Trustee Choices Rebutted

I beg to differ with The Times’ editorial (May 19) endorsing Roger Belgen for the Orange County Board of Education. He was available to be appointed to that board because he lost his position on the Fountain Valley School Board.

He was voted out of office by the community that had to deal with him on a regular basis. Eighteen years of experience doesn’t count for much when it leads a person to stop listening to the concerns of the citizens. This is how the voters in Fountain Valley felt about Mr. Belgen when they replaced him in November of 1990. Belgen no longer has children in the school system, and therefore does not have the vested interest in pro-student choices held by at least one of his challengers, Felix Rocha. Belgen’s priorities even suggest that he is more program-oriented (“focus on teaching of reading, math, science . . ..”) than student-oriented as Rocha is (“more involvement by board members in local school districts . . .”), or budget-oriented as Richard Avard is (“ . . . Streamline the Board of Education bureaucracy. . . .)”). Programs are already effectively covered by the many qualified classroom teachers in the county. Somebody has to represent the children and I don’t think Belgen is the best candidate to do that.

KANDI DOYLE

Fountain Valley