And why? Because Apostle had the audacity, in their mind, to accept the resignation of a district employee caught making up his own rules on numerous occasions, and when caught spinning a web of lies and …

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As a former Puyallup school director (1983-91) I am a strong supporter of Dane Looker for Position 2.

The Puyallup School District needs to elect a board member who is an advocate for students, teachers and staff, parents and community. We need a strong voice for good communication between school and parents, local control, citizen and parent involvement, operational efficiency, top quality education and educators. We need a board member who will cooperate and strive to carry out responsibilities and work effectively and communicate with community, parents, staff and fellow board members.

I am confident if Looker is elected, he …

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With the upcoming elections for two new Puyallup School Board members, it behooves all voters in the school district, to use due diligence in making their choices.

A recent article (TNT, 10-14) spoke of the Tacoma School Board’s recent decision to name Deputy Superintendent Carla Santorno as superintendent-elect. No national search was sought in finding a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Art Jarvis. Board member Jim Dugan explained that decision: “a national search would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – money the district can’t afford in the face of big budget cuts.”

Similarly, the Puyallup School Board is in …

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I was disappointed after reading the endorsement for Puyallup School Board Position 5 (editorial, 10-12) The only information given regarding candidate Kathy Uphaus was that she was a “homemaker” along with an incorrect motivation for her candidacy.

To set the record straight, by choosing to be a “homemaker” Uphaus has had the opportunity to see firsthand and experience just how elementary, junior high and high schools are affected by policies, grading and leadership at the upper levels of the Puyallup School District.

She has been in the classrooms with the teachers, seen students struggle through continual changes in curriculum, …

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As a retired school counselor, I spent a career working with schoolchildren and families in Puyallup. However, I met Therese Pasquier as a board member at St. Francis House, a compassionate organization that provides clothing, meals and adult English instruction to families in our area. She understands the broad economic, social and educational needs existing in our area.

School district financial issues will become more tenuous as rainy day funds are tapped for maintaining basic school programs. Schools need experienced and knowledgeable leaders. Pasquier is such a leader.

Her sons’ schools benefited when as a parent she volunteered on various …

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Tony Apostle, Puyallup’s school superintendent, has announced his retirement at the end of this school year. Puyallup now has the opportunity to reassess the direction of its schools under new leadership.

As a long-practicing pediatrician in the area, I have thought a lot about the needs of our young people and the value of well-run schools in attending to those needs. To simply maintain the status quo at this time would be a serious mistake. Puyallup needs leaders on its school board with a fresh outlook and some civic experience, somebody who can navigate between solid operations and narrow financial …

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Did you see the story (TNT, 8-29) about Fresno County School Superintendent Larry Powell retiring so he could give up his regular salary of $250,000 per year and be rehired at the greatly reduced salary of $31,020 per year for the next three years?

Whoa! Makes me wonder what Tony Apostle in Puyallup and Al Jarvis in Tacoma could be thinking right now.

Now I know, while all things being what they are, and not all things being equal (Powell has 195,000 students and 35 school districts to manage; Apostle and Jarvis, not so many), each superintendent has much …

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In reference to the tongue-lashing of Puyallup voters in your editorial (TNT, 8-19) about the primary election results, I’d like to make a few things clear.

Therese Ngo Pasquier was a finalist for the Puyallup School Board position two years ago that was ultimately given to current director Chris Ihrig by the remaining board members. While Pasquier deserves credit for her willingness to serve the community, those of us who have followed the Puyallup School District closely have reason to be concerned about her close ties to the current board members, Superintendent Tony Apostle, and their exclusive leadership practices. …

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