Leaving the board, but keeping students in their hearts

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Ocean View School District said goodbye to two

trustees last week.

Peg Edey and Linda Kovach spent the last four years on the board,

working with the children and the teachers of the elementary district.

While relieved to get away from the politics, both women said they

will miss the students.

“What I enjoyed the most was going to the schools and seeing the

children in action and knowing that what we did made a difference,”

Kovach said.

Edey said she also appreciated her position of service, seeing to it

“that teachers had everything that they needed to do their job to the

best of their abilities.

“I hope I brought some heart back to Ocean View,” Edey said. “I hope

there are people out there who feel I served them well because I tried

to.”

Kovach is proud to be leaving the board with class sizes reduced, a

stronger financial ground, a start on the middle school gyms and having

survived the “craziness with Wal-Mart.”

Supt. Jim Tarwater said serving on the school board is a hefty

responsibility that Edey and Kovach tackled well.

“Both of those ladies made decisions based on children,” Tarwater

said. “They believed in high accountability. They believed in providing a

good learning environment so all children can achieve and reach their

potential.

“Setting aside political issues and dealing with the heart of the

educational issues was what these women did as best they could,” Tarwater

added.

Kovach decided not to run because she plans to move to Long Beach

within the next few years. Although defeated in this month’s election,

Edey said she may consider running again in two years.

Both women plan to continue working with children. Kovach is

considering doing some writing, going back to school and do some art. She

admits to doing her best work one on one and plans to stay in touch with

the district’s children by volunteering in the classrooms.

Edey will continue her involvement with the instructional advisory

committee -- she’s been attending the meetings for the last eight years.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I stopped,” Edey said. “I

care about instruction, curriculum and how it affects our kids. They all

are our kids.”

Edey hopes to lend her voice and expertise at the community advisory

committee meetings at Spring View Middle School. She will also continue

teaching through the Meet the Masters art program.

“Peg is very student-centered,” Trustee Carol Kanode said. “She was

really responsive to the community and had her heart in the right place.

I’m going to miss her.”

The outgoing board members said they will miss the district.

“I’m very proud of our employees, from the man who fixes the

sprinklers up to the superintendent,” Edey said. “They’re all incredible

people.”

And Edey and Kovach have some advice for the new board members:

“The board worked to put the children first,” Kovach said. “They need

to follow in that path, instead of looking at politics and what’s best

for themselves. They need to make decisions of what’s best for everyone.”

Edey hopes the new board members will launch into their jobs with as

much conviction and courage as she did.

“You hold 10,000 children in your hands,” Edey said. “I wish the new

trustees good luck and strong eyes, because they have a lot of reading to

do.”