Several months ago, I opened the paper and was delighted to see that Barbara McLachlan had announced that she was running for the Colorado House. The 59th district would be hard pressed to find someone who is a better fit to represent Southwest Colorado. In particular, I am excited about her focus on Colorado’s schools at a time when they could use more help than ever.
Colorado’s education system has been suffering financially for a long time. Despite being the 14th wealthiest state in the country, we rank 42nd in per-pupil funding for our students. Time and time again, the schools are the first to suffer when our state government has to make budget cuts, and we can’t continue to short-change our students. McLachlan has experienced first-hand how difficult it is for teachers to do their job effectively when schools are understaffed, employees are underpaid, and students don’t have the resources that they need. I want my representative to know exactly how our educational system works and how important it is for our schools to be well funded.
Our schools are the foundation of Colorado’s future, and we need to make sure that they are a priority statewide. If you want a representative who understands the importance of a great education and is committed to prioritizing our schools at the statehouse, then please join me in voting for Barbara McLachlan in November.
Shauna Agnew
Durango
