Dear Editor,

I am a parent of two children and grandmother of one child, all of whom graduated from the D51 school system. I also am a retired pediatric speech-language pathologist (in an outpatient setting) who has worked with hundreds of school-age children and their families, most of whom were educated in D51. I had opportunities to maintain ongoing contact with many school staff such as teachers, therapists and special educators regarding students who we had in common.

Over the past 30-plus years of living in Mesa County I have had diverse experiences, both personal and professional with various aspects of the school system. Presently, as a community member, I continue to look at how our schools are functioning, have attended school board meetings and have followed the many positive changes during the past four years.

District 51 has achieved a milestone we should all celebrate: 100 percent of schools academically earned either a “Performance” or “Improvement” rating, a historic first for District 51 since the state began this system in 2010. Not a single school is in the state’s lowest categories for the first time in 15 years.

This didn’t happen by chance. It was the result of a clear, community-driven Strategic Plan and a board that worked hand-in-hand with teachers, staff, families and students to put academics first. Under this board, we’ve adopted a stronger reading curriculum, implemented a cell phone policy to keep kids focused and created more pathways for student success.

This is proof that teamwork matters — and so does strong leadership that sets a vision and follows through. Let’s keep this momentum going.

Re-elect Andrea Haitz, Angela Lema and Will Jones.

– Phyliss Flower, Grand Junction