Kids First Monadnock!

[From the Keene Sentinel Letters Page, Friday, March 7, 2008]

To The Sentinel:

Last year I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the Monadnock Regional High School graduation ceremony for the class of 2007.

While much of my speech centered on the connections between life and Charms Blowpops (you had to be there), I did begin the dialogue with two personal, but in my mind, necessary points.

First, I commended those staff members that chose to attend the graduation ceremony even with the hostile environment that pervaded the district.

My second point dealt with the importance of being responsible and informed citizens.

Because the upcoming district vote on March 11 is closing fast, I would like to reemphasize these two points and hopefully add some clarity.

The tough choices that Monadnock district teachers have to make have not disappeared since the graduation speech in June 2007.

Currently, many teachers struggle with the choice of taking on a second and, in some cases, a third job just to make ends meet. Many other teachers wrestle with the choice of taking on the “extras” in addition to their teaching duties for little or no additional pay. And still others grapple with the choice of teaching elsewhere.

Unfortunately, these same choices in many cases have an adverse effect on the total education of our children. Needless to say, the upcoming district vote is more paramount than ever.

I cringe at the potential backlash if the proposed warrant articles are not passed. How many more excellent teachers will be forced to pick up another job, refuse additional but important non-contractual work, or leave the district entirely if these measures fail? Who are we really hurting here?

The second point that I made in the graduation speech, though far more simplistic, is equally pertinent.

As United States citizens we must be an involved community members and informed voters. This is never truer than this upcoming district vote. What right as a citizen is more important than the one giving us the right to decide the fate of our children? What are we really saying about the community in general and our children specifically if we choose not to exercise that right?

In conclusion, all I ask is that all citizens in the district educate themselves about the proposals in question and exercise their right to vote.

Hopefully, the choices that community makes in terms of these proposals will dictate the future choices that teachers have to make. I think that our children are worth it.

ANDREW HARRISON
Monadnock Regional High School teacher
65 Ashuelot Road
Northfield, Mass.