Dear Editor,

I would like to give some insight into why I quit the school board after almost 10 years of service. In a word: honesty. At the entrance to our school are the school’s core covenants — Respect, Integrity, Commitment.

They should be Honesty, Caring and Fairness. You cannot have respect if you’re not honest. You can’t have integrity if you’re not honest. Commitment is a vague word. You can be committed to anything.

We need to care enough about our kids to protect them, to teach them and to lead them in the right direction. A child that feels you care about them will follow.

Fairness, whether on the field or in the classroom, will gain you respect. The kids are more willing to work harder for you.

I taught my kids, and any others that would listen, to be honest, stand up for what’s right even if it means taking a whipping or making enemies. I’m willing to practice what I preach. (Except for the quitting part.)

Rick Gale

Forks