I am dismayed to see that Judy Luchsinger is running for superintendent of the Lake County Office of Education. I see her signs that proclaim, “Students first!” and I see her Web site’s language promising that she will restore fiscal accountability. I know we cannot get either of these from Mrs. Luchsinger.

I worked for the Lake County Office of Education in the early 1980s, while Mrs. Luchsinger was superintendent. I was an independent contractor, providing occupational therapy services in the special education classes in Lakeport and Kelseyville.

At the end of my first school year, a memo from Mrs. Luchsinger went out to the special education teachers, indicating that there were funds left over and did they have any requests for things they needed for their classrooms? The teachers were quite excited about this, and submitted lists that included very basic supplies: construction paper, scissors, books.

Mrs. Luchsinger’s decision was disappointing: the money was going to be spent on a new car for the administrators to use when they visit the various campuses.

The second year, there was money left over, and the teachers were asked to submit their lists of things they needed. Again, the lists were for basic supplies.

And again, Mrs. Luchsinger decided the extra funds would be used to purchase new computers for the administrators in the Lake County Office of Education.

These were the kinds of decisions I observed while Mrs. Luchsinger was in office the last time. This is why I am supporting Wally Holbrook for Lake County superintendent: his track record as superintendent of Kelseyville Unified School District shows that he knows how to put the students first, and how to use the funds for the benefit of the students.

Let’s keep Mrs. Luchsinger in the private sector.

Mary Tulanian Benson lives in Lower Lake.