Member Tyra Clinkingbeard's Letter to the editor

Mikolai, Parrish, Williams are best school board choices

As a registered voting Repbulican, I am appalled at the antics of the few far-right-wing fanatics who purport to be the spokesmen for the Republican Party during this School Board election.

I would like to think that most Republicans in Mesa County are like me and don’t vote because we are dictated to by a few people with a significant political agenda and a goal to carry that agenda on the backs of children, but are thoughtful in our research on issues and candidates.

I have either personally interviewed each candidate for the upcoming school board election or have sat and listened to the candidates in public forums.

As such, I have come to the logical conclusion that the only three highly qualified candidates for District 51 School Board are Greg Mikolai, Tom Parrish and John Williams. Their comments and answers to questions asked in interviews or at forums have not changed depending on the audience.

Mikolai’s qualifications as an educator at Colorado Mesa University far outweigh those of John Sluder, and Mikolai’s experience as board president in leading the district through $30 million in cuts that could have much more deeply affected our classrooms and students but didn’t because of his leadership, make him far more qualified to serve as a member of our board.

Mikolai is committed to educating all students, including those with special needs. He has the practical knowledge a member of the board needs to lead us through what may be more slim years financially. Far and away, Mikolai is the most qualified candidate from District E. He has no political agenda.

He is in it for what is best for students, not for a political party wanting to march its way into taking over our state Legislature, as stated in a recent email sent by the extremists.

The addition of Mikolai, Parrish, and Williams to our school board is the only way to take our district to the next level of learning and growth for students. Please join me in voting for the three best candidates for the school board. Our children deserve nothing less.

TYRA CLINKINGBEARD
Whitewater