OPINION

By Debbie Bruell GUEST OPINION

Most of us still remember our favorite teachers. Maybe they sparked our curiosity, believed in us when others didn’t, or gave us the confidence to pursue a passion. As the mom of two graduates from our local public schools, I’m forever grateful for the wonderful teachers who guided and supported my daughters.

If we want kids growing up in Garfield County today to have those same kinds of experiences, it’s time to get engaged in the upcoming school board elections. The majority of seats will be determined this November. We need candidates focused on keeping school districts running smoothly, ensuring they are places where teachers want to teach and students can excel.

Finding good candidates is more important than ever. Across the nation, misguided school board members are dragging their communities into grueling conflicts that pit neighbor against neighbor, drain precious resources from children’s education, and create inhospitable environments for teachers to teach.

These school board members use a common playbook: they make drastic, ideologically-based decisions with little or no input from teachers or community members; then squash any discussion or debate about their policies, which they know are unpopular.

Colorado’s Woodland Park School District, where such candidates won the majority in 2021, serves as a cautionary tale. First, they approved a previously denied charter school without even listing this topic on the board agenda, as required by law. A judge determined

Letters

Ode to the Mountain Fair Mojito

You have been a good friend for more than 20 years and I will miss you. When the Arts Council took over the alcohol sales, we made a few good decisions, and one was to invite you to the fair.

The Fair Board had decided that we wanted a signature drink and the call went out for ideas. Within 24 hours, Dru Handy, Priscilla Dickinson and I all suggested the mojito. Flash (Felicia Trevor Gallo) also played a role as she had recently returned from a trip to Havana and was talking about the native nectar of rum, lime juice, sugar and mint. Summer in a glass.

Our first quest was to find a mix. A local guy in Telluride was selling quart jars of mojito mix that he called “Freshies.” When we called