Red and blue. Two of my favorite colors — until they become representative of the two predominant parties in the good ole USA. Too quickly people align themselves with either a “blue” or “red” ideology and assume everyone ascribes to one or the other political values completely and oppose the other. Coloring with just one crayon is not only boring, but dangerous as well. It doesn’t reflect reality, and only in blending do we see a realistic picture in 3-D.
As a retired Lexington-Richland 5 teacher with a masters in Leadership in Educational Administration, I cringe when I see red and blue politics so firmly entrenched in our local school board. I knew I couldn’t support a candidate who represented complete allegiance to either red or blue since that does not reflect the balance needed to make sound education decisions. I needed the color purple. Enter Mike Ward.
I met with Mike at my request to see if he could color with an extended palette. I let him tell me about himself and was pleased to find he had a lot of experience dealing with diverse people. He has served on numerous non-profit boards and on a local School Improvement Council. He has been part of a PTA board and has actually served as a representative to the state PTA Board. Okay, I liked his experience, but I had to know where he stood politically. And then I asked some hard questions. I expected him to paint himself either red or blue, but I was excited to find his palette was much more complex. He didn’t know what color best represented me, but he wasn’t afraid to tell me what he wanted for our board.
Mike Ward wants to support policies that give every student the best chance to succeed. Sometimes that means blending ideas to find the best solution to a problem. Mike Ward wants to attract and retain the best educators by treating them as professionals specifically trained to know best educational practice. Mike Ward wants to make careful decisions regarding our school dollars to use them with the greatest impact. Mike Ward wants to represent everyone one of you! If you want to color with more than red or blue, choose the right crayon. Choose Mike Ward for School Board!
Cindy Reeves
Retired LR5 teacher
BS Music Education
MS Leadership in Educational Administration
