Dear Editor:
The month of January marks the annual observance of School Board Recognition Month’a time to salute the work of school board members and celebrate public education.
The theme, ‘School Boards Lead Strong,? reflects our combined commitment to leadership and accountability assuring that ALL children succeed.
In the Goodrich Area Schools, school board members must develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community. They bear responsibility for an annual budget of $17 million, 2,162 students, 248 employees and five buildings. They are citizens whose decisions affect our children’what they learn, who will teach them and what kinds of facilities house their classrooms.
Our board of education, and the hundreds like it across the state, enable us to have local control of public schools, meaning that decisions on school programming are made by local, elected representatives who understand the community’s unique problems, values, culture and circumstances.
Too often we neglect to recognize the dedication and hard work of these men and women who represent us. This January, I invite you to recognize and celebrate the work of your local school trustees. The staff and students of our district are asking all members of the community to take a moment and tell a school board member, ‘Thanks for caring about our children.?
So, hats off to the dedicated men and women who make it possible for local citizens to have a say about education in our communities. We salute the public servants of Goodrich Area Schools whose dedication and civic responsibility make local control of public schools in our community possible. We applaud them for their vision and voice to help shape a better tomorrow.
The men and women serving the Goodrich Area Schools are: Michael Tripp, Timothy J. Zirnhelt, Douglas Tetmeyer, Linda Jackson, David Cramer, Jeff Gardner and Niki Wiederman.
Sincerely, John Fazer