Four candidates represent Iowa City schools’ best interests

On Nov. 7th, you get to vote for four candidates for the Iowa City Community School District board. As an outgoing board member, I take this vote seriously. Only four of the seven candidates represent the best interests of the ICCSD: Molly Abraham, Mitch Lingo, Charlie Eastham, and Lisa Williams. Lingo has the expertise and passion for school board. Abraham, Eastham, and Williams currently serve on the board. While we don’t agree on everything, I guarantee these four candidates prioritize:

• Giving all 14,500 students, regardless of religion, income, race, identity, neurodiversity, and physical ability, the best educational opportunities in Iowa.

• Striving to meet the needs of every student through sophisticated curriculum choices brought to students by the most qualified and dedicated teachers in the state.

• Navigating politically-driven laws so that students continue to learn in a healthy and safe environment.

• Collaborating with community stakeholders to make all children kindergarten-ready, including with full-day preschool pilot programs.

• Investing in beautiful spaces for art, music, and athletics, so that the ICCSD is a destination district for people moving to or within Iowa.

We’ve been inundated with vitriol against public education. The fact remains: a community is only as strong as its public schools. The ICCSD continues to create a welcoming and innovative second home for thousands of children. Abraham, Lingo, Eastham, and Williams are committed to serving the ICCSD. Early voting begins Oct. 18.

Maka Pilcher Hayek

Iowa City