Letters to the Editor for March 26: Readers weigh in on school, council elections

Shurita Thomas-Tate will fight for public education

It's important that we vote April 4 because members of Springfield's Board of Education and City Council will be elected. As attacks on our essential institutions, like schools, grow, we must stand up and support those who will fight for public education.

Dr. Shurita Thomas-Tate has spent her career in education and understands the challenges that students and faculty face and the opportunities public education provides. This is crucial, not just for the students, but also for the future of our community and state. When disinformation is spread about school curriculum and activities, she will share the reality of her experience.

She has chosen her career path, not for financial gain, but to help children and youth to become successful, productive citizens in our community.

Dr. Thomas-Tate is an associate professor of speech-language pathology at Missouri State. She continues to volunteer her time with the nonprofit she founded, Ujima Language and Literacy, which builds literacy skills and connects families with resources. She has been involved in local organizations as well as having been a foster parent. Her lived experiences provide a unique and important contribution to the school board. Vote for both Thomas-Tate and Judy Brunner for school board.

Annie Busch, Springfield

Vote 'No' on 'boondoggle' bond issue

The proposed bond issue for $220 million to build new school castles misses what is actually needed to improve the education of our students. New buildings will NOT improve test scores or graduation rates (this is where SPS is failing our students).

We may need to upgrade buildings but not for $220 million in debt to improve some of the buildings. One of the “new” buildings is estimated to cost $58 million, why? With the current unstable financial position of our economy it is NOT wise to go deeply in debt! It is too risky.

I suggest that SPS go about improving the education of students by reducing class sizes, increase teacher salaries highly based on student improvements and reviewed against objectives and reviewed each quarter. Also limit the use greatly of electronic class time (this is too easy to use as a baby-sitter, not a teaching application).

I would also like to see SPS be more transparent by publishing a line item budget quarterly in the local newspaper. I would like a list of all administrative people in SPS with salaries and duties. The lack of information creates questions and erodes support for the school district. I appreciate the three board members that have been trying to question things happening in the school district and they should be supported for their efforts, not degraded.

I know the district is trying to influence voters through the students and parents glamorizing the proposed buildings but the real emphasis should be on education improvements not social climate. I hope the newly elected board members will be financially responsible, not come with an ideology to push. The board somehow has to be involved in running the district (they are the only ones we taxpayers have voted for). Encourage everyone to vote and review the candidates and review how you believe they will support the district to achieve better education for the students. Let's hope the next “blue ribbon” committee is more of a responsible group made up of real average citizens not just former educators and public servants.

Richard L. Coder, Springfield

Specialists, not ideologues, needed for school board

Springfield, like many communities, stands today at a fork in the road. One path leads to a healthy and vibrant participation in society now and in the future, a world that will be swiftly-changing, endlessly.

This world will look very different, whether we like it or not. It will offer economic and cultural opportunities to today’s young people that we can’t even imagine, but for which each of them will need to be prepared, alert, open-minded, and adaptable.

Public schools serve the public good, and to support a strong community our educational systems need to look to this future rather than toward some imagined past. To ensure that the young people of Springfield are equipped for the opportunities they will encounter, we need specialists, not ideologues, representing our students, parents, teachers, and community on the school board.

For this reason I strongly support the candidacies of Shurita Thomas-Tate and Judy Brunner, who have the expertise and experience to help guide our system in a direction that will provide for each and every student in Springfield public schools the education that they need and deserve, and prepare our community for successful participation in the future.

Mitzi Kirkland-Ives, Springfield

Support candidates free of special interest groups

We have both been actively involved in our neighborhood association, are volunteers for local organizations, we contribute to several non-profit organizations in the community, have grandchildren in the Springfield school system, and have both researched the candidates for City Council, mayor, and school board. We have read the information in the News-Leader and have listened to the candidates themselves as they present their positions on various issues. We have noted with great concern the amount of money that has been given to certain candidates by special interest groups and are aware of the obligations this puts on the candidates to comply with that group’s agenda.

There are excellent choices for all of these positions, and we would like to offer our support to the following:

School board — Judy Brunner and Shurita Thomas-Tate. Both are experienced educators that have vast knowledge in the educational system and have no other agenda than the success and well-being of our students.

Mayor — Melanie Bach. Melanie has a background in criminal justice and law, has a proven record of community involvement and service, and cares deeply about the city of Springfield. She’s worked tirelessly for her neighborhood association and will represent the needs of all our citizens as mayor without influence from outside organizations.

City Council at-large positions — Jeremy Dean and Bruce Adib-Yazdi. These two also have no hidden agenda and have not been influenced by “dark money” in their campaign. They have presented practical ideas and sensible arguments and should serve us well on the council.

Please consider these recommendations and please remember to VOTE on April 4.

David and Pam Buhr, Springfield

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Letters to the Editor: Readers weigh in on school , council elections