This month, Bermudian Springs School Board interviewed three candidates to fill the vacant seat in Region III. Two of the three candidates were well-prepared for their interviews. They had thoughtful answers to the list of questions. One spoke with passion and sincerity. He had fresh, tangible ideas on how to further support our students. Another had knowledge and know-how. She had served on governing boards before and even worked as an accountant for one such board. Both had or have children in the district, and both seemed to know the board’s role and its responsibilities. Both indicated that they were willing to listen to the community, including teachers and students.
Yet, this board voted in the third candidate, who, by her own admission, did not “know enough” about the district, did not understand the structure of the board, never served on a board, never had kids in the district, and gave vague answers to most of the questions.
This candidate, Dianna Canapp, did give one answer that particularly struck me as interesting. When asked what she felt about the state of education, she said, “It is important to be sure that they have the correct education.”
She did not really elaborate on this, but for me, this indicates that she has an opinion on what “correct education” looks like, and feels that this is not being done within our school. I have my suspicions as to why Dianna was chosen. The same members who voted in favor of Dianna were the same members who voted in favor of the updated policy that opens the door to book bans.
The board voted for Dianna, without discussion, meaning they did not provide any insight into why she was chosen.
So I have two questions – one for the board members who voted in favor of her and one for Dianna herself. To the board, why did you choose Dianna? To Dianna, what exactly do you mean by “correct education?”
Mary Carder
East Berlin