The three newly elected members of Falcon District 49 Board of Education – Danielle Lindorf, Chris Wright and Tammy Harold – took an oath of office at a special board meeting held Nov. 23 at the district offices. Officers were elected as well.Danielle Lindorf will serve as board president; Dave Martin, vice president; Tammy Harold, secretary; Andy Holloman, treasurer; and Chris Wright, director.Opening the meeting, outgoing board president Anna Bartha drew comparisons between the pursuit of educational excellence in D 49 and the cause of 18th and 19th century abolitionists.Citing that only 35 percent of 10th graders in D 49 are proficient in math, Bartha called the community to action. “There should be a riot in the community,” she said. “It is outrageous. It is incumbent on us to rise up and say we want rigor in our classrooms.”Bartha said she finds inspiration in British abolitionist William Wilberforce and his commitment to ending the British slave trade in the face of severe persecution. She encouraged the new board members to act as Wilberforce – with integrity, honor and principle – focusing on the mission and avoiding distraction by negative forces in the Falcon community.Though she did not give specific examples, Barth said the negativity “is egregious and it needs to stop … it breeds contempt, disunity and lack of success for our students.”In comparison to Bartha’s call to subdue contrary voices in the D 49 community, the new board members were more consolatory.Wright said he is grateful for community support and the opportunity to serve on the board. “I want to include all factions of the community,” he said, adding that he hopes to find common ground with conflicting viewpoints.Lindorf said she is honored by the trust bestowed by the community in electing her to the board. “My desire is to see students soar in their learning,” she said.Echoing Lindorf’s sentiments, Harold said, “I’m looking forward to getting a start on moving student achievement forward.”
