Parker a tireless family advocate

To the Editor:

With Cathy Parker at the helm, our local educational system is on the right path. We do not need a different road or a new direction.

Cathy has the qualifications, the experience and the vision to meet the current and future challenges of serving our students. She has forged relationships at the state, regional and local levels that are critical for efficient delivery of educational services. This was evident during the past two years when the COVID-19 pandemic tested our resilience to the core and necessitated an action plan to face the crisis head-on to prevent disease transmission.

Amid state health department COVID mandates that were often confusing and inconsistent, Cathy pleaded with Sacramento officials to “listen to local counties.” She took a proactive stance and secured resources in a timely manner. In partnership with Public Health, she obtained grant funding for free testing and PPE for all school employees. Additionally, mass immunization clinics were conducted with Public Health that offered the vaccine to school employees and the public at large. Consequently, our local public schools were among the first to be reopened.

As a member of the local Behavioral Health Advisory Board, I am acutely aware of adverse childhood experiences such as trauma that often lead to depression and substance abuse. These issues gained more prominence with the viral surge. In the middle of the pandemic, Cathy wrote a competitive grant that will provide reliable collaborative mental health services for students and their families.

Cathy continues to be a tireless advocate for children and families and constantly strives to increase parental involvement in all matters including curriculum. Let's stay on course with a proven leader and reelect Superintendent Cathy Parker.

Maureen Woods

Sonora