In honor of School Board Recognition Month

Letters to the editor

January 2024 is School Board Recognition Month. This is a time to show our appreciation and to begin to better understand how local board members work together to provide a better future for our children.

School board members have the most important volunteer jobs in the country and often face some of the toughest challenges in elected American government. Yet school board members are just ordinary citizens with extraordinary dedication to our nation’s public schools.

School board members serve as key advocates for students and are responsible for communicating the needs of the district to the public and the public’s expectations to the district.

The school board works closely with parents, education professionals and other local citizens to create the educational vision we want for our community. In a larger sense, the ultimate role of the local school board is to help preserve our nation’s liberty, prepare our economy for prosperity, and enrich the lives of our people.

It is in the schools of our communities that real teaching and learning happen. Consequently, it is the local school board that can best bring together in our democracy the entire community — parents, business and civic leaders, and all others concerned about the future of our children.

Today local school boards continue to do the most important work in their communities-that of educating our youth. Yet board members sometimes tackle an often times thankless job devoid of any glory. It is time we thanked them for their untiring efforts.

Too often we forget about the personal sacrifices school board members routinely make.

Too often we forget about the important role school board members play in assuring local control over our public schools, control that is in the hands of people we know…people who are our neighbors.

Too often we forget that, in the tradition of a representative democracy, school board members are our connection to influencing how our public schools are governed.

Too often we are quick to criticize school board members without really knowing all the details that went into any given decision.

Too often the efforts of school board members go unrecognized and un-rewarded.

Therefore, in January 2024, please join with others from throughout the Re-1 Valley School District to salute the men and women who provide grassroots governance of our public schools.

Please make a special effort to thank our local school board members: Travis Ayers, Heather Harris, Joel Mccracken, Ronda Monheiser, Michelle Sharp, and Steve Shinn for the invaluable service they provide to the RE-1 Valley School District.

— Marty Foster, Superintendent

of Schools,

RE-1 Valley School District

— Marybeth Skerjanec, President,

South Platte Education Association