Ad
Opinion Editorial Cartoons Op-Ed Editorials Letters to the Editor

Vote for inclusion, achievement, public health

Erika Brown, Rick Petersen and Andrea Parmenter have been endorsed by the Durango Education Association and Durango Education Support Professionals Association.

They have this endorsement because these three independent candidates want to: 1) pursue equity so that all students achieve to their highest ability, 2) want to elevate teacher and staff voices, 3) want to boost communication and stakeholder engagement and 4) listen to public health agencies to guarantee safe learning and working environments that keep our kids in person rather than in quarantine.

The other block of candidates, “Building Durango’s Future,” uses buzz words to appear progressive, but they are not. They say they are for transparency, but when asked questions about their opinions on topics such as mask mandates in schools, they refuse to answer. If you look at their Facebook pages however, you will see in their comment sections that they don’t support masks or public health mitigations. In contrast, Brown, Petersen and Parameter are transparent about their positions on all topics.

Incumbents Brown and Parmenter helped hire a new superintendent who has an excellent record for high student achievement and worked with the Durango 9-R community to draft and pass the Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resolution. Newly running candidate Petersen has been volunteering with our youths as a Boy Scout leader and has 20 years of management experience. Petersen’s priority after being elected is to ensure that every child has equitable opportunities to succeed.

Vote for genuine inclusion, student achievement, engagement and public health.

Julie Korb

Durango