In the ACSD, each town has at least one representative on the school board. You might ask, “Why are there a specific number of seats allocated to each town if we vote for them all district-wide? Why aren’t all the seats open to people from any town in the district?” Most likely it was set up that way so that each of the towns would be guaranteed someone who represents their community. Of course, that town representative would also be working for the entire district, because that is what you do on a board, just like the school board members worked when there was a supervisory union board. As a member of the ACSD Board representing one of the six small towns, you are someone — in fact, the only one — to be there for your town, to add your community’s perspective to board discussion and decisions.

Ripton, Weybridge, and indeed any of the seven communities that make up the ACSD deserve that their towns’ seats on the board be held by people who are willing to engage with and listen to the people in their community, whether they agree with them or not. They also need to bring that town’s perspectives to the board. That is why we are supporting Joanna Doria for the Ripton seat and Jamie McCallum for the Weybridge seat.

Both Joanna and Jamie are parents of young children and are connected with many other parents of young children, district-wide. They have a direct interest in the kind of education available to these children, not only for the moment but for many years into the future. It is important that the board include more voices of those who are seeing their students’ educational experience first-hand, and it is important that other parents of young children know there are people on the ACSD Board who will truly understand their interests. Voting for Jamie and Joanna is the best educational decision to make for your town’s children on March 1.

Laurie Cox, Michele Fay, Matt Flinner, Wendy Harlin, Deb Karpak, Jane Phinney, Erin Robinson, Nora Swan of Ripton

Ruth Bernstein, Molly Kerr, Sara and Ray Mason, Tanya Scuteri of Shoreham

Chelsey Giuliani of Middlebury