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 LeadStrong,” reflects our combined commitment to leadership and accountability assuring that all children succeed.

In Niles and Brandywine, school board members must develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community. They bear responsibility for budgets that impact thousands of students and hundreds of employees. 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 we invite you to recognize and celebrate the work of your local school trustees. The staff and students of our districts 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 these public servants 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.
Pictured are the men and women who serve our communities.

Sincerely,

Douglas Law
Niles Community  Schools

Dr. John Jarpe
Brandywine Community Schools