Dear Editor,
I am writing in support of my friend and former co-worker, Susan Young, who is a candidate for the USD 428 School Board. I worked with Susan for seven years at Lincoln School, and knew her before that as one of my daughter’s teachers. She retired in May, and we miss her terribly. Susan was not only an outstanding teacher (she was once our Teacher of the Year), she was an exceptional co-worker. She was always in demand for her mediating skills. If anyone in the building, from a teacher to a secretary, para, aide, food service worker or custodian, had a serious conflict with someone else, they all felt that Susan was the best person to go to with their problem. She is a terrific listener, and would calmly hear all sides of the story before helping the people involved resolve the issue themselves. Susan is very skilled at helping both young children and adults learn to resolve problems in a civil, respectful manner. She generously welcomed every student, parent, and new staff member to our building, and worked hard to make us into a true community.  
Susan is also a passionate advocate for our schools. She has plenty of experience visiting with our state legislators, trying to ensure that Great Bend schools have what they need to ensure the best possible educational experience for our children. Susan is always very knowledgeable about what is happening at the state level, and how that affects our district. These days, Kansas school funding is on very shaky ground, and I think Susan would be quite an asset to the USD 428 School Board. As a grandparent with grandchildren in Great Bend schools, she has a stake in making sure that all of our children get the best education we can provide them. As a former teacher, she has a deep understanding of the challenges our teachers face every day, and of what is needed to help them turn those challenges into triumphs. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope that you will join me in voting for Susan Young for School Board on April 7.
Colleen Newman