When I was an undergraduate student at Ohio University in the '90s, I admit that I didn’t fully understand local politics. It can be difficult to be fully engaged in campus life and in community life. However, now that I am a community member and parent in Athens, I am acutely aware of the importance of making a good decision when it comes to choosing school board members that understand the complexity of the issues our local schools face.
As a former public school teacher in Ohio and in other states, I know the importance of school board members who are informed and well-versed on a variety of issues, and this is the main reason I hope you will join me in supporting Sean Parsons for Athens City School District Board of Education.
Dr. Parsons, a faculty member in the school of music, has attended all but one of the Athens school board meetings over the past few years, including all of the steering committee meetings, and understands the issues facing our community. He connects to teachers to hear about their concerns, learn about their successes, and to gain from their experience and their expertise.
He has visited every school in our district from PreK-12, and has met with parents, families, students, and community members to learn about their hopes and concerns when it comes to education for our children. He has also spent countless hours researching topics and creating videos to educate others about how things work, including state and federal funding that our district depends on to function.
If you haven’t met Sean Parsons, I encourage you to look at his website, his videos on YouTube, or to contact him to ask him about his views. I believe he is like no other candidate in his dedication to answer your questions whether in person, on his candidate website, on Facebook or Twitter, and at the forums. I hope you will vote for Sean Parsons for Athens City School Board.
Courtney Koestler is an Ohio University Alumus and member of the Athens community.
