On Wednesday morning, Fayette County Board of Education member Janet Smola has announced she’s opted not to run for reelection this year.
Smola, Post One, has been a member of the school board for 12 years and, though she calls it “a lot of work” she also says it has been “12 of the most rewarding years of my life,” and adds that by announcing she isn’t going to run she hoped it would allow people who might not want to run against her, but run for the position, to step forward.
Smola says she believes in public education and that it’s time for someone else to step up to the plate.
“I’ve had a great opportunity offered to me recently and I need to take the time for that, which I can’t do while I’m campaigning. I had to free up time.”
More than that, admits Smola, being a member of the board of education is a 24-hour, seven-day a week job, with no time for vacation.
“My children grew up in the school system, while I was on the school board, but they’re grown now, not living close to home. I’d like the time and opportunity to travel and visit them.”
She says she’s still an ardent believer in public education and believes whoever runs for school board needs to be the same.
“A believer in public education, not home schooling or private schooling. The person has to follow the rules and regulations of good boardmanship and that’s not telling the school superintendent what to do. The board creates policy; the superintendent runs the system. We don’t need people stepping up to the plate because they want to do that.”
More than that, she notes, she’d tell whoever wants to run that “it’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of rewarding work and you have to believe in public education and support the administrative staff and be a cheerleader for the public school system.”
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