Excellent Candidates for Las Cruces School Board lcsun-news/las_cruces-opinion/ci_27292094/letters-jan-10 It is no secret our schools are in crisis. Ill-considered state and federal mandates are pouring down upon school districts, with policies driven by politicians, rather than experienced educators. The result is excessive standardized testing of students, unfair evaluation procedures for teachers, and a failure to recognize diversity within student populations. Local school boards can do a lot to mitigate the harmful effects of these misguided policies, but it requires board members who see our children as more than test scores, and who are willing to fight for quality education for all students. Fortunately, in the two contested districts to be voted on in February, there are just such candidates. In District 4, Maury Castro is superbly qualified by virtue of his life experience and background in education. Maury overcame poverty and, thanks to the G.I. Bill, earned a masters degree in education. He is a former deputy director of Vocational Rehabilitation at the state Education Department. Maury recognizes a one-size-fits-all approach to education is a strategy that leaves most behind. In District 5, Ed Frank is an educator with 39 years experience in the classroom. Ed knows what good teaching looks like, and he recognizes our school board is not doing enough to push back against the restraints politicians are imposing on our teachers. Ed knows you cant be pro-education if you are not pro-educator. As the father of a fourth-grader, I know most parents are fed up with the endless standardized tests students are subjected to, disgusted with the attacks on teachers they know to be dedicated educators, and frustrated with policies that fail to recognize not all students are the same. For those who live in a district that either Castro or Frank wants to represent, Feb. 3 is the chance make a difference. Vote! Glenn Landers, Las Cruces
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 20:59:25 +0000
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