It’s easy for people to sit back and talk about how things should be done, but it takes courage to actually get up and do something about it.

We have been impressed this year to see so many people decide to get involved. Whether it is as a candidate for the Albert Lea City Council, the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners or the Albert Lea School Board, we applaud all of the candidates who have filed for public office this year. 

In the last two weeks, we are particularly pleased with the response of candidates seeking to represent our children on the Albert Lea School Board.

As of Friday afternoon, eight people had filed for election to the board, which is up from five candidates in 2014. Three board seats are up for election.

Public office can sometimes be a thankless job, so we appreciate that so many people are trying to get involved. We look forward to hearing more about the candidates in the coming weeks.

Been thinking about running for school board but haven’t yet had the chance? There’s still time.

The filing period for Albert Lea School Board lasts until 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Interested applicants must file at Brookside Education Center using the affidavit of candidacy provided by the secretary of state.