Arlington School Board members may be running from re-election bids like a husky kid runs from rope-climb day in phys-ed class, but an incumbent member is doing her best to talk up the position for those who may aspire to it.
“Simply put, it’s a really rewarding job,” Mary Kadera said of School Board membership in a recent e-mail to supporters. “You’ll learn an incredible amount about public schools and about your community. I’ve worked for about 30 years in education, and I’m still learning new things every week because I’m a School Board member. “
Kadera is midway through her first four-year term, and has watched through the years as a number of recent Arlington School Board members have gotten out at a dizzying pace.
School Board member Nancy Van Doren departed after just six years in office, while Tannia Talento and Monique O’Grady threw in the towel after four. David Priddy and Cristina Diaz-Torres, the two School Board members whose terms are up this year, have opted against re-election bids.
You might be sensing a trend – School Board positions, typically the lowest political rung in a community, often lead to burnout in a hurry. But in her missive, Kadera said there are benefits to serving at the School Board level.
“You’ll get to be useful, in ways that really matter,” she wrote. And “if you’re an introvert like I am, the role gives you an opportunity to get to know people you might never meet otherwise.”
Kadera’s term is set to expire at the end of 2025, so by this time next year she will have to decide whether to stick it out or join the exodus from the Arlington School Board ranks.
