To the editor:

We need Sheila Jakubik’s continued leadership on the Bainbridge Island School Board because Sheila knows that best way to support our students is to support our educators.

As an educator myself, living and working on Bainbridge Island, I have seen that Sheila understands that an effective school board does not tell its educators how to teach, but recognizes and supports leadership and innovation at the classroom level.

Research shows, time and again, that what matters most to a child’s education is the teacher in the classroom.

Sheila has supported the work of school-based instructional coaches to support teachers’ professional growth, prioritized the thoughtful integration of new colleagues into our district, and insisted on providing cost-of-living salary increases to keep talented educators here. This programmatic support is paired with Sheila’s regular presence at community and school events. Whether at a forum hosted by Raising Resilience or an accreditation team meeting, I know I’ll find Sheila there, listening carefully, asking good questions, and advocating for our students.

On a daily basis, we in the schools do all we can to support our students, and we know that Sheila does all she can to support us. We need to keep her on the school board.

EMILY BAYLEY EIGEN

Bainbridge Island