To the Editor:

John Quincy Adams once described leadership as “If your action inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

I recently became aware that our School Board had a vote to reorganize itself. The vice chair of that august group, one the longest-serving and one of most experienced member on that board got a bit of surprise on July 13. The chair of the School Board, who recently ran on the platform that experience counts, cast the deciding vote to replace her vice chair with six years of board experience with another less-tenured member.

Districts 1, 2 and 3 voted for the current member to continue as the vice chair, and Districts 4, 5 and 6 voted for the newer member. The unaffiliated chair voted to have the District 4 member for her new vice chair. The vote was 4 to 3.

I suspect that there will be a lot more 4 to 3 votes.

I also suspect that IF the people of Franklin, the faculty and staff of the Franklin school system, the Franklin City Council, the State of Virginia Board of Education view this action as leadership for the children, or other than the act that it was, then I am a rabid goat.

Bob Trainor
Franklin