Ballots are here. Here’s what 2 Puyallup School Board candidates said about masks, CRT
Conversations about masks, vaccines and critical race theory have touched most, if not all, school board meetings around the country. Here’s what two Puyallup School Board candidates have to say about that and why they are running for this year’s election.
Puyallup has a population of over 43,000 people. There are about 27,200 registered voters in the city as of Oct. 1, according to the Secretary of State’s website. The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
David Berg is a stay-at-home dad and has spent time volunteering in the Puyallup School District since 2004 when his oldest son was in kindergarten. He was the legislative chair for the Puyallup Parent Teacher Association Council at one point.
Berg was also the president of the Washington Coalition for Gifted Education from 2013-2021, during which he worked with legislators, teachers and parents to ensure students had access to programs and resources needed for them to succeed, he said.
“It was always something that I got a lot of enjoyment out of,” Berg said. “I was very fortunate to be able to do that.”
Having years of hands-on experience with the school district and education, in general, taught Berg the importance of advocacy, he said. It also taught him that he needed to have the ability to work with different people.
This year marks Berg’s first time running for a school board position, which is something he has been interested in for a while, he said. After spending eight years with the coalition, he felt that it was time for him to focus on Puyallup.
“I was interested in running for school board before a lot of the controversy on the national scale started to warm up and really take shape,” Berg said.
When it comes to masks being worn in school, Berg said although it is not preferable for some it helps provide uninterrupted instruction. Without masks, schools would be in a “much worse situation,” he said.
“We don’t have a lot of other options at hand, so we have to use every tool that we have available to try and keep kids safe and to try and keep them in school,” Berg said.
With vaccines being another tool available for parents, ultimately the school board does not get to decide, Berg said. Public health officials get the final say, and it is up to parents if they want to follow through.
Critical race theory has a lot of “weaponized anger” behind it and is built on misunderstandings, Berg said. It is a concept that is not taught in K-12 schools. However, it is important for educators to have training on things related to diversity, equity and inclusion, he said.
The school district has evolved over the past couple of years, Berg said. It is more diverse now compared to the past, which means it is important to keep equity and inclusion in mind moving forward, he said.
“It’s important for us to keep in mind the decisions that we make and how those influence outcomes,” Berg said. “We need to fix it for the kids.”
If elected, he plans to actively listen and seek input from parents, he said. He wants to ensure parents have opportunities to share their thoughts while maintaining a constructive and efficient conversation.
Berg grew up in Renton and moved to Puyallup in 2001.
Berg is endorsed by groups such as the Washington Education Association, Pierce County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective. Groups such as the WEA and PCCLC have contributed funds to his campaign.
Editor’s note: This candidate responded to The News Tribune’s questions via email.
Marcello Mancini currently serves on the Puyallup School District’s Bond Oversight Committee, during which he works with community members and school officials to manage the $292 million bond the district acquired in 2015.
Mancini has also been a Parent Teacher Association and Parent Teacher Student Association member in the past. He was the legislative representative for Glacier View Junior High’s PTSA at one point.
Mancini is the chair of the Pierce County Conservation Futures Citizens Advisory Board and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He joined the Army in 1989 and pursued his food manufacturing career after years of service.
It is Mancini’s first time running for a school board position, according to his email. His decision to run was prompted by friends who came to him, voicing their concerns about the school district amid the pandemic.
“Many teachers did a great job under very challenging circumstances while others fell short on their efforts,” Mancini said. “This along with declining academic achievements in math and science, for example, are concerns parents want addressed and improved in the district.”
Mancini feels that he can add value to the school board based on his experiences working for private entities as well as being a volunteer. He hopes to bring the voice of parents back to the school district and incorporate more input from them when making decisions.
“Those that are part of our education system should have one goal in mind and that is to create an enriching educational system where our students and those that support them reach their fullest potential,” Mancini said.
One issue Mancini wants to address if elected is the pay scale for school bus drivers. He spoke to drivers who left the school district that said wages may be a reason why there are not many of them left on staff, according to his email.
Another issue Mancini said he wants to address is transparency within the school district, especially when it comes to bonds and levies. There are not enough details shared with the public, he said in his email.
“As a member of the bond oversight committee, I struggle to find details on how and where bond dollars are being allocated,” Mancini said.
In terms of masks and vaccines, Mancini is against “actions that infringe upon an individual or guardian’s right to choose what is best for their child and/or themselves,” but believes people should respect a school district’s policies even if they disagree, according to his email.
Although the school district is not teaching critical race theory, Mancini said he is against implementing that sort of curriculum. He’s also concerned that school officials would have to receive training on what he called “CRT concepts” by law and as a result of Senate Bill 5044.
SB 5044, passed by the state Legislature, requires training for school personnel in equity and inclusiveness. Critical race theory, a topic taught at the graduate level, seeks to explore ways past racism persists in sometimes unrecognized ways in today’s law and other institutions.
“Critical race theory continues to be a distraction and detriment to our entire education system,” Mancini said.
Mancini grew up in California and moved to Puyallup in 2000.
He is endorsed by groups such as the Puyallup Police Association as well as individuals such as Pierce County Councilmembers Dave Morell and Amy Cruver, and state Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup. Individuals such as Gildon and groups such as the Pierce County Republican Party have contributed funds to his campaign.
