From Michael Boehme
Monroe
In my role as a nurse practitioner at the Monroe Clinic, I have spent nearly two decades caring for the medical needs of the citizens of Monroe and adjacent locales. As I approach possible retirement, I have spent many hours contemplating how I could continue to contribute positively to my community. These reflections have pointed me in the direction of education.
In 1992, when my wife and I were considering moving to Monroe, one of the strongest factors in our decision to relocate was the well-regarded school system. In the early 1990s, Monroe's schools enjoyed an excellent reputation, one that has become increasingly more difficult to deliver on as the years have gone by. As a parent of three children who each attended elementary, middle, and high school in Monroe, I have seen firsthand a steady decline in the rigor and reputation of our academic programs, and believe that our board of education needs members who will face these issues head-on, and make improving the achievement levels of our students a constant focus.
While waning funding from the state level has resulted in a variety of financial woes for districts around the state, our schools face an increasingly more difficult task preparing our students for jobs and careers that are growing more complex each and every year. Throughout all of these challenges, members of our board of education need to do what is necessary to drive growth in student achievement in order for our students to be ready for what lies ahead of them.
Our children's ability to perform in the highly competitive, data-driven world of 2011 and beyond will largely be determined by the quality of their educational experience and the knowledge they gain from our schools. We can and must do better. Our children's academic performance is the lifeblood of Monroe's future economic health. Do I want to try? Absolutely. Please consider supporting my candidacy for the Monroe School Board on April 5.
Monroe
In my role as a nurse practitioner at the Monroe Clinic, I have spent nearly two decades caring for the medical needs of the citizens of Monroe and adjacent locales. As I approach possible retirement, I have spent many hours contemplating how I could continue to contribute positively to my community. These reflections have pointed me in the direction of education.
In 1992, when my wife and I were considering moving to Monroe, one of the strongest factors in our decision to relocate was the well-regarded school system. In the early 1990s, Monroe's schools enjoyed an excellent reputation, one that has become increasingly more difficult to deliver on as the years have gone by. As a parent of three children who each attended elementary, middle, and high school in Monroe, I have seen firsthand a steady decline in the rigor and reputation of our academic programs, and believe that our board of education needs members who will face these issues head-on, and make improving the achievement levels of our students a constant focus.
While waning funding from the state level has resulted in a variety of financial woes for districts around the state, our schools face an increasingly more difficult task preparing our students for jobs and careers that are growing more complex each and every year. Throughout all of these challenges, members of our board of education need to do what is necessary to drive growth in student achievement in order for our students to be ready for what lies ahead of them.
Our children's ability to perform in the highly competitive, data-driven world of 2011 and beyond will largely be determined by the quality of their educational experience and the knowledge they gain from our schools. We can and must do better. Our children's academic performance is the lifeblood of Monroe's future economic health. Do I want to try? Absolutely. Please consider supporting my candidacy for the Monroe School Board on April 5.
