Dear editor,
Third time’s a charm, or three strikes and you’re out! Which will it be? The opportunity that is being presented to Greene County with the career academy is one that reassures people like me that we made the right decision in choosing Greene County as our home.
My husband and I are not natives to this part of the state; 17 years ago our jobs landed us in the area. My husband worked at Rueter’s Red Power in Grand Junction and myself a junior high teacher at East Greene Community Schools. Our careers have changed slightly since then but we continue to choose Jefferson as our home. I teach third grade at Greene County Elementary but Allen commutes to Greenfield daily. The realization of the career academy would reassure us of the decision to remain in Greene County to raise our family, and not move closer to his job.
We are partnering with Greene County Community Schools to raise our two middle school aged daughters. Yes, it is a partnership every parent enters into when they enroll their child in a school district. We, like all parents, entrust our daughters to the school district, its teachers, and the programs offered within the district to help us prepare our daughters for their future as productive and successful adults. The career academy would open doors for our daughters during their high school career that may otherwise remain closed until they leave Jefferson to further their education elsewhere.
It goes without saying that aside from the academic benefits and experiences this career academy would offer students of Greene County (and surrounding areas), it presents an unprecedented opportunity for economic development in this county which is so richly embedded with manufacturing, industry, and small businesses. If the bond referendum does not pass, I truly feel Greene County’s education and economy will suffer and result in “three strikes and you’re out”. The career Aacademy will go elsewhere and someone else’s children and county will benefit.
I will be voting “yes” for the bond referendum on April 3rd, doing my part to make sure it is “third time’s a charm” because this is for our kids – our future – our county.
Best Regards,
Karen Shannon
Jefferson
