Letter to the editor

Dear editor,

In both my personal and professional life, I am driven by a commitment to building healthy, safe communities where youth can thrive and grow into healthy, productive, happy adults. At the center of a healthy community is a strong school system that provides equal opportunities to all students.

As a progressive candidate, I believe that our schools are strongest when we create an inclusive environment, where students of all abilities can thrive and where we foster a love of lifelong learning. It is our responsibility to cultivate a school system that embraces diversity in all its forms, that seeks ways to connect with every child with the intention of giving every child the strongest foundation that we can.

In my work in community organizing and drug abuse prevention, I have seen over and over again the power of a good education to break the cycle of drug abuse that is often multigenerational. A strong system where every child feels that he or she can achieve is the single most important factor in the development of strong, thriving communities.

A strong school system does not happen by chance, however. We must work together with intention as a strategy to maintain a system that reflects our community’s values and our commitment to the highest educational standards.

Over the past three years, it has been an honor to serve on the board of education, serving as board clerk, chairperson of the policy committee, and serving on the curriculum and instruction committee. I have spent hundreds of hours on the phone and sitting over coffee with community members, listening to their views, concerns, and hopes for the School District of Marshfield.

I ask for your vote on April 4. Please contact me any time at chaneymom@gmail.com.

Dorothy Chaney