Jamie McCallum is an ideal candidate for election to the Addison Central School District board. Registered voters in Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge can all cast a ballot for Jamie as a representative to the board from Weybridge.

Jamie is a respected leader at Middlebury College. He’s a strong advocate for the rights of all employees and students. I have worked closely with Jamie on a campus group committed to improve the working conditions of staff and faculty. On all issues, he has demonstrated a thoughtful approach, carefully listening to all sides and offering intelligent, creative solutions to difficult problems. Jamie digs deeply into the background research and data to gain an in-depth knowledge of the situation. He consistently demonstrated fairness to everyone, and is not afraid to stand up for people when necessary.

We live in challenging times for our local educational community as we currently see declining enrollments. Proposals to close smaller elementary schools to save money on physical facilities have generated too much heat and too little light. Unfortunately, there has been too much attention paid to some false and misleading claims such as the myth that Middlebury (where I live) is subsidizing the rural schools. Not enough attention has been directed to the educational needs of young students. Jamie McCallum will help correct that imbalance in a manner that respects the views of all.

I urge you to cast a vote for Jamie McCallum at next week’s Town Meeting Day.

Michael Olinick

Middlebury