I’m John Hammond, and here’s why I’m running for Northshore School Board.

As a special education teacher, I work daily with a diverse population of young adults and their parents. I am running because my passion is to work with both students and parents to produce productive, fulfilled, and engaged citizens who are ready to participate in our society. I believe my understanding of how schools work, and my experience working with parents and students will help Northshore serve and close the achievement gap for all students.

As a former firefighter, I constantly needed to work collaboratively as a member of a tight knit team to achieve difficult objectives. I learned to persevere through incredibly tough situations to get a task done and bring a sense of normalcy and satisfaction to all involved. I did this all while making life and death decisions under very difficult circumstances. I am running because I believe this same collaborative and persevering spirit will be valuable to Northshore as new challenges arise and new obstacles are encountered.

I am running because I believe our students deserve healthy and uncrowded classrooms, unlike my opponent who, I believe, actively opposed Northshore’s 2014 Capital Projects Bonds. Northshore cannot keep its excellent reputation while continuing to put our children in portables. My opponent is repeating the same tired accusations about Northshore’s finances that he made about the City of Kenmore in 2013 when he ran for Kenmore City Council. The voters rejected him in that election, just as the voters passed Northshore’s Capital Projects Bond with 65 percent support in 2014.

With over 42 years’ experience as a firefighter and school teacher, I have a passion for public service. I am running because the residents of Northshore deserve to have a say in how our schools move forward. Do we embrace a future where we work collaboratively and with respect for each other to continue to improve our district? I am running because I believe the voters are intelligent, and will make an informed decision.