BY MELANIE COLGAN
Candidate for School Board
District 4 – Barranca 

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a School Board meeting where Board President, Ellen Ben-Naim, asked everyone present to dream of what we want our schools to look like in the next three to five years. Many excellent ideas were mentioned…higher salaries for teachers and instructional assistants, world class facilities, all students, teachers, staff, and parents looking forward to go to school every single day. I added a few dreams of my own…increased communication between every student, teacher, parent and the school board and an increased focus on students who may not go to a traditional four year university after high school graduation.

I believe these dreams can become a reality. I intend to work toward making these dreams a reality when I am elected to the school board. In order to do to this, I will first be a good representative of the Barranca District. I will listen to the concerns of parents, teachers, and students. Then I will make sure these concerns are heard by the board. I have no trouble speaking up for those I represent. I see that as one of the main duties of a board member.

In my current jobs as an instructor at UNM-LA and a nursing professor at Northern New Mexico College, I work every day with students from all sorts of different educational backgrounds. I also continue to work with our youth as a classroom volunteer and coach. As I work with students of all different ages and abilities, I realize that each and every one of them have a unique path to take in life. Not one path will be exactly the same. The Los Alamos Public School District needs to guide and help students along their path while in pre-K and all the way through their senior year of high school. At the same time, we need to prepare them for what lies ahead after high school. Every student has needs. Every student deserves to have those needs met. I will work to ensure this happens.

I will also work to give our teachers and staff the support and compensation they need and deserve. Our students are so blessed to have teachers who go the extra mile to ensure student growth and success. As a teacher myself, I know and understand the time and effort quality teachers put into their classrooms, often making use of resources that they have personally paid for. It is high time that these teachers are recognized and honored for their hard work. 

I will need the help of the citizens of Los Alamos for the last dream…world class facilities. Please get out and vote to renew our school bond. In recent years, the bond has allowed LAPS to renovate and make additions to the LAHS, LAMS, Aspen, Barranca, and Mountain. Now it is time to make sure the same will be done for Chamisa and Pinon Elementary schools in White Rock. The best part is, this will all be done without a tax rate increase.

I humbly ask for your vote so that I may serve on the LAPS school board as a representative for District 4. I will work to make all these dreams a reality!