Letter: Group of candidates highly qualified

Overseeing a school system is a challenging job. It requires a thorough understanding of a tremendous number of moving parts. It requires a strong value for and understanding of education. It requires vision. It requires morality and compassion. It requires one to put aside politics for the greater good. Most of all, it requires a commitment to making a great district, not just for some children, but for every child.

My children are products of the Carlisle School District and excelled there, not just academically, but in a broad variety of extracurricular opportunities that just aren’t available in every district. Their teachers were excellent. The curriculum was excellent. My wife and I volunteered in the district as PTO members, extracurricular boosters, academic competition coaches and more. We’ve had opportunities to work or interact with nearly every candidate from the group allied as Citizens for Carlisle Schools. Having worked as an educator in a nearby school district for 25 years, I can say that Carlisle is lucky to have such a dedicated, qualified group running for their school board. If I were putting together a school board all-star team, it’s the Citizens for Carlisle Schools.

Paula Bussard (a court-appointed special advocate for children), Bruce Clash (who works as the state director for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids), Joe Shane (former high school science teacher, now a college professor preparing science teachers), George Stroud (dean of students at Dickinson College) and Jon Tarrant (former high school English teacher, now an educational consultant) are all highly qualified. Nearly all have now or have had children in the district. Three are current board members. All care profoundly for Carlisle and the CASD. These are the people we need. Remember their names on Nov. 7.

Christopher Martin

Carlisle

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