Re-elect John Nelson for Zone 4 school board

To the editor,

I am writing as a resident of Zone 4 and a former North Wasco County District 21 school board member. I wholeheartedly endorse John Nelson for the Zone 4 seat on the board. Not only does he have significant experience being on the school board, he is a former educator who taught for more than 24 years. He knows our schools, our students, our teachers, and our community really well. He has incredible heart and compassion for kids and puts them above all else. That is the #1 job of a school board member, to put kids first. Not to bring a grudge, not to bring partisan politics, and certainly not to micromanage staff, tell librarians what books they can stock in their libraries, or what readings teachers can assign their students. John Nelson leads with patience and grace and lets the experts do their jobs. He can make hard decisions when needed and does so after weighing all the evidence thoroughly. He is the type of public servant that makes boards function smoothly as a team and make staff feel supported in excelling at their jobs.

Although test scores and graduation rates around the state (and indeed the country) suffered during the pandemic, our high school has seen some great improvements in the last couple years. The latest 2024 TDHS report card, for example, shows that on time graduation rates went up 10% over the previous year and now surpass the state average. There was also a 4% improvement in regular attendance, which was 7% higher than the state average. Data like this demonstrate the power of the board to set the tone and the strategy to support learning. John Nelson has been key to that school board culture. Let us continue to drive positive improvements in the district by re-electing John Nelson for Zone 4.

Sincerely,
-Rebecca Thistlethwaite
The Dalles