LETTER: Benson would make quality board member

Dear Editor,

The upcoming Oskaloosa School Board election is an important opportunity to ensure that our school administrators, teachers, and students are guided by a board whose members are qualified and committed to providing the highest quality education for Oskaloosa’s young people. Cheryl Benson has 24 years of experience in education in several capacities and will apply that experience in practical and insightful ways as a member of the school board. We urge you to learn more about Cheryl and vote for her on Nov. 2.

Cheryl taught school for 14 years including teaching students with special needs in Sigourney, and teaching at the alternative high school in Oskaloosa, helping students who struggle with standard education to succeed in a supportive environment. She then worked as a consultant with the Iowa Department of Education in the Health and Nutrition Services department. There she had much interaction with school administrators throughout Iowa and conducted in-person interviews with food service staff. Cheryl was also president of the Oskaloosa Education Association for a few years and regularly attended school board meetings to represent teachers.

Here's what important to Cheryl:

— Making sure the district follows a responsible budget

— Reviewing/adopting policies for all students

— Overseeing buildings and grounds

— Selecting/assessing the school superintendent

— Helping select qualified teachers and staff

— Organizational planning and managing resources

— Being mindful about the reputation of the district

— Ensuring that the district follows a legal and ethical path

Don’t make the school board election be about politics! Instead, vote for the candidate who is most qualified for the job, just as you would if you were making a hiring decision. There is not a candidate who has more diverse and relevant educational experience than Cheryl Benson.

Thank you for voting!

Pat Joachim Kitzman and Scottie Moore, Oskaloosa