Letter to the Editor: Toni Morgan For SD308 School Board

The following was provided by Tina Gonzalez:

"We’ve all encountered people in our lives who go above and beyond. Sometimes it’s a friend, a coworker, a community member, or one of our children’s teachers. Toni Morgan is one of those people. In fact, she’s all of those.

I’ve met just a few of those kinds of teachers in each of the four states I’ve taught in. They are the teachers who always think of their students and student learning first. They don’t get wrapped up in the challenges teachers are faced with every day, but approach those experiences in a logical, pragmatic, common-sense manner. They face all challenges in that way and don’t back down when they see larger ones ahead. These are a few of the characteristics that make me confident that Toni will make an excellent school board member.

The thing that makes Toni so unique as a friend, community member and teacher is that you always know where she stands because she tells you exactly how she sees things. She tells you because she thinks everyone deserves that respect and honesty. Her diverse experiences teaching in multiple states and districts have given her a wealth of knowledge regarding student diversity, teaching strategies, and effective leadership styles. Toni is also a great listener and really thinks through what you have to say. She’s not so set in her ideas that she can’t see things differently when given another person’s perspective, and/or sufficient research and information. She knows that a top down approach to running a large school district is not effective as far better decisions are made when the voices of all stakeholders are considered and truly valued. She knows there is a vast amount of expertise right here in the community ready and willing to contribute. Again, I find these characteristics to be crucial when I think of the challenges our school board members must face. Please consider Toni Morgan, experienced and involved community member, mother and educator, for SD308 School Board.

Tina Gonzalez"

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