First off I would like to say that it is very sad to read such a nasty negative letter about two men who I feel would be a wonderful asset to our school board.

I have decided Ypsilanti is full of intelligent thinking people who probably saw the same desperation I did, when they read it, so there is no need for me to respond to the sarcasm !

What I would like to do is state the reasons why I feel Cameron Getto, and Tom Reiber would be the best ones for our School Board.

The first reason, and most obvious to me, is that they both attend school board meetings!!

I would think that before one would try to run for a seat on the school board, one would like to attend a few meetings.

The second reason is that Mr. Reiber and Mr. Getto are both interested in what is good for all of the kids, not just a select few.

They both understand the need to reach out to and educate ALL of our children. Achievement gaps and racially unbalanced discipline are not swept under the rug with either of these candidates.

Its time to make changes in our school district and now is your chance...get out on June 14 and vote.

For anyone who is unsure about any of what I have said, you can ask anyone who attends these school board meetings...or better yet ask the candidates themselves...Cameron and Tom are both open to the concerns of our community, and willing to speak with anyone who wants to.

We need to put a stop to the rubber stamp vote on this board and a vote for these two men will make that possible.

In closing I would like to say that while it may seem like we can’t afford to buy out the contract of the superintendent, I wonder how it is we think we can afford to keep renewing it at a higher rate each year?

Just a little number bit for everyone: if you were to take every penny of funding for two of my children from kindergarten through 12^th grade...$6,700 times 26 years = $174,200. Not quite enough to pay the wages and benefits for our superintendent for one year.

Hmmm and we are feeding junior high and high school students macaroni and cheese and green beans ONLY for lunch!

Well with that said, I know who is going to get my vote and the vote of everyone I know....what about you?

Ms. Melodie Gable’s letter in the Ypsilanti Courier’s May 20, 2004 issue is filled with misinformation and venom. First, let’s talk about the misinformation.

Ms. Gable incorrectly cited a recent news article saying that the tenure of the Ypsilanti school superintendent, Dr. David Zuhlke, is the central campaign issue in our current school board election. The truth is that the issue is performance, not tenure. A recent article opened with, "Judging from the response at a candidate forum on Wednesday night, the performance of Superintendent David Zuhlke will be a central issue in the race for two seats on the Ypsilanti school board." (Italics added.)

I hope that Ms. Gable merely misread the article. Otherwise, her statements could be construed as fear mongering to get out the vote for her candidates.

Had Ms. Gable attended either candidate forum she would know that, although some of the candidates are critical of the superintendent’s performance, not one has advocated firing Dr. Zuhlke. She also would have learned that those candidates ultimately hold the school board accountable for the superintendent’s performance.

For example, a strong school board with a real commitment to advising Dr. Zuhlke could have prevented the busing debacle last fall, or ensured a fair and timely contract with the teachers.

The balance of power between the superintendent and the board is a legitimate issue for civil debate. Ms. Gable suggests that we vote for Hugh Kennedy and John Vincent because they unquestioningly support the superintendent. This is the same platform that Ms. Gable ran on in 2003, and the same platform that failed by a three-to-one margin.

Last year’s election should have informed Ms. Gable—and all candidates--that voters want trustees whose first allegiance is to the voters and parents, not to the superintendent.

It should go without saying that trustees are our representatives; we should expect them to listen to us and advocate for us, if need be. We would be derelict to elect a candidate who holds the superintendent’s interests higher than our own.

As for the venom in Ms. Gable’s letter, it almost speaks for itself. I would only add that her letter is an example of the negativity that hinders communication and compromise in our district.

I call on everyone to rise above Ms. Gable’s mean-spiritedness and to strive for a healthy, public debate on the issues. Besides, when the issues are debated, neither Kennedy nor Vincent (nor even Willie Washington) has won a single endorsement. Perhaps this is why Ms. Gable would rather have voters paying attention to something else.