Joe Green’s representation of School District 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger (Letters, Herald, Dec. 4) does not fit my experience with him. In every one of the many conversations we have had, our children’s educational welfare has always been first and foremost.

Snowberger has been charged with improving the quality of our children’s education and keeping up with both our evolving understanding of best educational practices and the accountability measures imposed on school districts. Snowberger also appreciates greatly the quality of the 9-R School District he came to.

Far from carpetbagging, this has become Snowberger’s home, and he has, on more than one occasion, expressed his desire to stay here indefinitely.

We expect more of our schools than simply providing information to students. Our children need to be engaged in the excitement and value of the learning process. They need to learn how to gather information in this increasingly technological world and to think critically about that information. There is no system anywhere that is not changing, and in that change provides opportunities to be better.

It is a fact of human nature that we understand the complexity and challenges of our own lives with great clarity but fail to see it clearly in others. It has been my experience as well that most everyone thinks that they can run a city or county better than the manager, or a school system better than the superintendent.

Public leaders like Ron LeBlanc (Durango city manager), Joe Kerby (La Plata county manger) and Snowberger work in the fishbowl of public service. They do an incredibly hard job, making difficult decisions in truly complex systems with appallingly little appreciation. Sit down with any of these dedicated, hardworking professionals, and you will see their skill, knowledge and deeply rooted commitment to our community. We are genuinely lucky to have them.

Bernard Heath

Durango