Tom Yates will keep kids’ interests first

JP Claussen

To the editor:

I am a parent in the district with 10 years experience as a special-education teacher and a past president of the Iowa City Education Association. We need to elect candidates who we can trust to pay attention to details and to keep each of the children in the district at the forefront of their decision making process. We need to elect a board that represents our district as a whole. We also need to elect people who understand how to hold the superintendent accountable for serving the needs and vision of the community.

I am supporting Tom Yates because I know him well from my years of teaching and from my involvement with the ICEA. I can trust Yates to keep the kids in mind first. He will keep a keen eye on, and ask tough questions of, the central administration who are entrusted with a great deal of power and autonomy in guiding the overall educational experience our kids have in the classroom.

He has spent a lot of time working with the administration, and understands the importance of holding the superintendent (the sole employee of the Board of Education) accountable. He also has first hand knowledge of how district policies impact kids for better, or worse. He has a great deal of insight into the past, as well as the trajectory of our district and exhibits a great deal of common sense.

JP Claussen

Iowa City