School board members deserve special honors

To the editor:

The week of Jan. 27-Feb. 1 is School Board Recognition Week. It's a time for educators and citizens to salute these unpaid volunteers who serve public education on behalf of their communities.

Jackson Board of Education members are dedicated citizens who carry out the truest form of representatives government: volunteer public service. School board service is perhaps the purest expression of the grassroots democratic principles upon which our nation was founded. As citizen advocates, board members face a complex and often demanding job.

Board members establish local policies, approve educational programs and hire the superintendent. The also are responsible for ensuring the safety of our students and share in the responsibility of monitoring the district's budget.

Board members' service ensures that decisions about our schools are made as close to the needs of our children and community as possible, and they serve as examples for our young people of the excellent tradition of volunteering, which is a hallmark of our society.

For their untiring personal dedication and commitment to public service, let's give our school board members a hand: Gerald Adams (5 years of service), Mark Baker (3), Mack Illers (1), Dr. T. Wayne Lewis (16), Teri Tomlin (1), Brent Wills (3) and Jim Woeltje (2).

DR. RON ANDERSON

Superintendent

Jackson School District

Jackson