Letters: Open letter to DCSD board trustee Englekirk

Trustee Englekirk, after watching the town hall held on 5/22, it's very clear that you do not have the time required to fulfill your commitment to your constituents, teachers, administrators, and most importantly, kids, as a Douglas County school board trustee.

It's time to hang it up because, in your own words, you are just too “busy” for our kids. No more excuses for failure. You’ve had four years to build a resume (1.5 years with a majority board) and it's still blank. This means you are either failing at your job, or your ideas may not be that popular with the families that actually have skin in the game (kids) in the Douglas County School District (DCSD), or both. Teachers, administrators, and kids are dropping like flies from this school district because of the toxic culture this board has created, and its focus on a political agenda that is purportedly trying to save us from what is "coming" instead of focusing on current and pressing immediate issues that involve our kids and families.

Led by absolutely awful, unprofessional, and minor league level legal advice from Joey Gilbert Law and team, you have unfortunately followed Trustees Burns, Dickerson, and Jansen down a path that has led to a cliff that you all are teetering on the edge of and, should you fall off that cliff, you could rightly be financially liable for some really bad decisions you have made.

While I am not surprised the other three trustees have marched lockstep with team Gilbert down this path, I truly think you are better than this and could/should really be questioning your allegiance to these three trustees, instead of your allegiance to yourself and the kids.

For some self-reflection, I have included a link to the video from the town hall in which you and candidate Erin Miller were asked the question "How active are you, and have you been, at the schools in Lake Tahoe?".

I really hope that you watch this video and listen to the answers from both yourself and Erin. Ask yourself the question; If I were a parent, and had to choose which of these two candidates is going to leave it all on the field for my child, teachers, and administrators, who would I choose? The answer is abundantly clear, Doug. You simply don’t have the time for our kids. Please hang it up, and give Erinn Miller a chance to right this ship. A parent, that by your own admission, has much more time available to dedicate to this school district and our kids.

VIDEO: Time Mark 1:08.00 https://www.recordcourier.com/news/2024/may/22/live-stream-town-hall-debate-wednesday-night/

I'll leave you with a very simple quote that my father would always tell me when I had any excuse for failure; "I don't care, work harder."

Chris Larson, Parent
Roundhill, NV