Hello fellow parents and community members; I’m writing to urge you all to vote for Joanna Doria and Jamie McCallum for the ACSD school board. Both are wise, effective and caring parents who will bring fresh perspectives to the issues facing our district. Having current parents on the board is important because they feel how the board’s opinions affect their kids’ everyday lives.

I’m certain that if difficult choices must be made between what’s best for our kids and what’s “convenient” or “efficient” for the administration, Joanna and Jamie will hold strong for the kids. Their number-one aim is to ensure the well-being of our children, teachers and communities and they’ll bring in new ideas to help solve our stickier problems. We can’t afford to make hasty, irreversible, life-altering choices according to the latest management fad coming down from on high. Nor should we chase willy-nilly after abstract “savings” that might never materialize, without weighing the cost of hours of extra bus time for our youngest students and the gutting of our towns’ community spirit.

Joanna Doria and Jamie McCallum have a holistic understanding of the roll schools play in so many aspects of our children’s development as well as the health and well-being of our towns. Please give them a chance to show us how it can be done!

Nora Swan

Ripton