Dear editor,

On April 3, all voters in the Marshfield School District have the opportunity to fill three seats on our school board. Please exercise your right to vote with caution.

Twice in recent years, one member of our board has made an effort to censor or remove titles from the district’s curricula. Mary Carney requested that the Jim Henson Muppet book, “For Every Child a Better World” be removed from the Kindergarten reading list and Jeannette Wall’s memoir, “The Glass Castle” from the 10^th grade syllabus. These books are similar in that they allow our students to understand that not everyone lives a safe, comfortable, and cozy life, being tucked into bed at night with a full tummy and sweet dreams.

Looking at the world through an honest lens and being guided through developmentally appropriate discussion of literature by a trained teacher is a gift I am grateful that we offer our students.

 That is why I was relieved to learn that the three new candidates for the board, Karen Shulman, Jodi Meyer, and S.A.M. Steiner agree with our incumbent, Frances Bohon, that our well-trained teachers can be trusted to work conscientiously to develop curricula that challenges our students appropriately.

The school board has more important work to do than to micro-manage reading lists.

We as voters have important work to do as well: Please join me in voting on April 3 for three candidates who will insure that our students will continue to receive the well-rounded education they deserve.

Barb Gillespie
Retired Marshfield teacher
Marshfield, WI