The biggest threat America faces today— in Douglas County, Omaha and throughout the United States— is the ongoing decline in our children’s education.

In the Millard district, we are relatively fortunate. Our schools function well, our children achieve at higher levels than most in the surrounding area, and scores are improving. However, the marginal performance of neighboring Omaha Public Schools gave rise to the new Learning Community legislation that directly threatens our tax dollars.

Here is what I believe and where I stand:

• Millard School District tax dollars need to work for our children.
• Our school district money needs to be used to maximum effectiveness for actual education of our children. More teaching, less bureaucracy.
• While money is important, the greatest determinant of education success is parental involvement. We need to change our culture to ensure the success of our children, by insisting parents take an active role in education.