Non-bylined articles represent the majority view of the Revolution staff. The opinions expressed below do not represent Albemarle County Public Schools.
The Revolution endorses Jim Dillenbeck as the school board representative for the Rio district. Dillenbeck’s policies will help ACPS tackle these important issues: academic excellence, teacher benefits, budgeting, and communication between parents and the school board.
Dillenbeck has lived in Albemarle for 30 years and was a teacher for 10 years until 1997. He has since become a financial advisor. His education and finance experience gives him a unique perspective on the classroom and budget issues.
While current board member Chuck Pace may have many more years in teaching, his policies need a clearer focus and commitment. His experience exceeds Dillenbeck’s, but many of his answers regarding important issues were more abstract rather than offering concrete solutions. Talking about connecting with parents and getting students ready for the world are great goals, but there’s simply too much talk about general issues rather than a straightforward solutions.
Dillenbeck, however, has proposed direct policies such as recruiting community volunteers to nearby elementary schools. He believes that the $270 million budget is spent on teachers and students, instead of adding more central office positions.
He is committed to policy changes that will ease teacher workloads and provide a rigorous and academic school environment for the Rio District.
While both Pace and Dillenbeck are sincere in their commitment to students, it is clear that one is more prepared to take action and bring change with structured plans rather than claims without clear evidence of policy.
