Our Voice: Comfort, Donahoe and Amidan for Richland schools

Richland voters will decide three school board positions in the general election Nov. 3.

Strickler v. Comfort

Phyliss Strickler has been a steady force on the Richland School Board for 20 years. Her honesty and commitment are among her most admirable traits, and the community has been fortunate to have her guidance for two decades.

She has been a teacher, a university research assistant and is the current volunteer director of the West Side tutoring program at Marcus Whitman Elementary School.

With so many years on the school board, Strickler has managed to weather the ups and downs of the job with composure. She should be proud of all the progress that has been made during her tenure — most recently, the addition of four new school buildings and a new middle school to be built in West Richland, as well as the transition to a full-day kindergarten program this year.

It would take a challenger with special qualifications to sway us away from recommending her for another term.

As it happens, Gordon Comfort is that unique candidate.

Comfort was principal of Richland High School for four years. He left the job in 2011 to try something new and is now the executive director of Goodwill Industries of the Columbia.

He believes the school district needs a strategic plan to ensure progress. While he is a supporter of STEM education — which focuses on science, technology, engineering and math — he said he prefers the STEAM model, which includes art.

He also suggested the community could work together to start a medical science academy that would encourage students to enter the field of medicine.

We think that’s a fabulous idea.

Strickler has served the school district well over the years, but Comfort has a fresh vision. It’s time to give someone new a chance.

Donahoe v. Higgins

Rick Donahoe has been on the school board for five years. He is a retired engineer and project manager who is now CEO of the International Children’s Reading Foundation.

One of his main priorities is closing the achievement gap caused by poverty in the school district.

He said the number of students receiving free and reduced meals has jumped from 19 percent five years ago to 35 percent now. His attention to this is admirable.

He has a good grasp of challenges facing education on a state and national level. It is obvious he does his homework and has thought through many tough issues.

His opponent, Ron Higgins, truly enjoys working with students. He is a retired engineer who went back to school in 2009 to earn a teaching certificate with a math endorsement.

He has a ton of energy and works as a substitute teacher throughout the Tri-Cities. That gives Higgins a perspective from the trenches, which has prompted him to run for the school board. He has philosophical concerns against the Common Core national standards, believing the federal government should not override local control.

We don’t doubt that in the classroom his kindness and concern for kids shines through.

But setting school policy is different than interacting with students, and Donahoe’s experience on the school board and his insight make him the stronger candidate.

Amidan v. Oldson

Two newcomers are vying to replace school board member Mary Guay, who is not running for re-election. Voters are fortunate both are quality candidates.

Brett Amidan is a statistician at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and an adjunct faculty member at Washington State University Tri-Cities. He was involved with the effort to get a $98 million bond package approved by voters in 2013.

Amidan said his statistical background would help him analyze school district data, and he could provide a logical approach when it comes to how to best use tax money.

Oldson has been involved as a volunteer in the Richland School District for years and is a substitute para educator. She has been a PTO leader and a classroom mentor for Junior Achievement. Her rapport with teachers, students and parents is a plus.

It is a tough call. Oldson has more first-hand experience in the classroom, but Amidan’s number-crunching skills are an asset.

Considering so much of a school board’s time is taken up with finances, we give the nod to Amidan.

The Tri-City Herald recommends Comfort, Donahoe and Amidan for the Richland School Board.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Our Voice: Comfort, Donahoe and Amidan for Richland schools."