Letter to Editor in support of Dana McCaleb for Fincastle School Board
| Dear Editor, As Election Day nears, I am writing to ask something of our citizens. When you vote for your representative on The Botetourt County School Board, I ask that you keep the best interests of our county’s students in mind. Historically the school system’s budget has been placed under great scrutiny. This is right and proper and should not change. It is the single largest investment made by the county each year. Moreover, tax-payers dollars are precious and should always be handled with care. But the operation of a school system isn’t simply about allocation of funds. Its primary function is the education of our young people. Too often classroom instruction either receives little discussion or no discussion at all. This needs to change. While it is not the job of the School Board to tell teachers how to teach, a member with Dana McCaleb’s educational expertise can make essential decisions based on how it affects the classroom, the teachers, and the students directly. The county has been blessed with a new Superintendent who is keenly foc-used on the well-being of our students. Dr. Chen has a firm understanding of current educational methods and best practices—those things that help both teacher and student succeed. I believe the Botetourt County School Board needs someone with the same kind of experience and knowhow it takes to meet the needs of our students. While it is true that I have long been friends with Dana McCaleb that is secondary to why I proudly support her candidacy. I watched as Dana faithfully served the students of James River High School for 15 years. I saw the time and attention she devoted to students that most folks had given up on. And I stood on the football field of JRHS and watched the parents of those same students—now graduates—come to her with tear-filled gratitude. This happened again and again. God bless anyone with the initiative and fortitude to run for public office. These candidates, like the rest of us, aren’t in need of additional responsibilities or headaches. They run because they love their community and want to contribute to its ongoing success. Where membership on the Botetourt County School Board is concerned, I firmly believe that Dana McCaleb is the right person at the right time for the right job. — Curtis Alderson, Fincastle |
