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Letters to the Editor

A salute to local band students

I would like to take a moment to celebrate and recognize the talented students who participate in the AHS and TBJH band and choir programs. I recently attended both spring concerts and these performances were truly impressive. The dedication, hard work, and countless hours of practice put forth by these young musicians were evident in every song and performance. From solo moments on an instrument they love to play to a solo song sung with just a piano. Their talent, professionalism and enthusiasm made for a memorable evening. The arts play a vital role in our schools and our ...

Sign the recall petitions

It has been a delight to move to Alpena some 39 years ago and to see the progress that the world of education has been able to make during these years...often under challenging circumstances. Since this world of education has been a personal life's work, I consider myself a bit of a teacher/evaluator at analyzing the good with the bad when it comes to the governance process and specifically...the vital role that Boards of Education play in charting a positive future for our children. Alpena has been very fortunate to have had strong, positive Board of Education leadership for 38 of ...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR GUIDELINES

The Alpena News welcomes Letters to the Editor from residents in Northeast Michigan. These editorials are published weekly on Saturdays and can be found on A4 of our commentary section and The Alpena News website. Whether you’d like to comment on local politics, offer praise for a local organization and volunteers, or offer advice, letters are a great medium to do so. We invite all thoughts, concerns, ideas, and are tolerant of however people would like to express their opinions. However, we do not tolerate obscenities, threats, slander, and will not publish obvious examples of ...

Education and success is important

I applaud the current school board we currently have. Despite the political witch hunt by a politically motivated group of people seeking a recall, the Alpena School Board is showing every day that the education and success of our students is the most important goal to them. They mentioned the Mississippi Miracle program, that brought Mississippi from the bottom of the test scores to near the top in just a couple of years. Michigan is 44th people, do you understand? Almost the bottom and Mississippi has passed us by. Why? The Mississippi Miracle...I urge EVERYONE to look this up ...

Proud of Alpena Public Schools

I am a proud product of public education. My entire K-12 experience was within Alpena Public Schools. Dedicated professional school staff including food service, custodians, teachers, and school secretaries set me up for long-term success. Without my public education I would not be where I am today. Following my graduation from Alpena High School, I attended Central Michigan University. My strong APS education allowed me to succeed which led to me being awarded a 45% tuition scholarship and becoming a Leadership Advancement Scholar. Beyond assisting me in obtaining large ...

School board should be unbiased

The purpose of serving on a school board is to govern with an unbiased perspective, keeping decisions focused with the best interest of students & the school system. It involves following established policy, respecting leadership and professional input from the superintendent, seeking legal advisement and making objective decisions without risking financial burden to the district. During my 20 year tenure as a board member on both the APS Board of Education and the AMA Intermediate School District, I was honored by the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) with an Award of ...