To the editor:

I am writing to urge the residents of Bainbridge Island to vote for Mike Spence for Bainbridge Island School Board. Mike’s service on the school board has been exemplary. He has shown strong leadership through unprecedented budget cuts, and he has shown professionalism in handling delicate and controversial issues. I imagine this is why each of his fellow board members took the unprecedented step of endorsing Mike’s candidacy.

When you talk with Mike about our schools, it’s clear that he has the big picture in mind.

All too often, candidates for school boards seek these positions because they have a personal agenda to push, a pet issue to advance, or an axe to grind. Mike in contrast, serves on the school board for everyone’s benefit – not a small constituency or a particular ideology. He sits on the school board with an open mind, eager to listen and learn, and find solutions.

As a leader, Mike is smart, respectful, heartfelt and open to all perspectives.

The current controversy at Woodward is a perfect example of Mike’s leadership. Under his leadership, the board took swift yet cautious action when it learned of parents concerns – launching an investigation but being careful not to jump to conclusions or take sides. Mike has urged everyone to wait until the investigation is complete, and he has clearly articulated that the district intends to remain both open and welcoming to all volunteers and committed to following the law.

More often than not, you can find Mike on his daily ferry commute fielding questions, concerns, and suggestions from Bainbridge Island School District parents. What’s striking is not that there is an endless raft of parents who want to corner a school board member, but that Mike is always warmly open to the conversation. He always listens, asks questions, kicks around solutions, and when warranted, actually takes action.

Mike has served our schools and our kids with his hard work, and I think our Island and our kids need and deserve his continued leadership on the school board.

LINDA MANGEL

Bainbridge Island