Polling of teachers shouldn't be used to criticize school board member

''When do you want Christmas vacation to start? December 16, 20 or 23, 2006?"

That's the question school board member Mike Dunn emailed to the teachers in December 2005.

He initiated the poll in response to complaints from teachers and parents that Christmas vacation was scheduled by the teachers union bosses to start Saturday, two days before Christmas 2006.

When the union complained, he stopped the poll, but the union bosses, Susan Falk and Arleigh Kidd, have tried to use this to intimidate Dunn ever since. And four days after he voted against closing two elementary schools, Arleigh Kidd planted this twoanda-half-year-old story in the Star, which the Acorn then picked up.

It's reprehensible that anyone would be upset by a poll taken by an elected representative attempting to determine public opinion before he votes.

This is obviously not about a poll. It's all about raw power and who will control our schools.

Dunn is the only board member not taking money from the union. Dunn is "pro" teacher- - his wife is a teacher- but somebody on our school board has to represent the interest of our students and parents.

The teachers union is well represented without every board member toeing the union boss' party line. It's evident that Kidd and Falk have personal agendas that supersede the will of students, parents and even the teachers they're supposed to represent, which would explain why they got so upset that Dunn polled the teachers.

There are more important issues to worry about than a Christmas poll taken 30 months ago, including the termination of Wildwood principal Darlene Hale, politically correct textbooks, vacation schedules and closing elementary schools.

We need candidates to run for school board who will represent parents instead of the union bosses. Steve Koraly Westlake Village