Letter to the editor
When I first met Mr. Joseph George, one of the candidates running for Neabsco District School Board, it was at Minnieville Elementary School in 2010 where both our daughters were attending 3rd Grade.
We began talking and it became apparent early on in our conversation that he was very involved with his children and their school lives. Throughout the years I’ve known him, he has always been willing to volunteer to make his children happy, as well as others, by becoming Santa during the Holidays and or by being the first to step up if help was needed in the classroom.
His stance of, “The students are my number one priority” was as true then as it is today. He has held office as a Principal Advisory Council Chairman as well as President and Vice President of Minnieville’s and Woodbridge Middle School’s PTO/A to ensure his concerns and the concerns of other parents were heard.
He 100% believes that he “must seek advice from the community, because first and foremost, the schools belong to them, so their voices must be heard”. I’ve also seen and been witness to the way he coaches players for the Prince William Lassie and Fast Pitch Leagues and know that he understands the difference between being a true Leader and being a Boss.
As a coach, he was able to identify areas that needed work and he either created strategies and/or implemented plans to assist the players and ultimately “the Team”. I will be voting for Mr. Joseph George because I agree with his statement that we need to ensure we “maintain the most capable teachers in our communities.”
We also need to review classroom sizes and identify programs that work foremost for the students yet are cost effective choices for the community. Not only will I be voting for Mr. George for the reasons I list above but I will be voting for him because of his passion for the community and ultimately the children. If I want my voice to be heard I know he will work “for me.”
Joanne Markus is a Contractor working for the Department of the Navy as a Project Lead Analyst.
