Letter To The Editor: With 'Needs Of Students In Mind,' Vote For Hynes

To The Editor:

There has been a lot of talk about the upcoming School Board election and, as a student, I feel it is important to weigh in on some of the issues being discussed among candidates and voters. After all, aren’t students the focus of everyone’s concerns?

I recently hosted a “Meet and Greet” with Pat Hynes, who is a School Board candidate for the Hunter Mill District. This event was very different than other campaign events because all of the attendees were AP Government students at Madison. Whereas other events focus on asking the candidate questions, Ms. Hynes spent two hours listening to our concerns and asking US questions about
the issues that most affect us. She did not come to “tell” us what is important or what our priorities should be – she came to listen, which is something many adults fail to do. The truth is, students have a lot of interest in the decisions made on our behalf, and we have a lot of ideas and input about what is best for us. Unfortunately, we are rarely asked what we think or what we need. Our discussion with Ms. Hynes covered a lot of ground – from video cameras inside schools, to AP and Honors courses, to athletic fees. She listened carefully, acknowledged our viewpoints, and pledged to get students much more involved in School Board decision- making.

Since she is a teacher herself, she knows what goes on inside a school building on a daily basis. If my 18th birthday were one month earlier, I’d be voting for Pat Hynes because students NEED her to be their voice on the School Board. I hope eligible voters will have the needs of students in mind when they vote on November 8th.

Luke Barber
Madison HS Senior