My two year term on the Vernon Board of Eduation is almost up, which means I’m getting back into campaign mode.  I won’t lie and say campaigning is my favorite thing in the world.  In fact I am very happy to be running for a 4 year term this time around.  Assuming the voters are nice enough to put me back on the Board I won’t have to worry about another campaign until 2015.  Believe me, that’s a plus!  With that said though I have to work my butt off to get elected. 

This year is a pretty stiff race on the Board.  I’m up against 2 incumbent Republican members in Dean Houle and Laura Bush.  Can’t (and won’t) say a bad thing about either one of them.  We have different idea sometimes on the right way to get things done, but the one thing the last 2 years on the Board have taught me is that ultimately we all want the schools to succeed.  We may have different measures for success, and we may have different ideas about how to get there. 

But I’m incredibly thankful to be on the Board where the atmosphere is civil as compared to other areas of town government where it isn’t.  You didn’t elect me (I hope) to yell and scream at my fellow Board members.  That doesn’t mean I haven’t taken a stand sometimes (and once or twice even won!) and I won’t hesitate to argue when I think we’re in the wrong.  But I’ve grown enough in the last two years to also learn that I’m not always right

The Vernon school system is a complex, sprawling corporation.  I’m very happy with the selection of a new Superintendent that we made, and I think Dr. Conway is implementing some great plans to help us steer the Vernon school system to success.  It is our job, as the elected Board, to be your voices.  To set policy that ultimately leads to the development of every one of our students.  I will do my best for every student of our school systems to make sure they get the absolute best that we can provide.  And if we are failing at that, I expect to be held accountable.

So please, reach out to me and let me know your thoughts.  Good, bad indifferent… I need to hear them.  You elect me to be your voice.  We won’t always agree, but I’ve never yet hung up on someone.