Making Students a Priority

Dear Editor:

When my first son went to kindergarten, I thought that if he had a good teacher we were golden. Granted, a good teacher is the most important ingredient, however, over the years it’s become evident that forces beyond the teacher impact our classrooms. Now that my son is in high school, I realize that the state and federal government figure into the equation considerably more than I had previously realized. Who we choose as our governor, senators and representatives matters more than ever based on current economic conditions.

During the 2010 legislative session I paid close attention to how our Bloomington legislators attended to educational issues. State Senator Geoff Michel was the one Bloomington legislator who went out of his way to make himself available to Bloomington parents…sharing what was happening at the Capital, repeatedly asking what mattered to parents and what they expected of him.  He unwaveringly focused on the fact that in tight budget times we need legislators who make education funding and education reform a top priority. He argued that we should do “first things first” and pass an education budget bill at the beginning of the session, not the end of session.  Waiting until the end means that education bills are caught in the ugliness of all night sessions and midnight debates.  Waiting until the end means our school board and schools are unsure about next year’s budget.

Fellow Bloomington residents, please vote for legislators who will work together for the betterment of our schools and our community. Bloomington has six state legislators…there is strength in numbers if they are all rowing in the same direction.

Sincerely,

Judy Gruggen

This letter was featured in the June 10th, 2010 Bloomington Sun Current